Verbotene Symbole: Was Sie jetzt wissen sollten

Hakenkreuz, Keltenkreuz, Totenkopf, Odal-Rune – and now also the Irminsul with the North Star and the Big Dipper: These symbols are banned in Germany. The „Lexicon of Political Symbols“ by Karlheinz Weißmann provides comprehensive information on the backgrounds of these and hundreds of other symbols. Find out more here. Political symbols are encountered at every turn, sometimes subtly, in some cases downright intrusive. Just think of the rainbow flag. It appeared in West Germany from the late 1970s during the anti-nuclear protests in Whyl, Brokdorf, or Gorleben, before being quasi-hijacked by the LGBTQ scene decades later. But there are also symbols whose public display is punishable by law in this country. The best-known example: the swastika. If it is used affirmatively, i.e., affirmatively or approvingly, this falls under the offense of using symbols of unconstitutional organizations according to §86a of the German Criminal Code. This is punishable by a fine or imprisonment of up to three years. Buddha figure in front of swastika Buddha figure at the New Year’s festival in Kuala Lumpur. In Asia, the swastika is not banned but is considered a symbol of luck. Photo: IMAGO / Xinhua However, if the swastika is depicted in a documentary or scientific context, such as in the „Lexicon of Political Symbols“ by historian and symbol researcher Karlheinz Weißmann, it does not fall under the aforementioned criminal law provisions. By the way, this also applies to a crossed-out swastika or a swastika thrown in a trash can, according to a court ruling. These representations are all too familiar to Antifa stickers. Irminsul, fish, and eagle What applies to the swastika also applies to other symbols, such as the Celtic cross, the skull (if it resembles the one used by the SS), the Odal rune, the Wolfsangel, and now also the Irminsul – in connection with the North Star and the constellation of the Big Dipper. This combination was found in the logo of the recently banned Artgemeinschaft. Because the organization had registered the depictions of a fish being seized by an eagle as a trademark, this symbol is now also banned. The fish is the symbol of Christianity, and as you can read in Weißmann’s „Lexicon of Political Symbols,“ the eagle is strongly associated with German identity. The Artgemeinschaft saw itself as a Germanic religious community and was opposed to Christianity. The aforementioned symbol is to be understood in this context. Excerpt from Karlheinz Weißmann’s „Lexicon of Political Symbols.“ The monumental work impresses with over 1,700 illustrations, most of which come from the author’s collection, which he has compiled over decades. You can order the book here. Photo: Repro COMPACT Do you notice something? Symbols that are related to the Nazi past or are somehow defined as „right-wing“ are generally banned in this country. The red star or hammer and sickle are not banned, even though the most serious crimes against humanity have also been committed under these symbols, just think of Stalin, Mao, or Pol Pot. According to calculations by historian Stèphane Courtois, communist regimes are responsible for 100 million deaths worldwide. But their symbolism is still considered acceptable. The Robert Langdon of the historian profession Political symbols can undergo a change in meaning over time – and the aforementioned rainbow flag is not the only case, as Karlheinz Weißmann illustrates in his „Lexicon of Political Symbols.“ The voluminous volume fills a real gap in non-fiction literature because, until now, there has been no such comprehensive reference work on political symbolism, even internationally. Weißmann is a true expert in this field, having been researching it since the early 1980s. He not only has an inexhaustible collection of badges, cult objects, paintings, and finds but has also built up an extensive source archive and a thousand-volume specialized library on individual symbols over the decades. Symbolic fusion: Instead of the swastika, the communist symbol of the hammer and sickle is displayed on a white field on a red background. March of the National Bolshevik Party of Russia under Eduard Limonov in Moscow in 1993. Photo: picture-alliance / dpa/dpaweb | epa Yuri Kochetkov Weißmann’s first publications – the essay „Die Zeichen des Reiches. Symbole der Deutschen“ (1989) and the book „Schwarze Fahnen, Runenzeichen. Die Entwicklung der politischen Symbolik der deutschen Rechten zwischen 1890 und 1945“ (1991) – dealt with this field, and one could say that Weißmann is something like a Robert Langdon of the historian profession. Like the fictional professor from Dan Brown’s novels (e.g., Illuminati and The Da Vinci Code), Weißmann delves into the signs and symbols and deciphers them for a wide readership. From anarchist A to gear So does the „Lexicon of Political Symbols“: Weißmann’s inexhaustible archive formed the basis for this mammoth work. On over 600 pages, the reader will find over 200 individual articles on symbols used in

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Verbotene Zeichen: Was Sie jetzt wissen müssen

Hakenkreuz, Keltenkreuz, Totenkopf, Odal-Rune – und jetzt auch die Irminsul mit Polarstern und Großem Wagen: Diese Symbole sind in Deutschland verboten. Über die Hintergründe dieser und hunderte anderer Zeichen klärt das „Lexikon politischer Symbole“ von Karlheinz Weißmann umfassend auf. Hier mehr erfahren. Politische Symbole begegnen uns auf Schritt und Tritt, mitunter subtil, in manchen Fällen geradezu aufdringlich. Man denke nur an die Regenbogenfahne. Die tauchte in Westdeutschland ab Ende der 1970er Jahre bei den Anti-AKW-Protesten in Whyl, Brokdorf oder Gorleben auf, bevor sie dann Jahrzehnte später von der LGBTQ-Szene quasi gekapert wurde. Doch es gibt auch Symbole, deren öffentliche Zurschaustellung hierzulande unter Strafe steht. Bekanntestes Beispiel: das Hakenkreuz. Verwendet man es affirmativ, also bejahend oder zustimmend, fällt dies unter den

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