Runes of hate
Nazi−era graffiti discovered
By Thomas Tracy
Comment
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| Several iron crosses were found in the neighborhood. Photo by Paul Martinka |
There’s a battle of wills brewing over “Triumph of Will” and other Nazi−era graffiti that has been seen sprouting up around the borough of late.
Police said that they are investigating the strange Nazi−runic graffiti in the hopes of tracking down who’s leaving the coded messages — most recently on the pedestrian foot bridge on East 14th Street and Shore Parkway back on May 13.
While many residents ignored the iron crosses, the number 88 — a code number among neo−Nazis for “Heil Hitler” — and the phrase “Triumph of Will” on the pedestrian bridge, a few concerned citizens in Sheepshead Bay called authorities — especially since the graffiti was found a short distance from Holocaust Memorial Park on Emmons and West End avenues, the only city park dedicated to victims of the Holocaust.
Members of the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force are on the case, although sources said that the graffiti could not be considered “bias” because it wasn’t solely directed to any ethnic group.
The graffiti was more pro−Nazi than anti−Jew, officials said.
Cops had the graffiti removed from the pedestrian foot bridge late last week.
But this wasn’t the first time that Nazi propaganda was found in the borough.
According to the New York Post, iron crosses and SS symbols have also been found painted on trees in the Sheepshead Bay area.
Similar graffiti was found in Windsor Terrace, but only Nazi historians would know what the graffiti meant −− it references the writings of an author who influenced Hitler and the Nazi party, the Post said.
Still more Nazi symbols were found in Greenpoint, officials said.
Yet it’s still not clear if the graffiti is anti−Semitic in nature.
According to the Anti−Defamation League (ADL), the graffiti is linked to Guido von List and his peculiar runic alphabet.
“[The alphabet] is not something most racist skinheads and neo−Nazis generally would be familiar with,” an ADL spokesperson said. “Though some Nazis were inspired by List, he was not the main source of their fascination with neo−paganism.”
“One can speculate that these items were created by someone interested in the occult, paganism, or secret societies, rather than someone who was an anti−Semite,” the spokesperson said.
Cops are asking anyone with information regarding this graffiti to come forward.
Police said that they are investigating the strange Nazi−runic graffiti in the hopes of tracking down who’s leaving the coded messages — most recently on the pedestrian foot bridge on East 14th Street and Shore Parkway back on May 13.
While many residents ignored the iron crosses, the number 88 — a code number among neo−Nazis for “Heil Hitler” — and the phrase “Triumph of Will” on the pedestrian bridge, a few concerned citizens in Sheepshead Bay called authorities — especially since the graffiti was found a short distance from Holocaust Memorial Park on Emmons and West End avenues, the only city park dedicated to victims of the Holocaust.
Members of the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force are on the case, although sources said that the graffiti could not be considered “bias” because it wasn’t solely directed to any ethnic group.
The graffiti was more pro−Nazi than anti−Jew, officials said.
Cops had the graffiti removed from the pedestrian foot bridge late last week.
But this wasn’t the first time that Nazi propaganda was found in the borough.
According to the New York Post, iron crosses and SS symbols have also been found painted on trees in the Sheepshead Bay area.
Similar graffiti was found in Windsor Terrace, but only Nazi historians would know what the graffiti meant −− it references the writings of an author who influenced Hitler and the Nazi party, the Post said.
Still more Nazi symbols were found in Greenpoint, officials said.
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According to the Anti−Defamation League (ADL), the graffiti is linked to Guido von List and his peculiar runic alphabet.
“[The alphabet] is not something most racist skinheads and neo−Nazis generally would be familiar with,” an ADL spokesperson said. “Though some Nazis were inspired by List, he was not the main source of their fascination with neo−paganism.”
“One can speculate that these items were created by someone interested in the occult, paganism, or secret societies, rather than someone who was an anti−Semite,” the spokesperson said.
Cops are asking anyone with information regarding this graffiti to come forward.
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Randy P. Orso wrote on Jun 23, 2009 4:53 AM:
Your headline is sensational and many rune practitioners would say that they abhor any racist use of runes. Divination is a peaceable craft. Guido von List is not so popular with occultists as he is with hate groups, and the Elder Futhark have more a following with neo-pagans of good intent, whereas von List's runes are used more frequently by "volkisch" racists. "