To see other wine labels with the swastika click below the vintage years
1. Premises
In 1919, after the First World War, two new European opposition parties emerge, the Fascist party in Italy and the Nazi party in Germany. Emblem of the first were the fasces, an ancient Roman sign of authority. The Nazi party was symbolized by the swastika, an early Arian icon. Weakness of the existing national governments, unemployment and a generalized economic crisis contributed to their rapid success.
The swastika was declared the official emblem for the Nazi party on August 7, 1920 and it appeared soon on a number of wine labels.
To see other wine labels with the swastika click below the vintage years
On December 30, 1926 the fasces became the official insignia of Italy:
Collection Piero Ballesio, Turin |
Collection Piero Ballesio, Turin |
On this Marsala label they flank the coat of arms of the Italian royal family.
Collection Piero Ballesio, Turin
During 1935-36, Italy, emulating other colonial nations and claiming its right to "a position in sunshine", conquered Ethiopia and part of Somalia. The "Intendenza per l'Africa Orientale" (short: Intendenza A. O.) was responsible for the distribution and supply of goods to the Italian troops in Africa. The Intendenza A. O. had a stock of the most famous Italian sparkling wine, Asti Spumante.
Collection Piero Ballesio, Turin
On March 13th, 1938 Germany occupied Austria and annexed it to the "Großdeutsche Reich".
The young Austrian Republic became part of the Third Reich under the names of Sudmark and Ostmark. The name Ostmark was used also as appellation name for Austrian wines.
In Germany, growing anti-Semitic positions already legalized by the 1935 "Nuremberg Laws", lead, in 1938, to the "Aryanization" of property of German Jews.
This label is entitled to a FRIEDR. AUGUST ISRAEL, wine-merchant, who adds to his name "Arian Family Undertaking".
It probably represents a detracting joke in the catalogue of a label printer and was never glued to a wine bottle.
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