(THE CONVERSATION via Reuters) — In the wake of the Alternative für Deutschland’s (AfD) electoral success in the Saxony-Anhalt state election, commentators both in Germany and internationally have expressed concern with the party’s extreme right-wing policies. Among these concerns are recent calls from party elites to adopt “remigration” policies.

The AfD has a lot in common with the far right in the US and echoes the more extreme rhetoric of the Trump administration. However, unlike in the US, where extremist symbols derived from Norse culture and associated with white supremacy have been conspicuous at political rallies, Germany’s criminal code explicitly forbids such public displays.

This law is so strong that rock band KISS had to use an alternative design for marketing in Germany, as the final letters of the band’s original logo too closely resembled the runic iconography of the Schutzstaffel (SS). Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, whose families were both persecuted during the Holocaust, vehemently denied any reference to Nazi symbolism in the band’s officially authorized autobiography, “Kiss: Behind the Mask” (2003).

To circumvent these strict laws, which until 2018 included a ban on representing Nazi images in Second World War video games, individuals who associate themselves with extreme right politics have embraced an increasingly wide range of symbols to communicate in public.

This includes the prominent use of Norse and Viking motifs and references. Since in Germany open display of symbols such as SS runes is banned, signaling of extreme right affiliation has moved into the coded, easily deflectable mediums of consumer fashion and the grammar of online emoji use.

Hiding in plain sight

The meaning of symbols derived from the Norse tradition is very dependent on context. As we are finding from contributions to the NorseMap project at University College Cork, there are diverse reasons for using runes and Norse imagery, from signalling pagan belief to personal and academic interest in the period and culture.

There is usually no way to extrapolate a political affiliation from the display of a Norse symbol or tattoo.

Unfortunately, the extreme right exploits this diversity in order to hide in plain sight. It’s a cynical strategy perfected under Germany’s ban on the display of traditional neo-Nazi........

© The Times of Israel