Port St. Lucie apologizes after playing Nazi version of German anthem at Oktoberfest

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - A man visiting Port St. Lucie from Frankfurt, Germany was shocked to hear a former version of the German national anthem at Oktoberfest Saturday. The national anthem was changed after the Nazi era of World War II.

"If you grow up with the history and all the times you get confronted with the history and it’s not a good one, you think a bit different about that," said Andre Leitzbach. "It was the reason why I was confused."

Leitzbach said the Port St. Lucie Oktoberfest festival, held in City Center, had authentic food, beer, and music.

"They show Americans our tradition and fest and beer because we have nice beer," he said. "And it’s important. I like it.”

However, the musician who played the German national anthem chose the wrong version online.

"I was looking at my wife and said, 'Hold on, there’s something wrong,'" he said. "It was the wrong. We learned in school that we don’t have to sing that because Germany, it’s not above everything. So that was a strange feeling.”

Leitzbach said parts of the German national anthem were removed following Nazi rule during WWII. The lyrics were written well before the Nazi era, but one of the original lines means "Germany above all in the world." Due to the horrific events during WWII, the Germans changed the national anthem to exclude those and other lyrics.

"It’s not forbidden, but it’s part of the history and we don’t want to hear that on an official Oktoberfest," he said.

Leitzbach also took a picture of a flag representing East Germany, hung upside down at the Port St. Lucie Oktoberfest.

"From my point of view, it’s important if you go to a festival like that to understand the history and the background of that, German culture," he said.

The head of the local German American Club is from Germany originally. He said the musician there plays Eastern European music and is not from Germany. He said that musician accidentally looked up the incorrect version of the national anthem online, so it was an honest mistake.

"I'm not blaming everyone," Leitzbach said. "Come here next year, enjoy the Oktoberfest. It’s a very nice place."