Maypole with swastika flag – Germany 1937

Germany 1937 – Everyday Life Under the Nazi Regime

This close-up photograph shows a maypole in a village square in Upper Bavaria in 1937, adorned with a Nazi flag. Traditionally, maypoles are symbols of regional identity and rural festivity, deeply rooted in Bavarian and Alpine culture. In this image, however, the familiar folk symbol is overlaid with the political iconography of the National Socialist regime. The photograph illustrates how the Nazis systematically penetrated even the most remote rural environments, integrating their symbols into local customs, festivals, and public spaces as part of the broader program of Gleichschaltung (coordination).

The juxtaposition of a traditional maypole with a swastika flag reflects the regime’s strategy of appropriating cultural heritage to convey ideological dominance and normalize its presence in all aspects of daily life. This visual evidence of ideological saturation in the countryside complements contemporary records showing how village life, folklore, and communal rituals were co-opted to serve propaganda and political control.

Image Details

Photo: licence article
Original resolution: 5740 × 4315
Photographer: unknown
Subject: Maypole with Nazi flag; rural Upper Bavaria, 1937
Rights: © Historiathek / Bleek / zb Media
Note: subject to licence

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