# Is the photo of the Reichstag flag more famous than the Iwo Jima flag? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 30, 2016, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-photo-of-the-reichstag-flag-more-famous-than-the-iwo-jima-flag/773480 "2016-11-30T19:21:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2016, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-photo-of-the-reichstag-flag-more-famous-than-the-iwo-jima-flag/773480/21 "2016-11-30T22:39:19Z")
Very familiar with Iwo Jima photo. Used to drive past the monument every day. Have seen the Reichstag pic before, but didn’t know what it was or that it was a world-famous photo. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-photo-of-the-reichstag-flag-more-famous-than-the-iwo-jima-flag/773480/22 "2016-12-01T00:21:22Z")
Although I’ve read a lot about WWII throughout my life, and watched documentaries and experienced the history in various ways, I have to say that not only have I never seen the Reichstag photo before, I’ve never even heard of it. Of course, growing up in the US, I’ve seen the flag raising on Iwo Jima many times, seen it reproduced on the stamp and as the monument in DC, and seen the film clip. But the Reichstag flag raising was completely alien to my experience. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-photo-of-the-reichstag-flag-more-famous-than-the-iwo-jima-flag/773480/23 "2016-12-01T00:26:54Z")
French, and I’m quite certain the Reichstag picture is vastly more famous than the Iwo Jima picture over here. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-photo-of-the-reichstag-flag-more-famous-than-the-iwo-jima-flag/773480/24 "2016-12-01T01:06:29Z")
Irish. I’m familiar with both, but much _more_ familiar with the Berlin one because, hey, Berlin. (Where the hell is Iwo Jima anyway?) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-photo-of-the-reichstag-flag-more-famous-than-the-iwo-jima-flag/773480/25 "2016-12-01T01:10:27Z")
I’ve seen both many times. As an American and a Johnny Cash fan, the Iwo Jima flag is more famous to me. But I can see reasons why the Reichstag picture would be more famous. It involves the European side of the war, which makes it more meaningful to Europeans. And the capture of Berlin represented the culmination of the European war unlike the capture of Iwo Jima, which was just a major step in the Pacific war. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-photo-of-the-reichstag-flag-more-famous-than-the-iwo-jima-flag/773480/26 "2016-12-01T01:22:05Z")
I knew both but I’m somewhat of a freak, most people in Argentina wouldn’t know any of the photos. Probably the Iwo Jima one would win as some small percentage would say “I think I saw that photo somewhere”. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-photo-of-the-reichstag-flag-more-famous-than-the-iwo-jima-flag/773480/27 "2016-12-01T03:52:01Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I’ve seen both many times. As an American and a Johnny Cash fan, the Iwo Jima flag is more famous to me. . . . This (except I’m not a Johnny Cash fan…) Interesting to note that both of these photos are staged re-enactments of earlier events. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-photo-of-the-reichstag-flag-more-famous-than-the-iwo-jima-flag/773480/28 "2016-12-01T04:22:46Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > Interesting to note that both of these photos are staged re-enactments of earlier events. Rosenthal denied numerous times that he staged the Iwo Jima picture. Yes, he did once say it was staged, but he thought he was being asked about a different photo. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-photo-of-the-reichstag-flag-more-famous-than-the-iwo-jima-flag/773480/29 "2016-12-01T04:43:46Z")
Iwo Jima, by far. Though I don’t think the USSR gets the credit, belatedly fighting the Nazis, that it deserves. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-photo-of-the-reichstag-flag-more-famous-than-the-iwo-jima-flag/773480/30 "2016-12-01T05:26:50Z")
I observe that so far the results are pretty consistent with, “The American one is famous in America, the European one is more famous in Europe” Which is perhaps not surprising! ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-photo-of-the-reichstag-flag-more-famous-than-the-iwo-jima-flag/773480/31 "2016-12-01T05:31:14Z")
Am familiar with both, and they’re damn good photos. I’d rank them equally. I did a quick straw poll of a dozen my co-workers here. Only one other could identify the Reichstag photo. About half recognised the Iwo Jima photo but almost all thought it was related to 9-11. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-photo-of-the-reichstag-flag-more-famous-than-the-iwo-jima-flag/773480/32 "2016-12-01T05:44:30Z")
> [@penultima\_thule](#): > > About half recognised the Iwo Jima photo but almost all thought it was related to 9-11. > > 😕 They’re probably mistaking it for [this](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raising_the_Flag_at_Ground_Zero) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-photo-of-the-reichstag-flag-more-famous-than-the-iwo-jima-flag/773480/33 "2016-12-01T05:48:45Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > Iwo Jima, by far. Though I don’t think the USSR gets the credit, belatedly fighting the Nazis, that it deserves. The USSR troops started fighting the Nazis on June 22, 1941. The United States military first engaged the Nazi troops on November 8, 1942, in Operation Torch in North Africa. Which was belated? ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-photo-of-the-reichstag-flag-more-famous-than-the-iwo-jima-flag/773480/34 "2016-12-01T06:50:40Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > The USSR troops started fighting the Nazis on June 22, 1941. > > The United States military first engaged the Nazi troops on November 8, 1942, in Operation Torch in North Africa. > > Which was belated? Technically the first direct conflicts between US and Nazi Germany started in April 1941 when US ships escorted merchant vessels all the way to Iceland where then the Royal Navy took over, and during that time there was direct combat including depth charge attacks by American destroyers on German U-Boats. Of course war hadn’t been declared yet but it was obviously more than what the Soviets had been doing. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-photo-of-the-reichstag-flag-more-famous-than-the-iwo-jima-flag/773480/35 "2016-12-01T07:16:36Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > The USSR troops started fighting the Nazis on June 22, 1941. > > The United States military first engaged the Nazi troops on November 8, 1942, in Operation Torch in North Africa. > > Which was belated? The Chinese were attacked on July 7, 1937. So I guess every country that entered the war after that came in late. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-photo-of-the-reichstag-flag-more-famous-than-the-iwo-jima-flag/773480/36 "2016-12-01T07:18:15Z")
Surely _Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima_ is better known among the English speaking. I don’t know how many times I have seen it. I have known the story of how the photo was taken at a second flag raising since I was a teenager. I can recall seeing a segment on, I believe, Letterman where they asked college students what the photo was and many didn’t know. I was amazed. I have seen _Raising a flag over the Reichstag_ maybe twice before but wouldn’t have been able to identify where it was. I thought it was victory in Stalingrad. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-photo-of-the-reichstag-flag-more-famous-than-the-iwo-jima-flag/773480/37 "2016-12-01T07:42:22Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > Surely _Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima_ is better known among the English speaking . . . Well, not among the English, I’d imagine. They weren’t directly involved in the Battle for Berlin, but they also weren’t directly involved in the Battle of Iwo Jima and, of the two, the Battle for Berlin would loom much larger in their awareness for a variety of fairly obvious reasons. As noted, in Ireland the Berlin image would be much more familiar (it was in my High School history book, if I remember correctly, and even then it was already familiar to me) and I would expect the same to be true in Britain. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-photo-of-the-reichstag-flag-more-famous-than-the-iwo-jima-flag/773480/38 "2016-12-01T09:17:47Z")
Spanish, I’m a lot more familiar with the Iwo Jima picture, but was born in a country and time in which any comunist victory wouldn’t so much have been swept under the rug as concreted over, my Dad loved war movies (which we were a lot more likely to get either made in Spanish or made in English), and I’ve lived in the US for several years. Also, now I have the Ballad of Ira Hayes among my current earworms, tyvm. At least it’s a good song… ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-photo-of-the-reichstag-flag-more-famous-than-the-iwo-jima-flag/773480/39 "2016-12-01T10:04:23Z")
Grew up in Scandinavia, recognise both. Guessing maybe just maybe the Iwo Jima one is _slightly_ better known up here, but I’d say both count as famous classics. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-photo-of-the-reichstag-flag-more-famous-than-the-iwo-jima-flag/773480/40 "2016-12-01T11:29:58Z")
I’m Canadian and I don’t remember seeing the Reichstag picture before. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-photo-of-the-reichstag-flag-more-famous-than-the-iwo-jima-flag/773480.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-photo-of-the-reichstag-flag-more-famous-than-the-iwo-jima-flag/773480.md?page=3)