| KeldorKatarn |
10-08-06 07:28 PM |
In this context probably not illegal, but I guess he wanted to make sure.
Usually displaying the swastika isn't illegal if it is used as a historical reference. Like showing it in documentary films, in theater plays, movies, museums and so on. I know a German website which has all the flags of the world, including historical ones, it is showing the flag of the third reich of course. That website isn't illegal since that website shows that flag obviously in a documentary way. If a neo-nazi website was showing the flag in a political reference on the other hand, that would be very much illegal.
But in other contexts it is illegal. Like you can't make a demonstration on the street waving the NSDAP flag around or something. Actually you can hang the flag in your room as much as you want to, but you can't sell it or use it for public display or something. Since he is selling them, and selling Nazi symbols and texts is illegal, he probably wanted to make sure he wasn't making something illegal, although I would doubt that this could be called selling symbols, since they just happen to be on these pictures which have a documentary nature.
The Swastica is usually just forbidden, since the NSDAP as a party is also strictly forbidden as is anything that is completely against Germany's democratic constitution, if not 100% in a documentary context. Veterans are still allowed to wear their Iron Crosses or Knight Crosses but either with the swastica on them removed (which of course means damaging the medals). If you don't want to do that you can ask the government to get a new one, showing an oak leaf (like the WW1 Iron Cross) in the middle. That one you are allowed to wear then. To own the old ones isn't illegal, nor is buying them in antiques shops, you just can't wear them in public.
About the games - those are a problematic issue. Some people would say that showing the symbol on flags used in a historical correct context or the symbol on the fighter planes rudder or something like that would be documentary. Others would disagree since you are fighting or CAN fight on the German side in most of these games. That could be interpreted as promoting the reasons for fighting the war, which were of course not acceptable.
Since that legal situation is a very grey zone, no publisher wants to take the risk, no German modder does either, since if some judge would think of it as NOT being in a documentary way you'd be convicted of a federal crime.
Right now nobody forces anyone not to display a swastica in a game, but nobody wants to take the risk of their game to be forbidden (which would mean losing a whole lot of money) or even being convicted.
I guess you all can understand that and wouldn't take that risk yourself if being in their shoes.
Just this bit of information to clearify the German swastica situation to Non-Germans a bit.
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