A torn and tattered nnazi banners was found in the basement of an old house in Germany. The German GI who had it traded a pack of cigarettes for it. It is a true memento of the battle that Europe’s best tried to win during World War II.

The Nazi flag was red with a white disc bearing a black swastika, and it became the official national flag when Hitler came to power in 1933. Prior to that, the state flag had been the old imperial German triband with the Prussian eagle in the center. Hitler’s personal flag resembled the state one but had the swastika centered, unlike the later version that was off-center.

Nazi Banners: Examining Symbols of Hate and Their Legacy

During the Nazi era, people made their own banners rather than buying them. One of the period’s biggest best-sellers was a potboiler called Barb – der Roman einer Deutschen Frau (“Barb – A Novel of a German Woman”). In this novel, the protagonist sews her own large banner and unrolls it in her living room, proclaiming, “I am proud to be a Nazi!”

As a symbol of their loyalty to Hitler and his racist Aryan ideology, Nazi banners helped unite society behind Nazi propaganda. These banners also indicate how deeply the ideas and symbols of National Socialism penetrated society and had a profound impact on its inhabitants. The cult of the banner is a reminder of how much power Hitler’s regime was able to exert.