A butcher in the eastern German city of Halle has come under fire after pricing a lunch special at €8.88—sparking accusations that the meal was a coded nod to Nazism.
Torsten Barner, owner of the long-standing Fleischerei Barner, was left “shocked” after passers-by claimed the number 88 was used to signify “Heil Hitler.” For neo-Nazis, the number is used as a code because “H” is the eighth letter of the alphabet—making “88” shorthand for “HH.”
The price was for a plate of schnitzel, fried potatoes, and egg, which Barner insists was the result of a simple cost calculation.
“I fell out of the sky when I heard about it,” he told Bild. “We just added up schnitzel, egg, and potatoes. That’s it.” The family-run business employs staff from Syria and Vietnam and has no history of extremism.
Despite this, local left-wing activists sent a photo of the offer to the press, prompting a flurry of online debate. While some praised vigilance, most condemned the reaction as absurd hysteria.
The incident comes amid growing paranoia over so-called “right-wing threats” in Germany. Just weeks ago, the country’s domestic spy agency labelled the conservative-populist Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) an “extremist” organisation—despite widespread public support and its elected status in multiple states.
Critics warn that such episodes show how far authorities and activists will go to police dissent or mislabel ordinary citizens. What began as a lunch offer now stands as yet another example of Germany’s political establishment losing its grip on reality.
