History of the swastika

Many people who see a swastika immediately think of the Second World War. The sign was therefore the symbol of the Nazis during that war and is still often used by supporters of far-right movements.

However, the symbol was not invented by the Nazis. Until 1944, for example, a blue swastika could be seen on aircraft of the Finnish Air Force. But the sign was also used long before that.

Five thousand years ago, American Indians would have even used the sign. The Mayans, Aztecs and Vikings are also known to use the symbol. And, although the sign was not widely used in the so-called Abrahamic religions, in the floor of a synagogue at Ein Gedi, as in some other ancient synagogues, a swastika was once found.

Buddha statues with ‘swastikas’

The oldest swastikas found date back to 2500 BC. In both Hinduism and Buddhism, the swastika is often found on the chest or feet of Buddha statues. Many temples in India and Nepal are still decorated with swastikas. The sign is also called sun wheel there and sometimes symbolizes the four cardinal points.

Twisted swastika

The difference with the swastika of the Nazis is that the sign is tilted. Normally, the character is displayed in parallel. The swastika, as the sign of the Nazis is called, is in fact turned one-eighth.

The swastika became a well-known symbol in Europe at the beginning of the nineteenth century following archaeological discoveries by the German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann near ancient Troy. The swastika is depicted on various objects he finds here. In Germany, the swastika then symbolizes the arrival of Aryan peoples to Europe.

Controversial

The NSDAP first hoisted a flag with a swastika on it in 1920. It is not entirely clear why the Nazis chose the sign. What is clear is that the Nazis could use a powerful sign in spreading their message.

Despite the fact that it is now known to many that the swastika was not an invention of the Nazis, the symbol remains controversial. At the beginning of 2007, the German government tried unsuccessfully to introduce a European ban on the use of the swastika.

Falun Gong, an Eastern religious movement with its own relaxation teaching, makes extensive use of the swastika.

American barracks

The fact that the swastika is still controversial was also proven in mid-2007 when the US Navy discovered – after aerial images from Google Earth – that a group of their barracks formed a swastika from the air. Because the Navy did not want to be associated with the sign, a whopping $600,000 was earmarked for an adjustment so that the airborne barracks no longer formed a swastika.