Red triangle (badge)

Summary

The red triangle, also known as the red wedge, was a required accessory worn by left-wing dissidents incarcerated in Nazi concentration camps during World War Two. A red triangle patch pointing upwards designated prisoners within the jurisdiction of the Wehrmacht, including prisoners of war, spies, and military deserters. An inverted red triangle was worn by political prisoners, including resistance fighters. The political ideologies designated by the red triangle included communists, liberals, anarchists, Social Democrats, and Freemasons. After the war, the inverted red triangle symbol was reclaimed by anti-fascists in Europe, similar to the way that the pink triangle used to mark gay prisoners became a symbol of LGBTQ pride. The reclaimed red triangle symbol has been used as the logo for the Association of Persecutees of the Nazi Regime – Federation of Antifascists in Germany and numerous other post-war remembrances and memorial groups. It has also been worn as a lapel pin by left-wing politicians from Belgium, France, and Spain.