Just the sound of those two words sends chills down your spine. When you put achtung into the Google translator, the first English word that comes up is Danger!We always thought itjust meant Attentionbut just like so many other words in different languages, they have various meanings when used in different contexts.
The word NAZI is a perfect example. Knowledgeable historians and collectors know that the word is actually the shorten version of the acronym NSDAP. The way that NSDAP is written in German is Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei. That term translates to National Socialist German Worker's Party. The original intent was to protect and promote workers but it quickly turned into much more than that as we well know.
The term NAZI gets bantered around and is applied by many to represent all the military and political forces and organizations during the Third Reich. This is not accurate and for years I never used the term at all when describing items on my website. This is in spite of what my wise Father once told me. He was a very proud veteran of WWII and not afraid to speak his mind. We were set up at a flea market in the 1960s and Mom and Dad were there. He was chatting with someone who stopped at my table and told the fellow that I collected NAZI items. After the fellow left I told my Dad to tell people I collected WWII souvenirs or military items or war relics and not to use the term NAZI for fear of the negative connotation. He looked at me and said, "Son, back then we called them all NAZIS!"
