Nazi-Speech and Numeric Combinations

Secret Words and Codes

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In Germany the swastika is a forbidden symbol.

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Nazi-Problem? Does the world have a new Nazi problem? Well, it surely seems that way. This article will introduce you to their scrambled ways of communication worldwide so that you can recognize them when you come across them e.g. on social media channels.  

The aftermath of the NSU-Scandal (National Socialist Underground) is slowly fading from the media's memory. The idea of an organized underground network of Neo-Nazis once more has become something politicians and police officials can dismiss as unrealistic. The recent surge of attacks on refugee camps, and in places like Charlottesville, Virginia speak a very different language. 
Experts think that if not part of a larger scheme, at least the right-wing groups and individuals are in close communication via social networks and other methods. The NSU-investigations have once again shown, that there is a large Neo-Nazi-force – one that is rooted deeper in society than our leaders would like to admit. Maybe even than we would like to admit. 
Just as with other fringe groups, many Nazis have developed specific code words and numbers to symbolize right-wing terminology and signs – Terminology and Symbols that are otherwise prohibited in Germany. We will see that these secret words and codes of Nazi-speech are not only circulating in Germany.  

Numeric Combinations

There are many numeric combinations that operate as metaphors for Nazi-terms. You often find them as emblems on clothing or in online communication. The following list will give you an idea of some of the codes in Germany and abroad.  

In a lot of examples, the chosen numbers represent letters of the alphabet. They are an abbreviation of words associated with the Third Reich or other names, dates or events from Nazi mythology. In these cases, the rule is mostly 1 = A and 2 = B, etc. Here are some of the best known Nazi codes:

88 – represents HH, meaning “Heil Hitler.” The 88 is one of the most used codes in Nazi-speech. 
18 – stands for AH, you guessed right, it's an abbreviation of "Adolf Hitler."
198 – a combination of 19 and 8 or S and H, meaning "Sieg Heil."
1919 – represents SS, short for “Schutzstaffel”, probably the most infamous paramilitary organization in the Third Reich. It was responsible for some of the most heinous crimes against humanity in World War II. 
74 – GD or “Großdeutschland/ Großdeutsches Reich” refers to the 19th-century idea of a German state that includes Austria, also an unofficial term for Germany after the annex of Austria in 1938. "Großdeutsches Reich" was the official state designation of the Third Reich in the last two years of the war.
28 – BH is an abridgement for "Blood & Honor," a German Neo-Nazi network that nowadays is prohibited. 
444 – yet another representation of letters, DDD stands for "Deutschland den Deutschen (Germany for the Germans)". Other theories point out that it also might refer to the Four-Column-Concept of the far-right party NPD (National Democratic Party of Germany). This concept is the NPD’s strategy for winning over political power in Germany.   
14 or 14 words – is a numeric combination used by Nazis all over the world, but especially in the USA and by some German groups. The exact 14 words of this code are: We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children. A statement coined by deceased American white supremacist David Eden Lane. “Our people,” of course excludes everyone who is not deemed “white.”  

Nazi-Speech

The German Nazi-scenes have proven to be very creative when it comes to inventing phrases or terms for communicating within their ranks. That goes from harmless sounding self-designations, over re-labelling left-wing slogans to diverse phrases and synonyms. In general, Nazi-Speech is highly politicized language that is designed to achieve very specific goals, such as shaping public discussions of certain issues and agitate a concrete group or demographic.  

Particularly political parties and organizations that operate on a public level are sticking to an up-front harmless language that makes it difficult to distinguish it from e.g. official municipal language. Often, Nazi's refrain from using obvious go-to-terms, such as "the N-word," - which in German means "Nazi" -  that would make it easy to identify their cause.
Some groups or parties call themselves "Nationaldemokraten (National Democrats)," "Freiheitliche (Liberals or Libertarians)" or "Nonkonforme Patrioten (Nonconformist Patriots)." "Nonconformist" or "politically incorrect" are frequently used labels in right-wing speech. Regarding World War II, far-right statements often aim at trivializing the Holocaust and at shifting blame towards the Allied Forces. NPD-politicians regularly criticize that Germans indulge in a so-called "Schuldkult (Cult of Guilt)" or a "Holocaust-Religion". They also often claim that their opponents use the "Faschismus-Keule (Fascism-Club)" against them. They mean that Right-Wing arguments cannot be equated with fascist positions. But this specific critique is mostly beside the point and plays down the Holocaust by calling numerous allied military operations as "Alliierte Kriegsverbrechen (Allied War-Crimes)" and "Bomben-Holocausts (Bomb-Holocausts)." Some right-wing groups even go as far as labelling the BRD a “Besatzerregime (Occupied Regime)”, basically calling it an illegitimate successor to the Third Reich, unlawfully installed by the Allied Forces.  

This short glance at the secret words and codes of Nazi-Speech is just the tip of the iceberg. When delving deeper into the German language, especially on the internet, it might be wise to keep your eyes open for some of these numeric combinations and the above-mentioned signs. By using seemingly random numbers or harmless phrases Nazis and right-wing people often do communicate far less hidden than one would think. 

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Schmitz, Michael. "Nazi-Speech and Numeric Combinations." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/secret-words-and-codes-1444337. Schmitz, Michael. (2023, April 5). Nazi-Speech and Numeric Combinations. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/secret-words-and-codes-1444337 Schmitz, Michael. "Nazi-Speech and Numeric Combinations." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/secret-words-and-codes-1444337 (accessed March 28, 2024).