Nazi symbols

The 20th century German Nazi Party made extensive use of graphic symbolism, especially the swastika, which was used as its principal symbol and in the form of the swastika flag became the state flag of Nazi Germany.

Other symbols employed by the Nazis include:

The Nazis' principal symbol was the "swastika flag." The black-white-red motif is based on the colours of the flags of the German Empire. This colour scheme was commonly associated with anti-Weimar German nationalists, following the fall of the German Empire. The Nazis denounced the black-red-gold flag of the Weimar republic (the current flag of Germany). In Mein Kampf Adolf Hitler described the symbolism of the Nazi flag: "The red expressed the social thought underlying the movement. White the national thought. And the swastika signified the mission allotted to us-the struggle for the victory of Aryan mankind and at the same time the triumph of the ideal of creative work ..." Today, certain countries such as Germany (see Strafgesetzbuch section 86a), Austria, France, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Ukraine, Brazil, and Israel have banned Nazi symbols and it is considered a criminal offence if they are displayed publicly for non-educational purposes.