Is there legistlation agaisnt it? What is the public opinion? Is it still used in some official way or was it used in the past?
It’s complicated in Finland. It is obviously seen as nazi symbolism by many today, yet it’s still used today. For example the flag of the Finnish airforce has it: https://images.app.goo.gl/G3wxNBbcg7tkNrfq7
The Presidental flag has it: https://images.app.goo.gl/fB9eANvvgWG2WCUu6
I’d like to point out that the swastika was used as the symbol of the airforce before the nazi’s adapted it as their flag. There was an awkward moment when our president awarded the Cross of the white rose to Charles de Gaulle in a public ceremony: https://images.app.goo.gl/W2nLswy5gXt7FY5R9
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Openly wearing a swastika ( in general) or showing it during a speech or demonstration is illegal, you can collect war memorabilia or build a model kit and if it’s part of a Hindu or Buddhist thing it probably gets a weary pass but it’s very much understood as the symbol of a harmful racist fascist ideology first and foremost.
Apology of fascism is a criminal act, showing or drawing a swastika outside the context of fascist apology and racial hatred is not a crime by law, but it’s not socially and politically accepted.
Displaying it publicly is very much illegal, both in Austria and Germany
It is legal in Denmark, but for quite obvious reasons not a popular thing to show off, and people will very much judge anyone doing it outside educational or professional contexts (so an actor in a war movie will of course get a pass. But some skinhead at a rally can go f himself).
I believe the arguments for keeping it legal are to maintain the principle of freedom of speech, and that you sadly can never entirely eliminate such sentiments, so rather have the idiots show themselves off than chase them off the grid
To my knowledge we don’t have any insignia or medals/decorations with it, but some old buildings do have the pattern (such as Glyptoteket in Copenhagen having it on its floors in some rooms)
Russia.
We had a very strict law prohibiting any demonstrations of Nazi symbols – it wasn’t allowed in any scenario. Now, if i recall it correctly, you can do it, but only in situations where nobody can imagine it is a propaganda/justification of what had done. So, it would be ok in a museum, for example, but not ok to wear. We still had museums sealing up the symbols on the exhibits due to the fear of our very “prosecution heavy” judicial system though.
Holocaust denial is illegal but there is no specific legislation regarding the symbol itself. Legally speaking you could display it on your wall as long as you’re not denying the holocaust. Why you’d want to do that if you’re not a neonazi is another question.
For some interesting reads, look up Georges Boeckstaens on Google.
In general the attitude in the UK is much the same as it is in most European countries. However, we do have a large Hindu community for whom the swastika is a symbol of divinity and good luck. So there is the rare chance you will see the symbol in such a context and the meaning then is totally different.
I’m from Poland, just take a guess. It’s obvious that it’s pure evil to us (but not to those nasty neo-nazis and Konfederacja). It can be seen as something that falls under “propaganda or fascism or totalitarism” and you can be put in jail for up to two years for that. But it depends on the context. If you organize and celebrate Hitler’s birthday in a forest, eat a swastika cake and strike poses from Nazi Germany (YES, THIS SH*T HAPPENED IN POLAND, and it was done by idiot neo-nazis), it’s a crime. But if you draw swastikas during class on the back of your notebook nobody cares. However, teachers don’t react well to swastikas drawn on toilet’s walls.
As far as I understand it, the images you linked don’t contain Nazi swastikas. The Nazi swastika is a rotated variant of the Hindu swastika (related to the sun). The original Hindu one is the one that is on the Finnish air force flag.
I might be wrong about this next bit, but my understanding is that the Nazi swastika is rotated 45 degrees and placed inside a circle. Those two variations are what makes the Nazi one different from the Hindu one.
I don’t believe swastikas should be suppressed (I’m not Hindu btw) and rather people should be more educated about the differences.
It’s illegal to use it for political or propaganda purposes.
It’s allowed if the purpose is artistic or religious.
It’s illegal to publicly display but that’s all AFAIK. Like, in the antique shop, you can definitely find Nazi things just with a little piece of tape covering the swastika. And I’ve seen whole streets in Prague covered in swastikas to bring back the 1942 version of the city while making films.
As far as I know it is not illegal here.
It is sometimes used by protestors (both left and right wing), with the left wing comparing it to the current government, and the right wing saying that the swastika is the same as the red star.
Should fall under law n° 24, september 1950 article 2, which forbids propaganda of fascism “WITH ANY MEAN”.
This said, we know its story and the cultural theft made by the nazis.
It’s in the Cross of Liberty too. Personally, I don’t have a problem with it being displayed in this context. These orders are older than nazism, and the symbol itself is ancient. We should own it.
Perfectly legal. A common sight in demonstrations by what the media calls “constitutionalists”, “citizens with flags” or “outraged neighbours”.
It’s been used here since at least the iron age. Before WW2 it was used in our air force(1918-1940). Nowadays mostly variations of the swastika are being used usually accompanied by other signs as well. I’d say the majority of the population doesn’t view it negatively unless it’s clearly used in the context of the Third Reich.
The symbol itself is not illegal but you can be asked to remove it under the Prohibition to Inciting Hatred Act 1989. The symbol can be used as an example of violating public order too, on par with shitting on a street or starting an argument.
If it is linked to nazi ideology then you can be arrested in France
I don’t think it’s banned or anything within the law. But it’s socially frowned upon
No specific law against it but you could be arrested for incitement of hatred
I wanna know the history behind it ending up in finland like that before uncle Addie popularised it in the continent. Is it as old as pagan traditions ?
It’s not illegal in itself to wear a Swaztika but expressing hateful and discriminating utterances is illegal. So you can technically become punished by it.
In Spain there are no laws forbidding the swastika and some neonazis use it and claim their right to freedom of expression, but if you make public displays of nazi support you will probably get prosecuted for hate crimes or something similar. In spanish culture and military history there are no swastikas, except for the ones related to our [brief involvement](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Division) with nazi Germany, so we have no situations similar to the ones with your presidential standard and air force. In Buddhist or Hinduist contexts of course it’s not problematic in any way.
It is legal as long as it is not a Nazi swastika or in a Nazi context.
A decade ago a case reached the Supreme Court where some nationalists (not Nazi) used images of pre-Nazi swastika in their events. In the end, it was ruled that their use of swastika is not in the Nazi context and thus is legal.