Why Hitler adopted the swastika as a Nazi symbol?

[Aegwyrt]

It was already in use since the nineteenth century by philosophers espousing Aryan-supremacist ideals and was used by right-wing paramilitary groups contemporary with the National Socialist movement, such as the Freikorps unit Ehrhardt, who had it painted on their helmets. The swastika is a symbol common to all ethnic groups with origins in the Caucasus, so pretty much everybody outside of Africa.

[Larso]

I remember being surprised to learn it was such an old symbol - examples were excavated at Troy for instance. It is also common in India. I remember hearing of it more recently as the 'broken cross' in an anti-Christian context but as a symbol it clearly predates Christianity, so this was an interesting interpretation of it.

[varjag]

One - of the many explanations banded about, is that Hitler picked the symbol from the Church! Hitler was a choir-boy in the church in Lambach when he was about 8-9 years old. The interior of the church displayed the swastika symbol in one or more places. My tuppence, Varjag

[Tonyny44]

Maybe he got the idea from this.

http://www.shorpy.com/node/5438?size=_original

[Karl]

The interior of the church displayed the swastika symbol in one or more places.

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I wonder if there are pictures of this.

Another recent appearnce was in the film 1408 (Steven King).

[Erich S]

Native Americans also used the design.

[ohrdruf]

The answer to this question is as follows.

In 1935 the official journal of the SS, "Das Schwarze Korps", commissioned Professor Heinar Schilling to write a series of articles on the life of the ancient Germanen. In 1937 the SS authorized him to publish his book on this subject, "Germanisches Leben" (Koehler & Amelang, Leipzig, April 1937).

In the Bronze Age the German Aryans worshipped the sun. The swastika was their symbol for the sun. "National Socialism is returning to the ancient sun cult and the swastika is its symbol," says Professor Schilling, with the blessing of the SS.

The only question remaining is why a 20th century industrialized society should cut itself adrift from its established religion and revert to the sun cult of its ancestors. It is difficult to accept that suddenly they thought the Sun was God. Since everything in National Socialism had a purpose linked to the National Socialist objectives, that is where we shall find the answer.

Professor Schilling does not dare venture to explain the motives behind the religious shift back, but here is the clue: in National Socialist Germany, and wherever the Germans abounded abroad in great numbers, the solstices were celebrated by ceremonies known as "Sonnenwendfeir". Those who have studied the Mayan sun cult will understand the parallel and perhaps grasp why the Nazis found it suited their purposes.

[Mauser K98k]

One - of the many explanations banded about, is that Hitler picked the symbol from the Church! Hitler was a choir-boy in the church in Lambach when he was about 8-9 years old. The interior of the church displayed the swastika symbol in one or more places. My tuppence, Varjag

I think that theory holds water.

The Benedictine Monastery in Lambach where Adolf attended school and sang in the choir was ruled in the 1850's and 1860's by the Abbot Theodorich von Hagen, upon whose coat of arms appeared a Hakenkreuz, the German name for the Swastika symbol. It is surmised that von Hagen considered it a pun on his own name (Haken-Hagen). At any rate, von Hagen incorporated the symbol some six or seven places in the Abbey -- over the ornamental gateway, over a stone well, and over several of the stalls in the Abbey. The gateway was visible from Hitler's parent's apartment, so little Adolf undoubtedly saw it many times. ( p.20-21, The Life And Death Of Adolf Hitler by Robert Payne)

[FireFoxy]

Native Americans also used the design.

Alot of nationalites used this symbol for over 3000 years before Hilter got his hands on it.
Most sources state that Swastika is an indian word that came from india plus,there's a greek vase showing a swastika from the geometric period, in a meusum.

Why Hitler adopted the swastika as a Nazi symbol? I don't know for sure,i don't think any body really knows unless you ask Hitler you're self.

But there was one source that suggested that the swastika had the right colours that Hitler was looking for-Red black and white.
Apparently In Hitler's M/k his book he write in jail,Hitler states something about the Swastika and this is way before Hitler rose to power. Apparently on August the 7 1920 the Swastika became the symbol of the nazi Germany.

This came from sources and memory,so don't relye on it as proof for other forums.

[Borys]

Ahoj!
I've seen photographs of a medieval (?) synagoge with swastikas used as ornament.

Borys

[FireFoxy]

Ahoj!
I've seen photographs of a medieval (?) synagoge with swastikas used as ornament.

Borys

Well, the Swastikas is very old,it has been used in many ways and cultures!

[Karl]

saw this today



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'...part of a belt-set from early years of the 5th century.' '...design is Germanic and may have been worn by one of the early Saxon mercenaries. Discovered in a grave at Mucking, Essex.'
'Illustrated History Of Britain by Martyn Bennett', pg. 53 (The Age of Bede), Trafalgar Square Publishing 1992.

[Geoff Walden]

One - of the many explanations banded about, is that Hitler picked the symbol from the Church! Hitler was a choir-boy in the church in Lambach when he was about 8-9 years old. The interior of the church displayed the swastika symbol in one or more places. My tuppence, Varjag

I think that theory holds water.

The Benedictine Monastery in Lambach where Adolf attended school and sang in the choir was ruled in the 1850's and 1860's by the Abbot Theodorich von Hagen, upon whose coat of arms appeared a Hakenkreuz, the German name for the Swastika symbol. It is surmised that von Hagen considered it a pun on his own name (Haken-Hagen). At any rate, von Hagen incorporated the symbol some six or seven places in the Abbey -- over the ornamental gateway, over a stone well, and over several of the stalls in the Abbey. The gateway was visible from Hitler's parent's apartment, so little Adolf undoubtedly saw it many times. ( p.20-21, The Life And Death Of Adolf Hitler by Robert Payne)

I never could find Hagen's symbol on the outside of the monastery (if it's over the front ornamental gateway, it's hidden pretty well), but it's still there in an inner courtyard, over a well (or fountain).

A 1938 book about Hitler's ancestral area said specifically that Lambach is where he first saw the symbol, and shows a photo of Hagen's symbol at the monastery well/fountain.

Geoff Walden

[Karl]

One - of the many explanations banded about, is that Hitler picked the symbol from the Church! Hitler was a choir-boy in the church in Lambach when he was about 8-9 years old. The interior of the church displayed the swastika symbol in one or more places. My tuppence, Varjag

I think that theory holds water.

Unless and until some physical proof is produced, I think we can call this one actually dead in the water; squashed and dudd.

Karl

[Geoff Walden]

"Mauser K98k"]

One - of the many explanations banded about, is that Hitler picked the symbol from the Church! Hitler was a choir-boy in the church in Lambach when he was about 8-9 years old. The interior of the church displayed the swastika symbol in one or more places. My tuppence, Varjag

I think that theory holds water.

Unless and until some physical proof is produced, I think we can call this one actually dead in the water; squashed and dudd.

Karl[/quote]

Karl,

What sort of physical proof are you looking for? The book "Oberdonau, die Heimat des Fuehrers" by Rudolf Lenk (Muenchen, Bruckmann, various eds. 1938-41) says that the Lambach monastery is where Hitler first saw the Hakenkreuz, and it shows a photo of Th. Hagen's coat of arms, dated 1860, with a hooked Sonnenrad type of Hakenkreuz. That coat of arms complete with Hakenkreuz is still there today, above a well in the monastery inner courtyard.

This doesn't claim any connection between the Church and the symbol, just that this particular location was thought to be where Hitler first saw the Hakenkruez symbol.

Geoff