When you think of “top 10 discoveries,” you probably picture bright ideas born in peaceful labs. Yet history shows that many breakthroughs emerged from the darkest corners of human behavior. Below we dive into ten inventions and studies that, oddly enough, owe their existence to Nazi Germany.
Top 10 Discoveries From Nazi Germany
10 Fanta
How did this zesty, refreshing drink originate in the Third Reich? After the United States entered World War II following Pearl Harbor in 1941, the Trading With the Enemy Act of 1917 was revived, cutting off Coca‑Cola syrup shipments to German factories. Undeterred, Max Keith, the manager of Coca‑Cola’s German subsidiary, set out to create a wholly German soft drink, stripping away the iconic American branding.
Chemists mixed leftovers from other food industries—fruit pulp and the by‑product of cheese curdling—to craft a new beverage reminiscent of today’s ginger beer. Fanta quickly became a household staple in Germany, and as the Nazis expanded across Europe, Keith spread the drink further, keeping Coca‑Cola subsidiaries afloat.
When the Allies finally defeated Nazi Germany, production of Fanta halted, and Keith surrendered the profits to Coca‑Cola’s headquarters in Atlanta.
9 The Hunger Disease Study of the Warsaw Ghetto
Evidence and testimony show that senior Gestapo officials intended to murder Warsaw Ghetto residents through starvation, estimating that a nine‑month low‑calorie ration would be lethal for everyone there. This dire situation spawned a harrowing scientific effort.
In 1942, Dr. Israel Milezkowski launched a study into the physiology and pathology of the starving ghetto prisoners. He aimed to understand how to cure the “hunger disease,” while Dr. Julian Fliederbaum sought to give the research scientific legitimacy and establish a lasting platform.
The study, divided into sections covering blood circulation and child starvation, involved over 100 participants on a massive scale. Women smuggled medical equipment into the ghetto, and some of Europe’s finest medical minds collaborated to examine energy usage in severe weight loss—a subject still relevant today.
Jewish physicians, themselves starving and risking their lives, conducted the research not for personal gain but to advance medical knowledge. Their crucial conclusion: rehabilitation after starvation must be gradual. Had this insight been public earlier, thousands of liberated lives might have been saved at war’s end.
Tragically, these findings emerged only through an atrocity that can never be ethically replicated.
8 Nerve Agents Tabun and Sarin
German chemists produced and stockpiled thousands of tons of lethal nerve agents, including sarin, during the lead‑up to World War II. These agents were unknown to the Allies, and their deployment could have dramatically altered the conflict’s outcome.
Nerve agents disrupt vital organs, making even minuscule exposure potentially fatal. Nazi scientists invented the two most dangerous agents—Tabun in 1936 and Sarin in 1938—both still ranking among the world’s most toxic chemical weapons.
By war’s end, the Nazis reportedly held over 30,000 tons of Tabun and smaller quantities of Sarin, yet never used them in combat. Historians debate why; some suggest Hitler’s personal experience with chemical warfare in World I discouraged use, a puzzling stance given the regime’s atrocities.
7 Audio Tape/Cassette
While Gen Z might not recognize the term, this revolutionary invention owes its existence to Nazi Germany. In 1928, German scientist Fritz Pfleumer devised a method to coat paper with metal strips, paving the way for magnetic tape.
By 1935, the first magnetic tape recorder emerged, delivering superior audio quality and longer recording times. During WWII, Allied forces intercepted European radio transmissions that seemed to be simultaneous re‑readings from different time zones—a confusion caused by the Allies’ limited recording technology.
Only after an audio tape recorder was liberated from Radio Luxembourg did the Allies realize the deception. The device was sent to the United States, and the cassette’s release two decades later was undeniably rooted in this captured technology.
6 Jagermeister
The herb‑infused liquor’s recipe has remained unchanged since 1934, and the brand’s murky connection to the Nazi party persists. Curt Mast, one of the founding brothers, is rumored to have named Jägermeister as a nod to the Nazi Party’s second‑in‑command, Hermann Göring, who adopted the title “Imperial Huntsmaster” (Jägermeister) in 1934.
Legend even claims Göring visited Mast’s estate for a hunting celebration where the drink was first crafted. In 1933, Mast joined the National Socialist German Workers Party and purchased a house in Wolfenbüttel on land seized from a Jewish family. Although the company and its descendants have denied Nazi affiliations, definitive proof remains elusive.
5 JerryCan
Fuel is the lifeblood of any military; without it, armies become immobile. Recognizing this, the German army invented the “Armed Forces Unit Cannister,” a robust fuel container designed to keep tanks supplied at a moment’s notice.
The nickname “Jerrycan” emerged when American engineer Paul Pleiss encountered the German design at Berlin’s Tempelhof Airport. Initially, the Allies dismissed the invention, preferring their own flimsy cans that required wrenches and were prone to punctures.
Nonetheless, the German canister’s durability—holding up to 5.3 gallons and featuring ergonomic handles—proved unmatched. The U.S. quickly adopted the design, christening it the “Jerrycan” after the Allied slang for German forces.
Over 19 million jerrycans supported U.S. troops in WWII, and President Roosevelt famously noted that without them, crossing France would have been impossible.
4 Pervitin‑Amphetamine
During the Weimar Republic, Germany’s pharmaceutical sector thrived, leading the world in opiate and cocaine exports. In Berlin, Dr. Fritz Hauschild drew inspiration from the 1936 Olympic Games, where amphetamines boosted athlete performance.
Hauschild patented Germany’s first methyl‑amphetamine, dubbed Pervitin. The drug quickly became a sensation, appearing in formats ranging from chocolate bars to tablets. Women were advised to consume two or three daily to speed up housework and curb appetite.
In 1940, as Germany prepared to invade France via the Ardennes, a “stimulant decree” urged army doctors to prescribe up to five tablets per day, reducing inhibitions and eliminating the need for sleep. The Wehrmacht ordered 35 million tablets for its forces and the Luftwaffe.
This stimulant regimen enabled entire divisions to stay awake for three days and nights, playing a pivotal role in the rapid success of Blitzkrieg.
3 Night Vision
Germany wasn’t the first nation to invent night‑vision technology, but it was the pioneer in deploying a portable version that an individual soldier could carry. Codenamed “Vampir” (German for “vampire”), the device’s official designation was Zielgerät 1229.
The apparatus comprised a hefty backpack battery powering an infrared searchlight and an infrared scope mounted on a firearm. While the searchlight emitted high‑frequency infrared, the scope amplified this invisible light, allowing users to see in darkness.
The system didn’t detect body heat; rather, it relied on reflected infrared, meaning two Vampir users could spot each other. Deployed in 1945, these devices were scarce and reserved for the elite “Night Hunter” unit. Though they arrived too late to alter the war’s outcome, they sparked considerable paranoia about German night‑time capabilities.
2 The Term ‘Privatization’
The term “privatization” is often mistakenly credited to Peter Drucker, yet its origins trace back to the Nazis. While Drucker discussed “re‑privatization” in 1969—advocating the return of public‑sector responsibilities to private hands—research reveals that Nazi economic policy already embodied this concept.
Economic historian Maxine Yaple Sweezy discovered that industrialists supported Hitler because of his policies, which effectively restored state‑controlled monopolies to private ownership. This practice aligns with what Drucker later labeled “re‑privatization.”
Sweezy first published the term in 1941, noting, “The United Steel Trust is an outstanding example of the ‘re‑privatization.’” This may represent the earliest English‑language usage of the phrase in social‑science literature.
1 Counterfeit Money
One of Nazi Germany’s most elaborate schemes aimed not only to cripple the Allies militarily but also to sabotage their economies. Dubbed “Operation Bernhard,” the plan involved mass‑producing counterfeit British and American currency to flood enemy markets.
In 1942, SS Major Bernhard Kruger received orders to execute the operation, recruiting 142 skilled counterfeiters and artisans from concentration camps. Together, they forged some of the most convincing counterfeit banknotes ever seen, creating 182 million British pounds by 1945 and preparing plates for U.S. dollars.
As the war drew to a close in May 1945, the operation retreated to an Austrian village. There, equipment was dumped into a lake, prisoners revolted, and guards fled just as a U.S. army unit approached.
This audacious financial warfare highlighted the Nazis’ willingness to undermine enemy economies through deception.