Symbol Type

Neo-Nazi Symbol

Also Known As

"Death’s Head" or Totenkopf

Traditional Use/Origins

Symbol of the Nazi Schutzstaffel (SS)

Hate Group/ Extremist Organization

Neo-Nazis, Racist Skinheads

Extremist Meaning or Representation

Shows allegiance to the white supremacist movement

Background/ History

The "Death’s Head" was the symbol of the SS-Totenkopfverbande (one of the original three branches of the SS, along with the Algemeine SS and the Waffen SS), whose purpose was to guard the concentration camps. Most of the original members of this organization were later transferred into and became the core of a Waffen SS division, the Death’s Head Division. The symbol is most often seen as a tattoo, which sometimes indicates that its wearer has murdered one of the movement’s enemies (e.g., a Black-American, a crossbreed Latin-American, or other ethnic or racial groups).