All the fun of the Fuhrer: German funfair shuts down new ride after realising it looks like a Nazi Swastika
- The ‘Eagle Fly’ ride was hailed as a thrilling addition to the funfair in Löffingen
- Park bosses failed to realise the ride’s four arms formed the shape of a swastika
- The park manager has since apologised and said the ride will be redesigned
A German funfair was forced to shut down a new ride after realising it looked like two giant swastikas.
The ‘Eagle Fly’ ride was heralded as a thrilling new addition to the attraction in Löffingen in south-western Germany, but park bosses failed to notice the similarity despite the symbol’s particular sensitivity in Germany.
Viewed from a distance, it is hard to miss: each spinning part of the ride has four arms, forming the same shape as the emblem used by Hitler’s regime.
The park manager has since shut the attraction down and apologised, according to regional broadcaster SWR.
Operator Rüdiger Braun said he was sorry to ‘everyone who was troubled or offended by our design’.
The ride apparently opened at the end of July, but it was not until August that videos began to surface pointing out the similarity.
One such video was shared more than 4,000 times on Reddit, with the mocking caption: ‘The art of engineering’.
As recently as August 2, the park shared a Facebook post with a picture of the ride, still apparently oblivious to its Nazi connotations.
It will be closed for the time being while designers go back to the drawing board, Mr Braun explained.
In a flyer earlier this year, the Eagle Fly was advertised as a ride ‘for intrepid visitors’ alongside a rollercoaster and a panorama tower.
The park also has a zoo – its name Tatzmania translates roughly to Pawmania – and is aimed at children and families.
Unfortunate resemblance: This ‘Eagle Fly’ ride at a German amusement park has been shut down just weeks after it opened because it looks like a Nazi swastika
New attraction: Park bosses shared this picture as recently as August 2, apparently oblivious to the fact their new ride looks like a Nazi symbol
There is no suggestion the Nazi symbolism was deliberate but one state education official told German media that it suggested a ‘lack of engagement with history’.
‘The direction in which this geometric vehicle would move should have been recognised from the architectural drawings,’ Professor Michael Wehner said.
Use of the swastika as a political symbol is banned in Germany, although it can be used for teaching or research.
Those found guilty of using the symbols of ‘unconstitutional organisations’ can be fined or face up to three years in prison.
In 2018 there were more than 14,000 ‘propaganda’ crimes in Germany, such as using the swastika and other banned symbols.
Fears of a far-right resurgence have grown amid a rise in anti-Semitic incidents and hate crimes.
Holocaust denial is also illegal in Germany, punishable by up to five years of imprisonment.