Coca Cola and Fanta

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Coca-Cola and Fanta.

Recently I saw a photo of HJ Flakhelfer drinking Coca-Cola (or more probably Fanta). The photo must be from the period 1943-45.

I have seen several photos with Coca-Cola advertisments etc. from the Nazi period, and I started wondering how this was possible.

The subject has been discussed on this Forum a couple of times.

Searching the Internet I found this interesting page: Coca Cola goes to war, on BOTH sides. (Scroll down to the last part of the page)

Here's a part of the text, explaining about Fanta:

"As Max Keith's supplies of Coke dwindled in 1941 he gave his last batches to Nazi soldiers.

After the US entered the war in 1941 Max Keith couldn't get Coca Cola syrup from America to make Coke so he invented a new drink out of the ingredients he had available to him and made it specifically for the Nazi market and the Third Reich. The drink was called Fanta.

Fanta came by its name thanks to Keith's instructions to employees during the contest to christen the beverage - he told them to let their Fantasie [Geman for fantasy] run wild. Upon hearing that, veteran salesman Joe Knipp immediately blurted out Fanta.

This new soda was often made from the leavings of other food industries. (Remember, Germany did have a bit of an import problem at that time.) Whey (a cheese by-product) and apple fiber from cider presses found their way into the drink.

As for which fruits were used in the formulation, it all depended on what was available at the time. In its earliest incarnations, the drink was sweetened with saccharin, but by 1941 its concocters were permitted to use 3.5 percent beet sugar."


If you have relevant photos etc. let's see them here.

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Intersting thread ! Very unusual I would say to see pics of Germans drinking Coke in 1943 - 5 . I wouldnt have thought there would have been any stock piles left either !

I have an article in a book with some further info:

Coca Cola was endorsed by Max Schmelling the famous boxer and parachustist, who became a top executive with the company after the war. Both Hitler and Goring were fond of the drink.

Over 3 million crates of Fanta were sold across all fronts.

The Third Reich had it own style of bottle not dissimilar to the American bottle and were commonly marked with the legend 'Shutzmarke' (Trade Mark) and later bottles with 'Brauselimonade mit nat. Frucht und Krauteraroma - Koffeinhaltung' (lemonade with natural fruit and aromatics - contains caffeine).

The base of the bottles were marked with the manufacturers names, years and capacity ie Fanta, 1940, 0.25 L.

There are some good pics in the book of the styles of bottles too

Nick

Nick
 
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The photos above are pre-war, I think.

Here's a small part of the Flakhelfer photo. They are probaly not drinking Coka-Cola but Fanta, as the procuction of Coca-Cola ended in 1941.

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Fanta erfrischt

"Fanta is refreshing
Lemonade with fruit flavor"


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The photos above are pre-war, I think.

Here's a small part of the Flakhelfer photo. They are probaly not drinking Coka-Cola but Fanta, as the procuction of Coca-Cola ended in 1941.

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hey mate isnt that the coke bottles on the table aswell and one looks full of black coca cola or was fanta black in them days? :001_smile:

paul nazi beer, i bet that gives a hangover from hell!
 
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Here's the original photo and a closeup detail.

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Coca-Cola advertising

3 RAD members next to a Coca-Cola advertising sign.

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... Erfrische Dich!
Trink Coca-Cola
Das köstliche Getränk

... Refresh yourself!
Drink Coca-Cola
The delicious drink
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"Sitting on the fence" is a common idiom used in English to describe one's neutrality or hesitance to choose between two sides in an argument or a competition, or inability to decide due to lack of courage. This is done either in order to remain on good terms with both sides, or due to apathy to the situation and not wanting to choose a position with which one doesn't actually agree.
 
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