I was watching The Book Thief and I noticed that the sets were often thick with Nazi flags and Swastikas. Was this realistic? What did the Swastika symbolize to the Germans before the war? Also the Totenkopf (Deaths Head) shows up periodically, specifically on SS uniforms. Did this have some other kind of meaning? Were Germans really proud of wearing a Skull and Crossbones?
Also the Totenkopf (Deaths Head) shows up periodically, specifically on SS uniforms. Did this have some other kind of meaning?
The Totenkopf most definitely holds meaning outside of the SS, as it long predates the Nazis, having been a Prussian symbol for hundreds of years beforehand. That's precisely why the SS chose it, because it was a recognizable piece of German iconography.
Here is a pre-WWI German marshal displaying the Totenkopf on his uniform
