Use of Nazi symbols in Taiwan

While there is no notable neo-Nazi movement in Taiwan, the use of Nazi symbolism and imagery in the country has been observed throughout the years, often causing controversy. These occasions include a Nazi-themed parade at a school, restaurants serving dishes honoring Nazis, or displaying Nazi-related pictures and other decor, which led to public outcries.

Timeline of notable incidents

1999

In 1999, an advertisement for electric heaters made in Germany featured a smiling cartoon version of Adolf Hitler doing the Nazi salute. The slogan on the ad read “對寒流宣戰!” (duì hánliú xuānzhàn), which means “Declare war on the cold front!”.

2000

A concentration camp-themed diner called “Jail” opened in Taipei, Taiwan. Besides a mural depicting death camp victims behind barbed wire, the decoration also featured various smaller photos of internees and other items such as shackles and mug shots, intended to give visitors a sense of eating in a jail. The restrooms were named gas chambers. The restaurant's owner issued an apology, stating that Taiwanese people were not as aware of the historical context and therefore not as sensitive to it.

2001

The Democratic Progressive Party published a campaign advertisement “嗆聲新世代” (qiāngshēng xīn shìdài), meaning "Choke the New Generation", featuring an image of Adolf Hitler. They claimed the characters chosen for this campaign dared people to speak their minds, hoping to achieve a higher involvement of young people in politics. Several days after the release of the commercial and extensive criticism from various sources, it was taken down. Before the posters were removed, a disclaimer was added next to Hitler's image reading "獨裁造成災難", which translates to "Dictatorship causes disaster."

2004

The Kuomintang used a photo of Adolf Hitler in an election campaign advertisement in a newspaper to compare then-President Chen Shui-bian to the German dictator. According to the commercial, President Chen shared some character traits with Hitler and was trying to oppress political opponents just like a dictator would.

2005

The National Socialism Association (NSA) was founded by university graduates. They were inspired by the Nazis’ views on immigration and their strong military. The NSA claims that they are neither racist nor antisemitic, and denied honoring Hitler.

2011

During the "Iron Armour Combat Camp" in 2011, a photo of three students wearing Nazi uniforms was posted on the official website of the Ministry of National Defence. This incident ultimately led to an official apology to the Israeli representatives in Taiwan.

2013

In an anti-gay parade, a person dressed as a Nazi was waving a sign that said "Nazis were anti-gay; I am anti-gay." The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed that Taiwan is a democratic country and that one person's actions do not represent the government's standpoint.

2014

A public display of aircraft and weapons was held at Ching Chuan Kang Air Base (Taichung International Airport), during which some vendors wore swastika armbands without any authorization from the officials.

An Italian restaurant in New Taipei City put Nazi Wansui (roughly translated as “Long Live the Nazis”) Noodles and Pizza on their menu. In an apology, the owner of the restaurant explained that they chose the name to emphasize the origin of the dish's main ingredient: German sausage. The restaurant apologized and changed the dish's name.

2016

For the anniversary of Hsinchu Kuang-Fu Senior High School, a homeroom class held a Nazi-themed parade. The students and their teacher were dressed in Nazi uniforms, waving Nazi flags. The German and Israeli representatives reacted with shock and horror. The students were largely not blamed, but the teacher and the government were.

2018

A high school in Hsinchu accidentally installed a Nazi-appropriated swastika in their school pond instead of the intended Buddhist symbol. As a temporary fix, they placed plants over the swastika. The religious community has been trying to reappropriate the swastika, which is supposed to be a peace symbol that has been corrupted by Hitler.

In another incident, a hair salon had their shop sign designed with razor blades arranged in a swastika shape. The owner was reported several times but stated that he couldn't afford to change it.

2023

A man was seen waving a Nazi flag in front of a European school in Taipei. Israeli and European Union institutions reacted with concern, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement urging the population to respect others’ feelings.

2024

On 21 June 2024, a small group of protesters holding the Nazi flags appeared in front of the Legislative Yuan demanding to recover the unnamed old German Mark bonds that Empire of Japan had obtained from Germany during World War I. The same organization had paraded against the German Institute Taipei in the Taipei 101 building in 2018 and marched with Nazi flags around the German athlete team in the 2017 Summer Universiade. Lawyer and international political observer Ross Feingold, founder of a Jewish association in Taipei, commented it as a ridiculous historical mistake, not a freedom of speech, and the government should not turn a blind eye to it.

Reactions

Nazi incidents in Taiwan are usually considered consequences of a lack of knowledge and ignorance on the subject, according to researchers. On the Index of Ignorance, Taiwan is deemed the third most ignorant country. On various social media sites, it has since been discussed whether Taiwanese students should be expected to have the same sensitivity regarding The Holocaust and Hitler's actions as German and Israeli students. Some users have expressed their lack of understanding of the harsh criticism directed at the students from the 2016 Hsinchu School Parade. There seems to be no particular form of hate against the Jewish community that led to these events. In response to those events and the backlash that ensued, the Taiwanese government is trying to educate the population. In 2018, a Holocaust memorial was held in Taipei in hopes of raising awareness.

After the high school parade incident, President Tsai Ing-wen delivered a speech stating that “adults, not students” were responsible. She also acknowledged that it was the result of the nation’s “superficial” human rights education and a failure to teach young people about the state's repression of rights in the past.

In May 2023, the international news television network France 24 focused one of their “Truth or Fake” episodes on the pictures posted online of Taiwanese people using Nazi symbolism.

Both Germany's and Israel's envoys in Taiwan have spoken out after multiple events, calling the use of Nazi symbolism disrespectful to Jewish people while also stating it displayed Taiwan's ignorance of history.

See also

• Nazi chic
• History of the Jews in Taiwan