The Nazi swastika: a logo for hate

In Nuremberg in 1935. Source: National Digital Archives of Poland.

Nazi Party propaganda postcard from 1937. Source: Bundesarchiv.

Jayne Josem

Polish Holocaust survivor Bono Wiener said “when I see a swastika I see Auschwitz”. As one of the founders of our museum, he echoed the sentiments of other survivors and their descendants and neatly encapsulated the immensity of the offence this powerful symbol embodies.

But this view is not simply one held by survivors or their descendants. US author and art director Steven Heller published a book exploring the Nazi symbol titled The Swastika and Symbols of Hate (2019). He writes, “The Nazi swastika is a visual obscenity. Once the mark of good fortune, during the twentieth century it was hijacked and perverted, twisted into the graphic embodiment of intolerance. If you want to know what the logo for hate looks like, go no further.” Sadly today, not only is the resurgence of this symbol in our midst problematic, but also the propensity of similar logos appearing as emblems of white supremacy groups across the globe. The AntiDefamation League (ADL) has identi ed 178 images – mostly of far-right, neo-Nazi, white nationalist and separatist groups.

The Nazis were master propagandists who understood the power of theatre and design. They stage-managed every aspect of their image and at its heart was the strong Hakenkruez (hooked cross) logo on their ubiquitous banners and stylised uniforms. In Mein Kampf, written in 1925, Hitler articulated the need for a unifying powerful slogan, writing ‘an effective emblem can give the rst impetus for the interest in a movement.’

The Victorian government has committed to making the public display of Nazi symbols illegal as part of its comprehensive response to recommendations of the Parliamentary Legal and Social Issues Committee’s Inquiry into Anti-Vili cation Protections.

The Nazi symbol represents hate and mass murder - hatred of Jews, hatred of homosexuals, hatred of people with disabilities, hatred of Sinti-Roma, hatred of those who are different to the Nazi Aryan ideal.

In fact, it goes beyond hate to advocating for the elimination of such people. In World War Two this resulted in the most monstrous invention: killing factories where people were murdered at an industrial scale. Over 3 million individuals were murdered in death camps, mostly Jews, and mostly during an intensive 18-month period from 1942-43. The other 3 million Jewish victims were either murdered with bullets, or starved or tortured to death as they were hunted down in every country the Nazis occupied.

Late last year the JHC joined the Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV) and other Jewish organisations to be part of a consultative process, led by the Department of Justice and Community Safety, to discuss this complex area of law reform.

The issue became heightened due to the increasing visibility of the Nazi symbol in Victoria, including targeted graf ti at Jewish sporting clubs, as well as displayed on cars and individuals out and about in the community, and most disturbingly, a ag own at a home in country Victoria. Last year in the Gariwerd (Grampians) National Park a group of neo-Nazis gathered, chanting ‘Heil Hitler’ and ‘White Pride’, prompting immediate concern and political condemnation. Their own symbol was stickered over the park ‘National Socialist Network: Australia for the White Man.’

This more open display mirrors similar trends across the globe. ‘Symbolism plays a huge role in propagating unsavory ideas,’ notes Steven Heller, citing the use of tiki torches used by white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017, turning a bearer of light into a symbol of hate.

When asked about these far-right displays, Premier Daniel Andrews said there was evidence that “evil and wicked” antisemitism was on the rise in Victoria. “There’s no place for that kind of antisemitism in our state, no place for that sort of bigotry and hatred.”

It surprised Holocaust survivors in Melbourne, as well as the wider community, that there was no law to stop these hateful and disturbing displays. Caul eld MP David Southwick announced at the JHC in February 2020 that the Liberal-National Party were committed to banning the swastika. A groundswell of opinion lead to bipartisan support for an inquiry into Anti-Vili cation protections, ultimately recommending making the public display of Nazi symbols a criminal offence.

Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes said, “All forms of hate are unacceptable and have no place in Victoria – expanding our anti-vili cation laws to protect more Victorians sends a clear message that this vile behaviour will not be tolerated.”

An extensive consultation process is underway with the community and impacted groups ahead of the introduction of the new legislation. Minister for Multicultural Affairs Ros Spence stated, “Nazi symbols glorify one of the most hateful ideologies in human history. We must confront hate, prevent it, and give it no space to grow.” One issue needing consideration is removing the onus to prove that those displaying the Nazi symbol intend to cause harm. Another issue is the notion of public display, which could include display on private property, within public view.

There will be challenges around tattoos of the symbol, as it is dif cult to insist those who already have such tattoos must always conceal them or have them removed. Legislating against new tattoos could be considered but it would be challenging for police to determine when exactly a tattoo has been obtained. And what about those trading in Holocaust memorabilia – what limits will there be on the display of material in shop windows or online?

A further challenge is the consideration of other Nazi symbols beyond the Hakenkruez – including similar style symbols used by modern extremist groups that represent the same set of values: intolerance, prejudice, hatred of others. But could extending the law limit freedom of expression and cause issues around trying to enforce it?

Most importantly, any legislation must explicitly exclude the traditional, peaceful religious and cultural swastika, whose use should not in any way be confused with the Nazi symbol. The swastika continues to be the most widely used symbol of Hindus, Jainas, and Buddhists. We respect the ongoing use of this auspicious religious symbol, representing prosperity and good fortune, that was stolen and inverted.

Banning the Nazi symbol will be an important gesture demonstrating that our government nds it abhorrent in 2022 in Australia to display such vile symbols. It will not stop racism and antisemitism, but it will curb its visibility and the message of hatred and intolerance it promotes.

Education is part of the answer to the problem today because hatred of others, whether Jews, Muslims, the LGBTQIA+ community or other groups being targeted, is mostly a result of ignorance. We need to educate to overcome the ignorance and the fear of the other, we need to educate to make the public understand just what it is about the Nazi symbol that is so abhorrent in our multi-cultural and diverse Australian society in 2022.

Despite being outlawed in Germany today, the swastika endures in some form in every country where racial (and particularly anti-Semitic) hatred exists. In the United States, it is still angrily scrawled in public spaces – from subways to synagogues – a trenchant reminder that people are uent in the visual language of hate.

- Steven Heller, 2019

Jayne Josem is JHC Museum Director and CEO.