The Nazi Manhole Mystery - 5 Years Later

One of the greatest things about doing this blog is that it serves as a kind of diary; as well as a record of books which I’m reading and also what I might be involved in concerning local politics; community events; or in this case, solving a mystery and also effecting a change. And I’m usually successful to some extent, but when it comes to the Nazi Manhole Mystery I’m afraid to say that nothing has changed. A brief recap is in order here.

Tuesday night I was wandering through my posts from March and April of 2010; just taking a “look-see” at what I might have been doing 5 years ago. I was considerably more mobile at the time, and so there was no telling where I was going to wind up each day. My daughter, Sarah, told me about a picture she had received on Facebook and I was surprised to see this manhole cover.

I went to look at it in the parking area of this building on the corner of West and West G Streets in Kannapolis, and posted a photo of it. I also wrote about manholes in general; how they are ordered, and the cultural differences which; even today; have some manholes manufactured with swastikas on them. You can read that post here if you like;

  

http://robertwilliamsofbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2010/04/nazi-manhole-mystery.html

I then followed up with a call to the town of Kannapolis to see what they could tell me about the history of these manhole covers; and also why this one was still there after so many decades. You can read about that here;

http://robertwilliamsofbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2010/04/follow-up-nazi-manhole-mystery_24.html

Both of those posts have drawn tens of thousands of hits. I don’t know how, or why. Just like the post on the Vance Hotel in Statesville, certain posts take on a life of their own.

Still, the manhole remains and nothing has changed. And I’m not sure I want it to. Let it stand as an example of just how far an ideology can travel. The Nazi’s began their journey in Munich in 1925. In 1933 they engulfed all of Germany; poised to take the rest of Europe before they were stopped.

But; for a brief bit of time at least; that insanity was gaining ground here in America. Let this manhole serve as a testament to that; lest we forget.

The Nazi Manhole Mystery

Sometimes you come across an unexpected mystery that makes you want to look further in order to obtain the facts behind what you see. This is a manhole cover photo from Facebook which was forwarded to my daughter, who then forwarded it to me. I live in Concord, North Carolina, and so was appalled to see the name Concord Foundry stamped on it. Turns out that there is a Concord Foundry in New Hampshire as well as a couple of other places. Although the manufacture of most manhole covers takes place overseas, the design has to originate with the customer. In this case it would have been a Public Works project.

I'm not sure if it was meant to mark territory, as with animals (appropriate) or if it is a sign of something more sinister in our midst. I like to think that is an old manhole cover and soon due for replacement. I have not seen the piece in question personally, and am still unsure as to the actual location of it, but I will attempt to find out. If it is local I will go to see it and then ask the local Public Works people about it. When was it installed? Why was the swastika used?

Googling around has provided me with quite an education into the subject of swastikas. I knew that they had been used by the American Indians, the ancient Egyptians and the Romans. But I had no idea about the Hindu connection or the opposite direction the symbol takes. It seems Hitler reversed the Bhuddist version in order to mark the difference more clearly. This photo shows the production of the covers in India. I found it on the web site of a manhole cover manufacturer. The photo was taken by Adam Huggins.

This is the swastika in it's Indian form. I'm not sure what the dots represent. The mirrored version was used in the Vainakh religion as a solar symbol. In Sanskrit the swastika(svástika / स्वस्तिक)) is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right or left facing form. There is archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments from the Neolithic era. In the modern day culture of India, it is sometimes used as a decorative geometric design, as well as a religious symbol. It is also still used in Eastern religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Though it was once a commonly used symbol it has fallen from grace largely due to the Nazi's use of it. It is, in fact, outlawed in Germany today.

There is also a Wilkipedia article on swastikas which explains some associated mathematical significance. Apparently the swastika was not always a symbol of hate and oppression. But somehow that seems irrelevant in a world mutilated by the Nazi's unprecedented use of this symbol to kill millions. Who would want this mark on their products? Who can justify, or excuse, the pain and suffering and loss of life associated with it?

Apparently you can order manhole covers with whatever design suits you. These covers are from a Japanese manufacturer's website. Some are really intricate and beautiful. But somehow the swastika pattern just doesn't do it for me. Of course one can rationalize that a sewer cover is the appropriate venue for this symbol of oppression and it's adherents.