Totenkopf Totenkopf ( lit . " skull " ) is the German word for the skull and crossbones and death ' s head symbols . The " Totenkopf " - symbol is an old international symbol for death , danger or the dead , as well as piracy . It consists usually of the human skull with or without the mandible and often includes two crossed long - bones ( femurs ) , most often depicted with the crossbones being " behind " some part of the skull . The grammatical translation of " Totenkopf " would be " dead head , " not " death ' s head " , which would be " Todeskopf " , but no such word is in use ; on the other hand the word used to refer to the skull anatomically or medically is " Schädel " . " Totenkopf " applies to symbolic depictions of the human skull . " Skull and bones " is " " Totenkopf mit Knochen " " in German . German military . Prussia . Use of the symbol as a military insignia began with the cavalry of the Prussian army under Frederick the Great . Frederick formed Husaren - Regiment Nr . 5 ( von Ruesch ) , a Hussar regiment commanded by Colonel von Ruesch . These Hussars adopted a black uniform with a " Totenkopf " emblazoned on the front of their mirlitons and wore it on the field in the War of Austrian Succession and in the Seven Years ' War . In 1808 , when the regiment was reformed into Leib - Husaren Regiments Nr . 1 and Nr . 2 , the " Totenkopf " remained a part of the uniform . During the Napoleonic Wars , when Frederick William , Duke of Brunswick - Wolfenbüttel , was killed in battle , his troops changed the colour of their uniforms to black or apple green , with a " Totenkopf " on their shako s in mourning their dead leader ( Other sources claim that the " Black Brunswickers " were so equipped while Friedrich Wilhelm of Brunswick lived , as a sign of revenge on the French . The skull continued to be used throughout the Prussian and Brunswick Armed forces until 1918 , and some of the stormtrooper s that led the last German offensives on the Western Front in 1918 used skull badges . Weimar Republic . The " Totenkopf " was used in Germany throughout the inter - war period , most prominently by the " Freikorps " . In 1933 , it was in use by the regimental staff and the 1st , 5th , and 11th squadrons of the " Reichswehr " s 5th Cavalry Regiment as a continuation of a tradition from the " Kaiserreich " . Third Reich . In the early days of the NSDAP , Julius Schreck , the leader of the " Stabswache " ( Adolf Hitler ' s bodyguard unit ) , resurrected the use of the " Totenkopf " as the unit ' s insignia . This unit grew into the " Schutzstaffel " ( SS ) , which continued to use the " Totenkopf " as insignia throughout its history . According to a writing by Reichsführer - SS Heinrich Himmler the " Totenkopf " had the following meaning : The " Skull " is the reminder that you shall always be willing to put your self at stake for the life of the whole community . The " Totenkopf " was also used as the unit insignia of the " Panzer " forces of the German " Heer " ( Army ) , and also by the " Panzer " units of the Luftwaffe , including those of the elite " Fallschirm - Panzerdivision Hermann Göring " . Both the 3rd SS Panzer Division of the Waffen - SS , and the World War II era Luftwaffe ' s 54th Bomber Wing " Kampfgeschwader " 54 were given the unit name " " Totenkopf " " , and used a strikingly similar - looking graphic skull - crossbones insignia as the SS units of the same name .