Why Finland silently removed Swastika from its air force insignia
Finland has removed Swastika from the insignia of its central air force command. The symbol made to Finnish insignia even before Adolf Hitler founded his Nazi party and adopted Swastika as emblem.
Finland’s central air force command used this insignia having a Swastika with a pairs of wings for over 100 years before the country dropped it last week.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Finland removes Swastika from its air force command insignia
- Finland air force was using the symbol even before Hitler founded his Nazi party
- Swastika as a word comes from Sanskrit meaning well being or good luck
Finland last week removed the Swastika from the insignia of its air force command. Finland did it without explanation, offering no reason for the decision. The Swastika with a pair of wings has been the symbol of Finland’s air force commands for over a century.
Why the move came as a surprise is that Finland had been using the Swastika on its air force command insignia much before the German Nazi brought notoriety to this ancient symbol. The Finland air force was founded in 1918 and the Swatiska with a pair of wings was the imagery on its flag.
Adolf Hitler founded his National Socialist Party, or the Nazi as it came to be known, in 1920. Hitler adopted the Swastika as his party symbol. His later success and brutality unleashed by his rule led to the Nazi Swastika being identified with genocidal crimes.
Originally, the word Swastika comes from Sanskrit where its meaning is “well-being” or “good luck” and was believed to be the harbinger of the same. The Swastika symbol was popular in many ancient civilisations including the Egyptian.
But Hitler’s regime changed its interpretation. The reason why Finland might have removed it silently too has a connection with Hitler. Though the Swastika was used in Finland even during the late 19th century in some paintings, its entry to the air force emblem had a link with Hitler.
A Swedish nobleman named Eric von Rosen gifted Finland its first plane in 1918. Eric von Rosen had used Swastika as his good luck charm. He painted a blue Swastika on the plane, wishing good luck to Finland.
This is the new logo of central air force command of Finland.
Later when Hitler founded his Nazi party, Eric vono Rosen became a member, and later an influential figure. He was also related to Hitler’s close aide Hermann Goring as brother-in-law. Hermann Goring was one of the top military leaders of the Nazis. Eric von Rosen was also in Hitler’s inner circle.
The continued use of the Swastika on its imagery by the Finland’s air force command had come under criticism in the country. Critics called for its removal as the symbol today reminded them of Hitler and Nazi brutality than anything else.
Interestingly, though Finland has removed the Swastika from its air force command insignia, the symbol continues to be in the emblem of the Finland’s air force academy.
