Brief Summary
This video tells the story of Fanta, a fruit-flavored drink created in Nazi Germany during World War II due to Coca-Cola syrup shortages. It highlights the role of Coca-Cola executive Max Keith, the drink's popularity among Nazis and the German military, its use of slave labor, and its eventual revival and global success after the war.
- Fanta was created out of necessity during World War II in Nazi Germany.
- Max Keith, a Coca-Cola executive, was instrumental in Fanta's creation and success.
- Fanta was popular among Nazis, the German military, and even Hitler himself.
- The production of Fanta involved the use of slave labor.
- After the war, Fanta was revived with a new formula and gained global popularity.
Introduction: The Untold Story of Fanta
The video introduces Fanta, a popular fruit-flavored drink by Coca-Cola, and reveals its surprising and controversial origins. Coca-Cola was a favorite beverage in Nazi Germany, even preferred by Adolf Hitler, who didn't drink alcohol. It was served at Nazi Party events and was highly popular among Germans and the military. When World War II made it impossible to import Coca-Cola syrup, Fanta was invented, gaining Hitler's endorsement and becoming a hit in Europe. The video aims to explore Fanta's creation, popularity, and the controversies surrounding its production.
The Brainchild of Max Keith: Coca-Cola in Nazi Germany
Fanta was the idea of Max Keith, the German head of Coca-Cola GmBH. Coca-Cola had been produced in Germany under license, and Keith, who had worked at Coca-Cola headquarters in the US, was chosen to lead the German operations. After the Nazis took power in 1933, Keith advertised Coke as the "official drink of Nazi Germany," leading to a surge in popularity. Coca-Cola was a major sponsor of the 1936 Berlin Olympics. After 1939, when Coca-Cola couldn't ship syrup to Germany due to the war, Keith collaborated with German officials like Franz von Papen and Fritz Todt to keep the business running. Todt even paid his workers with Coca-Cola.
The Birth of Fanta: Necessity and Invention
By 1942, Coca-Cola GmBH was running out of ingredients. A meeting in Berlin in March 1940, involving high-ranking Nazi officials, led to the decision to keep the plant running. Keith and chemist Richard Kuhn developed Fanta, a fruit-flavored drink made from apple fiber, whey, beet sugar, and fruit scraps. A salesman named Joe Knipp suggested the name "Fanta" from "fantasy." The drink became very popular due to the lack of alternatives, selling 3 million cases in its first year. Hitler supposedly received and approved the first case.
Fanta's Dark Side: Occupation and Slave Labor
Fanta was sometimes used as a cooking ingredient due to sugar rationing. The Dutch Coca-Cola company in Amsterdam also faced ingredient shortages, so Keith offered them the Fanta brand and recipe. The Dutch version used elderberries instead of beet juice. Albert Speer, in charge of wartime production, used slave labor to meet production goals, including Fanta's. Fanta was popular among German youth and the military, with leaders using it to attract youth to rallies and supplying it to soldiers in combat zones. U-boat commanders and Luftwaffe pilots enjoyed Fanta, and Hermann Goering ensured his men were regularly supplied.
The End of the War and Fanta's Revival
In 1945, as Germany was losing the war, Max Keith continued making Fanta. When Americans entered Berlin, they found Keith still producing Fanta in a damaged factory. The end of the war meant the end of the original Fanta. Keith was interrogated for war profiteering and using slave labor but was cleared by his workers, who testified that he protected them. Despite working with the Nazis, Keith faced no repercussions, and Coca-Cola applauded his loyalty. In 2015, Coca-Cola denied any association with Hitler and the Nazis.
Post-War Fanta: From Italy to Global Success
After the war, Coca-Cola regained control of the Fanta brand and profits. Fanta production was stopped in Germany in 1949 but revived in 1955 in Italy with a new citrus-based recipe. This new Fanta became popular in Europe and then globally, especially in tropical markets. In 2001, Coca-Cola relaunched Fanta in the US with a new advertising campaign. Today, Fanta is available in 188 countries with many flavors. A street in Essen, Germany, is named after Max Keith. Max Schmeling, a former boxing champion, helped bring the new Fanta formula to the global market.
