The power of a symbol?

Update: Thanks everyone for voting this 'controversial' entry into the spotlight page!

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No, it's not what you think it is, but I definitely had the same connotation!

Maybe it helps by explaining where I was. When I was a youngster my grandfather often took me along to the 'Beestenmarkt' - the Animal market - where farmers sold their cows, sheep and horses. The animals were displayed in temporary fenced wooden boxes while the farmer and the potential buyers bargained by slapping each others hand until they agreed on a price and went to the pub to drink on it.

The market square that still exists, but isn't used for that purpose anymore, is still full with the old iron poles in which the wooden fences were lowered. For the first time I noticed the Swastika symbol from straight above.

Strange to see the power of a symbol in context to your background.

In the Hinduism culture the swastika is the most holy icon, as it is in Buddhism and Jainism too. (In other words very positive!) Nevertheless it's also directly associated with the Nazi party of Adolf Hitler who copied the symbol but accidentally mirrored it, like I was told by my teacher at the Art Academy.

So basically this is a correct Hindi swastika and NOT an offensive Nazi icon. Still my mind keeps associating it with our German neighbors. Strange!

Here's the same pole from a slightly different angle.