Alternate Names: Nazi Salute, Sieg Heil Salute, Fascist Salute, Roman Salute
The Nazi or Hitler salute debuted in Nazi Germany in the 1920s to pay homage to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. It consists of raising an outstretched right arm with the palm down. In Nazi Germany, it was often accompanied by chanting or shouting "Heil Hitler" or "Sieg Heil." Since World War II, neo-Nazis and other white supremacists have continued to use the salute, making it the most common white supremacist hand sign in the world.
The Nazi salute was one of a number of similar salutes adopted by fascist parties and movements across Europe in the interwar period. These salutes were often claimed to be based on an ancient Roman salute, but this does not appear to have been the case. However, people making such salutes today sometimes assert, typically insincerely, they are “Roman” salutes rather than “Nazi” ones. White supremacists have also adopted the term “roman,” as in “throwing a roman,” for the Nazi salute. In recent years, they have also created a typographical or emoticon version of the salute (see O-Slash Hitler Salute and Double Romans).
