Nazi Emblems

I was walking through a town centre and I saw a guy wearing what looked to be a genuine SS jacket. It gave me the idea to post this...

If you saw a person in the street wearing a Nazi emblem, eg, swastika, iron cross, would you be offended?

 

Was the jacket bearing the SS runes? If not, I do not see anything wrong with it. Then again, I have seen some wearing fur caps with the hammer and sickle. I personally would not find it offensive but would consider the individual suspicious.

 

I have seen punks wearing things like this, I write them off as rebelious punks who truly have no idea what they are representing. Although two boys in Colorado use to do the same thing (Colombine), so maybe I shouldn't just write them off.

 

I would not necessarily be offended enough to yell at the person, but I would think he or she was an idiot and was displaying bad taste. This is especially the case with the SS runes or swastika.
However, the Iron Cross, and variations of it (without the swastika) is seen quite a bit on teenage clothing lines nowadays. Heck, I went to a gift shop in Heidelberg Germany that was selling iron cross necklaces (again without the swastika).

 

Yes, the jacket did have the SS runes and also an armband. If it was a replica, it was impressive.

A long time ago, I wanted an iron cross. I didn't know what they represented then.

But you're right, a lot of punks and bikers wear emblems like that, especially the iron cross. I don't know about any of you, but I feel it would be more offensive to see a "normal" dressed person wearing a Nazi emblem, than someone who actually is a punk, biker, etc.

 

Heck, it would be cool to have an Iron Cross for a collection (just as long as you don't wear it outside and support what all it implicates).
I think many young people today seem to trivialize the Nazis, and see them as boogiemen and therefore, shall I say “kind of cool” (If its anti-establishment, children are mystified with it).
There are them, and the hardcore Neo nut jobs, and then there are the completely stupid people with stupid judgment such as Prince Harry at that party one time, and just recently, actress Sandra Bullock’s husband’s mistress, with her posing with a SS hat, Armband, and holding a SS dagger up to her tongue!! Rob Zombie has a song about “werewolf women of the SS” or something like that. It goes on and on!

 

There's a mechanic I've seen who's always wearing a german ww2 hat that has the death skull on it and something else. He looks like he's 50 or 60 years old. I keep forgetting to ask why he wears it, out of curiousity, it doesn't offend me.

 

The Iron Cross itself really should not represent Nazism as it existed way before the Nazi party. The Iron Cross design is close to the cross pattée and is still used by the bundeswehr. So that in itself is not offensive to me. Then again, majority of the neo-nazis are not know for high intelligence..............or any at all.

 

I would personally not be offended, and people that are offended by a piece of clothing are just oversensitive in my opinion. I personally loathe Socialism, but I don't get worked up over Che Guevara t-shirts because of that.

 

Yeah, if I remember correctly, arn't WWII German Veterans are allowed to wear their awards like the cross, as long as they black out or hide the Swastika?

 

I believe the WW2 vets who were issued the Iron Cross with the Swastika on it could return the item and be re-issued a replacement without the Swastika included on it. Don't recall where I read that actually, but I do recall it.

Found it, here is a link to that story:

The Iron Cross is solely a wartime decoration and has not been awarded since the end of the Second World War. German law prohibits the wearing of a swastika, so in 1957 the West German government issued replacement Iron Crosses to World War II veterans with the swastika replaced by an Oak Leaf Cluster, similar to the Iron Crosses of 1813, 1870 and 1914.

See:

http://www.solarnavigator.net/history/iron_cross.htm

　

 

Any data how many guys did that swap?

 

I'd say the punk wearing this wants to be kicked in the face and is either crazy because a genuine jacket is worth a fortune, or a sick disguised clown. Besides in Europe (especially Germany ) he's be arrested within minutes and charged for promoting hatred.

 

I find secret societies more offensive than a Neo goofball wearing a Swastika. I have known people in the KKK that are truly frightening.
Kids/rebelious teens etc. are going to do and wear stupid stuff just to get a reaction, look at all the boxer shorts being exposed. By the way, silly event happened playing basketball when I dribbled around a guy with said baggy pants mid hip to where he couldn't keep up. When he started talking smack about I didn't have game I just calmly told him if he pulled up his pants I'm sure he would be better than me. Then his buddy told him if he pulled up his pants it would keep his brains warm and maybe he could think about what he was doing. That, I thought was funny.

 

How do they deal with arrests of these thugs? Do they actually have to wear the swastika and SS runes and such to be arrested? Or do they also go after shaved heads, wearing black flight jackets, and combat boots? And they do seem to meet and have "rallies", I think old David Irving had one with them. I wonder what the laws are of what is accepted and what is not?

 

Yes. You have to actually wear National Socialist symbols to get arrested. It would be quite stupid if you could be arrested for having shaved your head, wouldn't it?

 

Actually, no. The 57 award is supposed to be worn, which is the official replacement award for the "offending" 3rd Reich decorations.

However, if you ever have occasion to meet or talk with any of the old vets you will quickly find that political correctness is not one of their general attributes.

Many "lost" their awards either through trophy seekers during internment or on the battlefield. Those vets, and those who served later in the Bundeswher, will generally have the 57 awards.

Those lucky enough to retain their originals will general flip them around so the Swastika does not show. You see this mainly with Knights Cross winners as the 1st class is a pin back and the 2nd class was only worn as a ribbon on the uniform.

Remember, the medal is a military award for bravery and was first awarded in 1813 (Prussia). Politicians can decree the "symbology" but never the reasons for it being awarded.

 

I meant to suggest a combination of a shaved head, flight jacket and boots. (I guess I am being steriotypical of what they would look like.) Is there a dress code (other than forbidding the NSDAP symbols)?

Skipper stated that you could be arrested for promoting hatred. I just wondered what that applies to in Germany. Rallies? Chanting? (I think I remember hearing that its illegal to do the salute).

 

This is an old article from about 5 years ago, but covers some of the existing laws in Germany still, I believe the Austria and a few other European states have similar restrictions. But Germany seems to have the most stringent anti-Nazi statutes.

Goto:

BBC NEWS | Europe | Germany beefs up anti-Nazi laws

This year the "Dresden marchers" were met by a larger force of anti-Nazis than ever. I think they out-numbered the pro-Nazi protesters by 2:1 or so.

 

The skinhead subculture is not limited to the far right, although it is closely associated with it. There's also many skinheads that are far left on the political spectrum, aswell as those that are apolitical.

True, but in most countries it has to be explicit. If it was up to the medias, you would be promoting hatred if you are against the immigration of refugees or --God forbid-- if you want to preserve your ethnic group.