Numeric Combinations
There are many numeric combinations that operate as metaphors for Nazi-terms. You often find them as emblems on clothing or in online communication. The following list will give you an idea of some of the codes in Germany and abroad.
In a lot of examples, the chosen numbers represent letters of the alphabet. They are an abbreviation of words associated with the Third Reich or other names, dates or events from Nazi mythology. In these cases, the rule is mostly 1 = A and 2 = B, etc. Here are some of the best known Nazi codes:
88 – represents HH, meaning “Heil Hitler.” The 88 is one of the most used codes in Nazi-speech.
18 – stands for AH, you guessed right, it's an abbreviation of "
Adolf Hitler."
198 – a combination of 19 and 8 or S and H, meaning "Sieg Heil."
1919 – represents SS, short for “Schutzstaffel”, probably the most infamous paramilitary organization in the Third Reich. It was responsible for some of the most heinous crimes against humanity in World War II.
74 – GD or “Großdeutschland/ Großdeutsches Reich” refers to the 19th-century idea of a German state that includes Austria, also an unofficial term for Germany after the annex of Austria in 1938. "Großdeutsches Reich" was the official state designation of the Third Reich in the last two years of the war.
28 – BH is an abridgement for "Blood & Honor," a German Neo-Nazi network that nowadays is prohibited.
444 – yet another representation of letters, DDD stands for "Deutschland den Deutschen (Germany for the Germans)". Other theories point out that it also might refer to the Four-Column-Concept of the far-right party NPD (National Democratic Party of Germany). This concept is the NPD’s strategy for winning over political power in Germany.
14 or 14 words – is a numeric combination used by Nazis all over the world, but especially in the USA and by some German groups. The exact 14 words of this code are: We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children. A statement coined by deceased American white supremacist David Eden Lane. “Our people,” of course excludes everyone who is not deemed “white.”