Fanta: The German Soda Born in Nazi Germany That You Still Drink Today

You have probably had a Fanta. You have handed one to your grandkids without a thought. That bright orange colour feels innocent. But the drink you grew up on was never invented as a fun new flavour. It exists because Coca-Cola's syrup stopped arriving in wartime Germany. Its German head needed a replacement fast. He built one from wartime scraps — inside Nazi Germany to keep the business alive. The war ended. The drink did not. It kept a permanent spot in your refrigerator. And what came next is harder to believe than how it began. This video breaks down exactly how Fanta was created — who Max Keith was and what decisions he made to keep Coca-Cola GmbH operating under the Nazi regime what the drink was actually made from in 1940 when quality ingredients were unavailable and how Keith managed to retain control of the German operation and its assets through the entire war. Then it breaks down what happened when American Coca-Cola executives arrived in Germany after the war ended — what they found what Keith handed over and how a drink invented from wartime necessity became one of the most successful soft drink brands in the world without most of its consumers ever knowing where it came from. The history is documented. The wartime records exist. And what happened to the profits Coca-Cola Germany generated between 1939 and 1945 is the part of this story the company has never been eager to discuss. *About The Maison Archives with Liam:* Every great brand has a story behind it. The founders who risked everything. The decisions that built empires. The moments that destroyed them. This channel tells those stories. No sponsorships. No brand deals. No affiliations. Just research archives and the history they never put in the press release. 🔔 Subscribe. New documentaries every week. #Fanta #CocaCola #BrandHistory #NaziGermany #TheMaisonArchives #SodaHistory #MaxKeith #BusinessHistory