Nazi salute

Members of the Hitler Youth in Berlin performing the Nazi salute at a rally in 1933

The Nazi salute, also known as the Hitler salute,[a] or the Sieg Heil salute, is a gesture that was used as a greeting in Nazi Germany. The salute is performed by extending the right arm from the shoulder into the air with a straightened hand. Usually, the person offering the salute would say "Heil Hitler!" ('Hail Hitler!'),[b] "Heil, mein Führer!" ('Hail, my leader!'), or "Sieg Heil!" ('Hail victory!').[c] It was officially adopted by the Nazi Party in 1926, although it had been used within the party as early as 1921,[4] to signal obedience to the party's leader, Adolf Hitler, and to glorify the German nation (and later the German war effort). The salute was mandatory for civilians[5] but mostly optional for military personnel, who retained a traditional military salute until the failed assassination attempt on Hitler[6] on 20 July 1944.

Use of this salute is illegal in modern-day Germany (Strafgesetzbuch section 86a), Austria and Slovakia.[7] The use of any Nazi phrases associated with the salute is also forbidden.[8] In Italy, it is a criminal offence only if used with the intent to "reinstate the defunct National Fascist Party", or to exalt or promote its ideology or members.[9] In Canada and most of Europe (including the Czech Republic,[10] France, the Netherlands, Sweden,[7] Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, and Russia), displaying the salute is not in itself a criminal offence, but constitutes hate speech if used for propagating the Nazi ideology.[11][12][7] Publicly performing the salute is also illegal in Australia under Commonwealth law unless for a religious, academic, educational, artistic, literary or scientific purpose.[13]

  1. ^ Determinative compound Hitlergruß: Hitler see Krech/Stock/Hirschfeld, Deutsches Aussprachewörterbuch, Walter de Gruyter, 2009, p. 587, IPA: [ˈhɪtlɐ]; Gruß: hear Duden: Gruß Archived 12 April 2023 at the Wayback Machine and see Krech/Stock/Hirschfeld, Deutsches Aussprachewörterbuch, Walter de Gruyter, 2009, p. 557: IPA: [ɡʁuːs].
  2. ^ Pronunciation wordcombination Deutscher Gruß: deutscher see Duden: Deutscher Archived 31 May 2023 at the Wayback Machine (noun and adjective have same pronunciation): IPA: [ˈdɔʏtʃɐ]; Gruß: hear Duden: Gruß Archived 12 April 2023 at the Wayback Machine and see Krech/Stock/Hirschfeld, Deutsches Aussprachewörterbuch, Walter de Gruyter, 2009, p. 557: IPA: [ɡʁuːs]; emphasis: compare Duden: Englische Gruß Archived 12 April 2023 at the Wayback Machine -> secondary stress on first syllable, main stress on second word, same with Deutscher Gruß.
  3. ^ Pronunciation word combination Heil Hitler!: heil, hear Duden: heil Archived 12 April 2023 at the Wayback Machine and see Krech/Stock/Hirschfeld, Deutsches Aussprachewörterbuch, Walter de Gruyter, 2009, p. 574: IPA: [haɪl] (remark: Krech/Stock/Hirschfeld are always using 'aə̯'-Transcription for 'ei'- and 'ai'-sounds, standard transcription: [haɪl]); Hitler see Krech/Stock/Hirschfeld, Deutsches Aussprachewörterbuch, Walter de Gruyter, 2009, p. 587: IPA: [ˈhɪtlɐ]; emphasis: compare Heil Hitler! Archived 12 April 2023 at the Wayback Machine (two speakers) -> secondary stress on first syllable, main stress on first syllable of second word
  4. ^ Albrecht Tyrell (Hrsg.): Führer befiehl … Selbstzeugnisse aus der „Kampfzeit“ der NSDAP. Grondrom Verlag, Bindlach 1991, S. 129 f.
  5. ^ Kershaw (2001), p. 60
  6. ^ Büchner, Alex (1991). German Infantry Handbook, 1939–1945: Organization, Uniforms, Weapons, Equipment, Operations. Schipper Publishing. ISBN 978-0-88740-284-5.
  7. ^ a b c Sehmer, Alexander (20 July 2015). "Countries where Nazi salute is illegal". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 23 July 2015. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  8. ^ "German gig shut down by police after crowd chants Nazi slogan 'sieg heil'". Sky News. Archived from the original on 12 April 2023. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  9. ^ "Saluto fascista, la Cassazione: "Non è reato se commemorativo" e conferma due assoluzioni a Milano" [Fascist salute, Supreme Court of Cassation: "Not a crime if memorial" and confirms two acquittals in Milan]. La Repubblica (in Italian). Milan. 20 February 2018. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
  10. ^ "Hajloval. Hrozí mu tři roky vězení". Deník (in Czech). Archived from the original on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference swiss was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference guardian was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Jackson, Lewis (8 January 2024). "Australia bans Nazi salute and public display of terror group symbols". Reuters. Retrieved 11 January 2024.


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