Peace, fred, mir, paix, la pace, perdamaian are different words that stand for the same meaning, namely the longing for a wholesome state of peace and contentment. A longing that has united humanity for many centuries and for which it has always created new symbols to express this longing. These symbols are diverse and are interpreted differently in different countries, but probably the best known are the peace dove, the peace sign and the peace hand.


Probably the oldest symbol is the peace dove. Its history goes back to the Old Testament. When Noah survived the flood in his ark after 40 days of rain, he let a dove fly. After a while, it returned to the ark with an empty beak. A few days later he let another dove fly, it returned with an olive branch and a third dove did not come back at all. Since then, the second dove with the olive branch in its beak has been the symbol of peace and hope. For it showed Noah that the flood had been overcome, God's anger against mankind had subsided and he had made peace with them.


The circular peace sign was developed in 1958 by the English artist Gerald Holtom as an emblem for a British protest march against nuclear weapons. The sign contains two letters of the angular alphabet formerly used in seafaring: The letter N for "Nuclear" and D for "Disarmement", thus calling for "nuclear disarmament". These two letters are held by a circle symbolising the world. Hundreds of people went to the streets with this symbol on posters and flags to stand up for peace. The meaning of this symbol developed over time into a fundamental anti-war sign. Since Holtom did not register his invention, the wildest theories about the origin of the symbol arose over the years. Today, more than ever, it is gaining strength and is used as a peace symbol all over the world.