Symbols Research

Symbols through time

Swastika

The swastika is a prime example of a symbol that has changed through time. Generally it is associated with the Nazi Party of Germany in the 1920s, '30s and '40s. It has become a symbol that has been largely stigmatised. Many post-Nazism groups have used and still use this symbol as an indication of their far-right wing agendas.

The swastika has been a religious symbol of peace for centuries in religions such as Hinduism.

The Nazi Party, under the leadership of Adolf Hitler, adopted the swastika as its party symbol in 1920. It became a part of the state flag when the Nazis came to power in the early 1930s.

The Russian far-right wing political party, the Russian National Unity, modified the swastika as a symbol of their party.

The far-right wing South African political party, Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging, have also adopted their own version of the swastika, evidently inspired by the version used by the Nazi Party.

Anarchy and conflict

There are many different symbols that have become iconic in identifying a cause in conflicts and in civil events.

Although members of anarchist movements have largely denied the importance of symbols in political movements, they have adopted certain symbols to represent their cause. The circle-A symbol, along with the black flag and others, is a traditional symbol of the anarchist movement.

The clenched fist is an iconic symbol of resistance or rebellion. It has been used by many groups and causes to represent opposition to governments or events. Its general use was originally a symbol of the broader workers' movement. Famous examples where it has been used are in the Spanish Civil War, by the parties of the Comintern, by black power groups such as Black Panthers and at the 1968 Olympic medal ceremonies where two black American athletes, Smith and Carlos, raised their black gloved fists in the air to represent black power (although in his autobiography Smith says that it was not a black power salute, but a human rights salute). A black fist usually indicates black nationalism, or socialism, while a white fist usually indicates white nationalism.

Religion

There are many symbols that have become icons of religion and usually have a particular history to define their place in their religions.

Perhaps the most famous religious symbol is the sacred cross. It is used in Christianity as a symbol of the crucifixion of Christ.

The Star of David is another famous religious symbol, used to represent Judaism. It has become ingrained in history through its links to Jewish discrimination and anti-Semitism, mainly in Germany in the early to mid 20^th century and the Holocaust.

National Emblems

National emblems have always been an important factor in recognising different nationalities and cultures. Many national emblems are embedded in history as signifying a particularly era of a nation.

The hammer and sickle became an important symbol of communism and the Soviet Union (USSR). It is largely attributed to the rule of communist Russia, but represented all of the surrounding satellite nations of the Soviet Union. The hammer and sickle was also the emblem used on the Soviet state flag.

The Union Jack has been the flag of the United Kingdom since 1801 and is one of the world's most recognisable national flags, also being included in other national flags, such as that of Australia. It dates back to the Union of Great Britain and Ireland and consists of the three crosses of St. George, St. Andrew and St. Patrick.

The national flag of the USA is another instantly recognisable flag. The fifty stars on the flag represent the 50 states and the 13 stripes represent the thirteen colonies that rebelled against the British monarchy and became the first states in the Union.

Iconic People

There are many posters, photos and pictures that have become iconic symbols of a cause.

The image of Ché Guevara (usually set upon a backdrop of red) has become an iconic image, not just associated with the Cuban Revolution, but as a symbol of resistance and rebellion across the world. It has become one of the most famous images of all time.

Martin Luther King Jr. became the face of the Civil Rights Movement in the USA during the 1960s. His “I Have A Dream” speech and the March on Washington have become famous and incredibly important parts of American history.

The British First World War recruitment poster, featuring Field Marshall and Lord Kitchener, (image left) is one of the most famous, and parodied, posters of all time. At the time, Lord Kitchener was Secretary of State for War.

The similar poster of “Uncle Sam” (image right) was used as a recruitment poster in the USA during the First World War.