German police probe sale of ‘Nazi beer’ bearing Third Reich symbols

Police in Germany have launched an investigation after beer branded with Nazi-era symbolism was discovered on sale. The inflammatory alcohol was priced at an eyebrow-raising €18.88.

The probe was opened after conservative politician Gotz Ulrich spotted the ‘Deutsches Reichsbräu’ (German Reich Brew) on sale in the small town of Bad Bibra in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt. The drink’s label features a Nazi-esque eagle clutching a flared cross.

Ulrich said he was ashamed to see the provocative beverage on sale, adding that matters were even made more distressing by the fact that the beer appeared to be doing a brisk trade. "But the worst thing is: The beer did good business and is sold out!" he wrote on Facebook.

The drink is produced by neo-Nazi activist Tommy Frenck, who is a former politician with the National Democratic Party. A box of the incendiary brew costs €18.88 ($20.82), numbers that are well-known Nazi code symbols for “Adolf Hitler” and “Heil Hitler”.

Police in Saxony-Anhalt are investigating the sale of the drink. However authorities in the neighboring state of Thuringia, where Frenck is based, said that neither the "Reich eagle," nor the Iron Cross symbol featured on the label were among the "anti-constitutional" symbols banned in Germany.

Ulrich spotted the beer in a branch of the Getränke-Quelle chain of shops. The company said it is severing its partnership with the Bad Bibra franchise following the controversy, Deutsche Welle reports. 

“Until today we knew nothing about the sale of beer 'Deutsches Reichsbräu.' We immediately got in contact with the manager and demanded the removal of the article from the store… We will have our branding removed this coming Monday," it said.

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