**** Extremist Symbols, Logos and Tattoos ****
**** Skull and Crossbones ****
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Symbol Type | |
Also Known As |
"Death’s Head" or Totenkopf |
Traditional Use/Origins |
Symbol of the Nazi Schutzstaffel (SS) |
Hate Group/Extremist Organization |
Neo-Nazis, Racist Skinheads |
Extremist Meaning or Representation |
Shows allegiance to the white supremacist movement |
Background/History |
The "Death’s Head" was the symbol of the SS-Totenkopfverbande (one of the original three branches of the SS, along with the Algemeine SS and the Waffen SS), whose purpose was to guard the concentration camps. Most of the original members of this organization were later transferred into and became the core of a Waffen SS division, the Death’s Head Division. The symbol is most often seen as a tattoo, which sometimes indicates that its wearer has murdered one of the movement’s enemies (e.g., a Jew or other minority). |