Who Made Fanta? Was It Really the Nazis' Favorite Soda?

To properly tell the story of Fanta, we have to start with its parent company, Coca-Cola.

"Coke," as it would later be known to billions of soda drinkers, was invented by a morphine-addicted Civil War veteran in 1886. Dr. John Stith Pemberton, a chemist and doctor who worked in the antebellum Georgia, was originally looking for an alternative analgesic to the opiate he'd become dependent on after his war injury.

The original formula included coca leaves and kola nuts, both of which contain stimulants. Cocaine, made from the leaves of the coca plant, has become an infamous prohibited substance — but way back in the 19th century it was known as a valuable medicine, especially for certain kinds of pain. (The kola nuts, on the other hand, contain caffeine).

Coca-Cola's popularity was also boosted by adults switching to nonalcoholic beverages during prohibition (the term soft "soft drink," coined then, means nonalcoholic).

And so, a soft drink was born: Originally sold as a concentrate that would be diluted with sparkling water at drug store soda fountains, Coca-Cola was both soothing and tasty.

While Pemberton himself didn't live to see the expansion of his invention into a globally consumed beverage, Coca-Cola did eventually take off in a very big way. Soon, the Coca-Cola syrup was replaced with a pre-carbonated drink sold by the bottle (later, also by the can), and gradually expanded into new markets, both domestic and foreign.

At its Georgia plant, the Coca-Cola company would produce the flavored, sweetened concentrate, which it would then ship to other markets where it would be mixed with fizzy water, bottled and sold.

One of those markets was Germany. Coca-Cola Deutschland, or Coca-Cola GmbH, was the German subsidiary, and during World War II it was led by an executive named Max Keith.

With the war on, Coca-Cola Europe wasn't in great shape, and things became even more strained when the United States entered the war. It was no longer possible to import the exclusive Coca-Cola concentrate into Nazi Germany, so Keith decided to invent a new beverage to replace the old one.

Keith was working with limited materials. Not only could he no longer access Coca-Cola syrup, but other many ingredients and food basics were also strictly rationed in Nazi Germany — such as sugar.

The solution was to use what Keith later called "the leftovers of the leftovers" for their new soda: apple pulp from cider, beet sugar and whey (a watery byproduct of the cheese-making process).

It probably didn't taste very good, but it was sweet, which was enough to drive sales. In fact, most of the Fanta sold during WWII was likely used as a sweetener or flavoring agent for soups and stews. Regardless, the product, sold in glass bottles, was widely purchased.

The name Fanta came from the German word for "imagination" (fantasie), which is reportedly what Keith told his marketing team to use in order to find a name. A salesman named Joe Knipp is credited with making this catchy (if obvious) pitch.

By all reports, Keith worked closely with the Nazi party to ensure that Fanta production would continue during World War II. While supposedly never becoming an actual member of the party, he wouldn't have been able to expand the business without collaboration with the Nazi government.

Even before the war, Coca-Cola seemed to have no scruples about doing business with a proudly fascist government. The beverage company was a sponsor of the 1936 Berlin Olympics and even commissioned banners with the Coca-Cola logo alongside the swastika.

Even if Keith he wasn't a card-carrying Nazi, he apparently worked with them eagerly, even going as far as ordering a mass Nazi salute at the 10 year anniversary party of Coca-Cola GmBh. It was also the führer's 50th birthday [source: For God, Country and Coca-Cola].

This working relationship continued through the horrors of the war, with Coca-Cola Deutschland assimilating the respective Coca-Cola businesses of all the European countries conquered by the Nazis.

Today, Fanta is sold internationally in several markets, with a wide range of fruity flavors, although it's most popularly known as a bright orange soda. It's a far cry from the original German Fanta, which nobody believes tasted all that grea, and certainly wasn't bright orange.

How did that happen, given the history of collaboration with one of the world's most notorious political regimes?

It's not an easy question to answer. After the war, Keith was handsomely rewarded for his keen stewardship, promoted by the brass at Coca-Cola HQ in Atlanta, Georgia. He became the head of Coca-Cola Europe.

Fanta was reintroduced in Italy as a bright, sunny-orange beverage, and eventually spread across the world. While fairly common in the U.S., it's more popular in South America and Europe than here.

It's a testament to the power of branding — and perhaps to the general lack of awareness among the general population — that Fanta, rather than being tainted forever by its association with the Nazis, is still so popular.