Germanic-Scandinavian mythological symbolism and its role in the creation of national symbols of the third Reich



The author examines the evolution of the national symbols of Germany in the interwar period. The problem of adopting the swastika as a symbol of the Nazi party, and then the entire German Reich, was also raised.

Keywords: National Socialists, swastika, German Reich, NSDAP.

The history of Germany during the Nazi dictatorship from 1933 to 1945 has been a subject of interest for historians for a long time. Even though more than seven decades have passed since the country was liberated from «Hitler’s fanatics», the interest, as noted by Russian historian I. V. Borisov, «manifests in various directions» [9, p. 127]. One of these directions is the study of Nazi symbolism, which, unfortunately, few people know has roots that extend far back into antiquity, long before the emergence of German statehood.

The primary Nazi symbol—the swastika—today is primarily associated with German nationalism as a whole, and with Hitlerism as its most brutal form in particular. Y. M. Antonyan rightly noted that «over time, the swastika came to express the entire misanthropic nature of Hitlerism» [8, p. 17]. In academic literature, one can find numerous definitions of the term «swastika». For example, V. V. Pokhlebkin defines it as «the Sanskrit name for a symbolic sign representing a hooked cross» [15, p. 367]. Translated from Sanskrit, «swastika» means «luck» or «successful future» [18, p. 93].

In its symbolic form, the right-angle-bent corners of the swastika, a figure found as early as the Upper Paleolithic era, symbolized the cyclical nature of the seasons. Hence, in ancient times, the swastika was closely linked to the cult of the Sun and the idea of rebirth. However, the swastika first gained widespread recognition long before the emergence of German nationalists in the cultures of ancient Asian peoples, where it symbolized prosperity and life. S. I. Ryzhakova notes that «swastika-like forms» were highly popular in the Near East and Iran [14, p. 107].

It is also significant that the swastika is one of the most revered symbols in Buddhism and Hinduism [14, p. 107]. For instance, Buddhists still consider this figure a symbol of the «key to happiness» [12, p. 60]. It is plausible that, along with the spread of these religious teachings, the symbol made its way to China, Tibet, Southeast Asia, and Japan.

In European culture, traces of the swastika appeared much later—during the Bronze Age. Through the migration of Finno-Ugric tribes, the swastika reached the North, where in Scandinavia it was associated with the cult of Odin, who absorbed earlier solar cults. After the Middle Ages, the swastika reentered European life at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. V. V. Pokhlebkin wrote that German archaeologists of that time concluded that «the swastika symbol could be an indicator for identifying Aryan peoples, as it supposedly appears only among them» [15, p. 368]. This likely refers to the excavations of the ancient Greek city of Troy by Heinrich Schliemann, a German citizen, in the 1860s. Schliemann associated the swastika images found during excavations with «Thracians-Teutons». Later, using this archaeological material, the renowned archaeologist declared the swastika to be a symbol of the Aryan race.

Schliemann’s hypothesis resonated widely, not only in German society, which had just formed a unified state and thus needed a national idea, but also among «non-Aryan peoples». For example, in the late 19th century, a Polish-origin librarian, M. Zmigrodzki, held an exhibition in Paris showcasing over 300 objects bearing the swastika, which already then attracted significant public interest [3, p. 23].

Shortly afterward, the swastika caught the attention of Austrian Ariosophist Guido von List, who was the first to merge German nationalism with esotericism and theosophy. John Foley wrote that it was List who, in 1910, «first proposed it as a symbol for an anti-Semitic organization» [16, p. 268]. However, the author did not specify the organization’s name or its activities. Guido von List’s student, Alfred Schuler, who actively promoted his teacher’s ideas, brought the Ariosophical concept of the swastika to Germany, as noted by V. A. Shnirelman [18, p. 95]. Researchers believe that a young Adolf Hitler, who attended Schuler’s lectures in Munich shortly after World War I, was captivated by these ideas. It is likely at these lectures that the future Führer was introduced to occult movements dedicated to the imagined Aryan race.

Upon joining the German Workers' Party—the predecessor of the NSDAP—in 1919, Adolf Hitler immersed himself in party activities from the start. After a rapid rise in the party’s ranks, which culminated in his appointment as its chairman in the summer of 1921, Hitler began contemplating the reorganization of party symbols. During his visits to the Munich State Library’s heraldic department, he closely examined various publications on heraldry, attempting to find an image of an eagle needed for the party's seal [17, p. 212]. It is logical to assume that it was during this time that Hitler discovered not only the image of an eagle but also the swastika, which he mentioned as early as 1920 in the famous Munich beer hall, Hofbräuhaus, describing it as «an instrument for kindling flames, a whirlwind, a cross» [8, p. 23]. He also referred to the swastika as «a symbol of the community created by Aryans in ancient times» [8, p. 23].

The first circular issued by Hitler as party chairman on October 17, 1921, dedicated to a detailed description of the party’s symbols, supports this hypothesis [17, p. 212]. The swastika, with its arms bent at right angles, was chosen by Hitler as the national symbol of Germany. Although its stylistic presentation was not entirely new, the Nazis tilted the right-facing swastika 45 degrees so its arms formed an «X«or St. Andrew's cross. For enhanced contrast, it was inscribed within a circle, suggesting a sense of motion [13, p. 517].

The Nazi regime incorporated the swastika into various aspects of public life, using it extensively as the main element of the German flag. The red flag with a white circle at the center featuring a black swastika first appeared at an NSDAP rally in Starnberg on May 20, 1920 [10, p. 170]. Hitler described its symbolism as follows: «As National Socialists, we link our program with our flag. The red color represents the social idea of the movement, the white symbolizes the nationalist idea, and the swastika embodies the struggle for the victory of the Aryan man and the victory of the idea of creative labor, which has always been and will always be directed against the Semites» [2, p. 170].

Following Germany’s devastating defeat by the anti-Hitler coalition in the spring of 1945, the once peaceful symbol was banned, as the swastika had become synonymous with the inhumane ideas of Nazi fanatics, resulting in countless victims among «undesirable» races from their perspective.

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