I was walking through Ballard Estate this morning and spotted a building called Kaiser-i-Hind. It's logo has a prominent abstract swastika in it which also forms an important part of the window grill designs. The swastika is based on the Hindu design and not the one used by the Third Reich. The building name does however suggests a connection between India and Germany, one that probably pre-dates the World Wars. The 'Kaiser' was a German term for 'emperor.' However, with a little bit of 'research' on wikipedia, I found out that, "The Kaiser-i-Hind was a medal awarded by the British monarch between 1900 and 1947, to civilians of any nationality who rendered distinguished service in the advancement of the interests of the British Raj." However, the medal was oval-shaped and not in the form of a swastika. This makes the building all the more mysterious. The building is currently owned by Nestle.
1 comment:
:) Fantastic
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