Milton -- The swastika you describe on this horn almost certainly _is_ a Nazi swastika. There is a good history of the swastika at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika which explains that
- The swastika was derived (apparently independently) by several indigenous cultures. - There is probably a common derivation among Asian and European cultures -- going back millennia -- from Hindu symbology. There is a (unrotated) related swastika in Japanese kanji going back into antiquity. (It is still used on maps as a marker for Buddhist temples -- I have modern maps with this symbol.) - Prior to the adoption by the Nazi party, the symbol was not particularly associated with evil -- rather the opposite. It has a long and benign history even in Europe. - But even before Hitler became chancellor of the Nazi party, the symbol had been officially adopted by the Nazi party in 1920, and used unofficially even earlier. - Use or display of the swastika is prohibited in Germany today, except for its use as a symbol in religious context. Germany tried to get this prohibition extended to the entire EU, but this was rejected. (I don't know if there are in Germany exceptions for historical items, but probably there are.) Anyway, Milton, it is almost certain the swastika on your horn has some relation to the Nazi emblem. (Were there any Buddhists working at Alex in the 1920's?) That in itself is harmless especially if the date was 1930, prior to Nazi ascendancy. But I wouldn't travel with this particular horn to any gigs in Germany. Could invite trouble at the airport. _______________________________________________ post: [email protected] unsubscribe or set options at https://pegasus.memphis.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
