Dentists have many many contributions in the world outside the realm of dentistry. Some were made with good intent, but later regarded in a most negative light. Take the case of the German dentist, Dr. Friedrich Krohn. In 1920 he designed the flag which would become the symbol of the Nazi party: the hakenreuz (swastika) flag.  Dr. Krohn was the director of the DAP ( the forerunner of the Nazi party) chapter in Rosenheim, and was a member of the Thule Society, a right wing anti-semetic group steeped in occultism and familiar with the swastika symbol. Dr. Krohn was probably influenced by this when he created the red, white and black flag using the colors of the old German Republic.

It should be remembered, when Dr. Krohn designed the flag in 1920, none of the horrors of the Nazi regime had occurred. Indeed, Hitler was largley unkown and struggling for control of the party, and had not yet committed any acts against humanity. Yet Dr. Krohn’s design was so bold and striking, Hitler stole the idea and the credit. Perhaps that was for the better.