Story By: Michael Leidig, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
German police are investigating the sales of a controversial beer that has a Nazi-style label and is reportedly linked with a far-right activist.
The scandal over the beer produced by the “German Reich Brewery” (‘Deutsches Reichsbrau’ in German) broke this week as the world remembers Holocaust victims.
The photos were posted on social media by Ulrich Goetz who added the message: “I feel so ashamed.”
As well as the fact that the labels were brown, possibly linked to the fact that the Nazis had brown uniforms, it also relied heavily on symbols such as the Eagle which was popular with the Nazis, and there is an iron Cross as well.
The price of a crate of beer at 18.88 EUR also meant they apparently used neo-Nazi numbers, where 18 is meant to simplify Adolf Hitler (‘A’ and ‘H’ being the first and eighth letter of the alphabet respectively), and 88 is meant to signify ‘Heil Hitler’.
The Gothic lettering is also reminiscent of the Nazi style of producing its powerful propaganda literature.
Goetz added that he was especially disappointed that the beer had been selling quickly so quickly that in some places it had sold out, such as in his home town of Bad Bibra, in the German province of Saxony-Anhalt which has a strong far-right presence.
He said he believed that the neo-Nazis had deliberately done it to be provocative on the anniversary week 75 years after the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp.
Germany has strict laws banning the use of neo-Nazi symbols and promoting neo-Nazi ideology, and police officers have confirmed they are investigating whether the beer breached these guidelines after receiving complaints.
The retail chain Getranke-Quelle where the beer was on sale claimed that it was only on sale in an independent franchise and that it had been their decision to sell it, and that they had informed the seller to remove it.
The beer was reportedly put on sale earlier in the month by far-right activist and pub owner Tommy Frenck, who also stages a regular neo-Nazi festival.
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