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.
A sticker featuring the badge of the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler
Verona, Italy - February 2024
Michael Colborne
A sticker of a supporter’s group of a Russian football team featuring a badge with a notch on the upper right corner resembling a Waffen-SS badge
The sticker also features black-white-red colours (the club’s colours are blue and red) and runic letters, including an Odal rune
Budapest, Hungary - September 2024
Michael Colborne
A sticker from a supporter’s group of a Slovenian football team featuring a badge with a notch on the upper-right corner resembling a Waffen-SS badge
Ljubljana, Slovenia - October 2024
Michael Colborne