Waffen-SS Unit Badges and Symbols

The Waffen-SS was the military branch of the SS. With 900,000 troops at its peak, the Waffen-SS was involved in numerous wartime atrocities, including the Holocaust; the Waffen-SS was declared a criminal organisation by the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg in 1946.

Badges and symbols associated with the Waffen-SS continue to be used by contemporary hate groups. Examples include:

• The “skeleton key” of the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (pictured)

• The Wolfsangel used by the 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich 

• Crossed grenades used by 36th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, or Dirlewanger Brigade (pictured)

There are frequently stylised “notches” in Waffen-SS badges that are also referenced in imagery from contemporary hate groups:

• A notch on the upper right corner for Waffen-SS panzer divisions (i.e., armoured tank divisions);

• A notch on the upper left corner for panzergrenadier divisions (i.e., mechanised infantry divisions)

• A notch in the upper middle for mountain infantry and cavalry divisions; 

• No notches for infantry divisions.

Badge outlines that appear similar to Waffen-SS divisions, both those with and without notches, can appear in non-hateful contexts (e.g., commercial branding). Their use should always be identified and evaluated in context.