It is among the most feared and reviled symbols in the world, the very sight of which instantly evokes thoughts of hatred, mass murder, and the worst traits of humanity. It is so repugnant as to be outright banned in many parts of the world. It is, of course, the swastika, a symmetric cross with short lines protruding at right angles from the end of its arms. Infamously adopted by Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party to represent their dream of a Thousand-Year Third Reich, 80 years after the end of the Second World War the symbol continues to be used by Neo-Nazis and other far-right groups to symbolize antisemitism, white supremacy, and other hateful ideologies. Yet the Nazis did not invent the swastika; the symbol had existed for thousands of years before Adolf Hitler was even born, representing nothing more nefarious than good luck or fortune. Indeed, up until the 1930s it was ubiquitous in western culture, appearing on jewelry, buildings, sports jerseys, and even in the names of towns. And even today in many eastern countries it continues to be widely used, carrying none of the stigma it has acquired elsewhere in the world. So what happened? Where did the swastika come from, and how did it go from a beloved good luck charm to a loathed symbol of hate and oppression in less than two decades? Let’s find out as we dive into the fascinating and controversial history of the swastika.

Author: Gilles Messier

Editor: Daven Hiskey

Host: Daven Hiskey

Producer: Samuel Avila

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