Hi, I am a wargamer and since yesterday I am suspected as being a Nazi. How this can be you might ask, since I am a "normal" citizen, have a job working from 6 to 6, not much affiliated with politics and even less with Nazis.

Well it all began with a game and the German customs office…

I was so stupid in ordering "Wacht am Rhein II" by Decision Games thru an American Internet Store. OK – first fault – the game was much cheaper there but I should support German Stores. Amazingly enough the game did not arrive as fast as usual but I got a letter that I have to go to the customs – office to pick it up.

Which I did (second fault). Arriving there I greeted the woman friendly and in a good mood – happily awaiting my game. She was as most German bureaucrats are, not overly enthusiastic and friendly. After explaining to her, why the invoice is in English and NOT in German she asked me, what's in the box. The box was opened before but, being friendly, I told her: A boardgame. I thought it would be overly complicated to explain to her, what a CoSim is and, basically it is a boardgame – has a (paper)board and tiles.

She asked me to open the package which I did. "Wacht am Rhein" came out, nicely packed and shrinked. A second woman arrived.

How can I say this politely? Her tone was, well, as in this American B-movies where the Germans are portrait and speak as someone expect them to speak. You know what I mean.
WHAT'S THAT?
A boardgame.
OPEN IT.

(I did). Looking at her I said: "This is no Nazi Stuff – it's just a boardgame". Thank God it has lots of pieces because you could see that this was too much for her and she couldn't identify the symbols on the chits. I showed her the rulebook (which is – thank God again –) in English, so this was also too much for her. You could see how frustrated she was not to find Hitler's mustache or Nazi Propaganda or anything else in this box.

I was told to wait outside, because they had to do some paperwork but I should leave "the game" inside. So I waited for 15 minutes and then was called in, had to pay a small fee (tax) and was sent away.

Even if this sounds ironical to you it was the first time in my life where I felt helpless – not being able to reasonably argue about a topic. If she had inspected the SS-counter on the back of the box I would have not be able to take the game home. And also the tone: No "Would you please open the box… May I have a look…" but exactly as I would have expected it from someone she suspected me to be.

I have an order of ASL on the run. What to do? Should I file a complaint about the way I was treated there and risk, that my next package will not be delivered to me? Have other wargamers experienced the same with the German customs office? I know that some German stores sell this game and it was shown in Essen – so where is the problem?

A hint to all the game – producers: Please avoid Nazi symbols (Nazi cross, SS-badge) or anything else on your box if you want to sell your game in Germany. And please avoid names like the one above and maybe call it: Some people waiting for others on a big river – game". We have a strange way in dealing with our history. Make a nice smiley on the box (make it removable so it does not looks silly) so everyone will be happy.

I find it very strange when you hear, that the police tells you in a TV – interview that they are no longer able to deal effectivly with illegal drugs in our land and on the other side a normal wargamer gets interrogated for nearly 30 minutes (in a strange "tone") and then is allowed to go because – "sadly" – they could not hold anything against him.

Absurd? Maybe – but sadly true.

Any comments…?

Sure, I'd 'seen' this before and even in something as 'innocuous' as a "model kit" packaging! ANYTHING having to 'do' with NAZI symbology or the like, ist VERBOTEN! and "nicht rauchen" to 'das boot'! Hell, the 'Town Fathers' of "Wurzburg" proclaimed a GAME as "für dich, NICHT!" as it had 'NUKULAR' devastation in that of the same name! Man, talk about having a '.fuel-rod.'
stuck UP their BUTTS!'

Wow - the "anti-Nazi" officals sound very "Nazi-like" in their behavior! I guess it's less about an allegiance to a particular political party and more about some people's pathetic need to conform to whatever authority happens to be in power at the time. I can picture some of these "anti-Nazi" officals being the first to sign up for their Nazi party membership if the Nazi party actually came back into power! Sad and frightening at the same time.

Maybe when wargame companies ship their games to Germany, they should come in an unmarked shoe box!

In 2004 The Australian Design Group was apparently not aware of German law and could not show off 7 Ages at Essen. German customs not only confisgated the 7 Ages game, but all the other games the Australian group had brought as well. I think it was all sorted out in the end with help and intervention from game industry people who had heard about the problem. However, it was a big loss to the ADG as far as the Essen show. Too bad since they have some pretty good games.

All that mess because of a few tiny nazi symbols om game components.

That surely was a customs nightmare as well.

@ Leo: I fear the same.

@ Jeff: Yep, they will clean / conform you - if you want or not. We had some odd thoughts about a new "non-discriminating law" (as if we had none - it is in our "Grundgesetz") that would bring you to the point of madness. If you would post an apartment as "for rent" and two persons would show up the one who didn't get the apartment was able to sue you because you discriminated him / her. Due to the fact that you normally can rent an appartment only to one of the two persons this law is totally mad. And not only can they sue you but you ! have to proof that you did not discriminate him /her.

The first time that I saw a law that was turned upside down - you are guilty per sé until you prove your innocence. Gladly they droped the law - there seems to be some politicians with a brain around...

And it's not that you choose what you want to play - they choose it for you. Snakes and Ladders is just not as dangerous as a CoSim.

Wow.. that is uncomfortably strange.

I found myself on the receiving end of some weird & hostile gazes and even a comment from one doofus for reading a biography of Manfred Richtofen while in a hospital waiting room today (it's a Maltese Cross folks, not a swastika...) - but your story is chilling. Hope the black helicopters don't take you away Wolfgang!

All I can say is that similar things have happened in the US for similar reasons. The long and the short is that folks want to head off trouble and, when government is the watchdog, the zealousness and laxity in the guard can be surprisingly compounded depending on the rules and laws they are following in a particular case.

AS examples: There was a story related to BGG several months ago about a guy who ordered a game from an online retailer. As I understand, the contents of the package were listed on the outside so the receiver would know what it was. The box had the words "Pass the Bomb"-- the name for a game here on the Geek. The receiver had a lot of explaining to do for the US Post Office with a bomb disposal team waiting in the wings if they didn't like the explaination. Things got sorted out and the guy got his game, but it was an understandable, if easily avoided error.

Another European gamer noted that the SS runes on the box top for an old copy of Squad Leader he purchased were carefully markered out when they received it. I suppose it's possible the sender was thinking ahead or a customs official took it upon himself to make things easy for everyone after examining the contents.

Wacht Am Rhein was printed by SPI almost thirty years ago during a time when printing swastikas (like in Sgt. Rock comics or in model kits) or seeing them on TV (on dozens of old TV shows and late night movies) was not a big deal in the US. I don't when the corner was turned that such things became "Voldemort"-- but it was-- and now we follow Europe's model for it's if-and-when application

To that end, most game US companies have done a good job of avoiding using the runes and the swastika in their materials. (They certainly aren't necessary to play the games.) Typically, the unwritten rule these days is to create box covers and materials showing Allied soldiers and to obscure markings on any German ones. Also, to show German soldiers in soft caps and early war uniforms rather than in stahlhelms and camoflauge smocks. Even tanks and planes (Allied and Axis) are sometimes shown in a cartoony guise. Memoir '44 (note even the name!) is a case in point.

Inverted "burden of proof" (?) is one of the most sick modern developments in law, and it's most often discussed in discrimination and gender contexts. Guilty by default, that's sick.

I was born in W. Germany and only lived there for a year before coming back (my parents) to America. It would be weird living there but no matter which country people live in I guess you just acclimate and adjust to which peculiar laws exist. I remember in RTCW (Return to Castle Wolfenstein) that had a map pack that had authentic flags and symbols which were banned in Germany. Well on one side of the token Germany does strongly enforce the past and on the other side Japan doesn't even acknowledge certain war events in their schools history books.

America has it's own weird things too. Like when I moved back from Japan with my Japanese wife. We tried to get an apartment but couldn't because she needed a social security #. I explained she didn't have one. Unaccetable they said. Ok so I got to get here one and Social Security Office says she needs a California driver's license or California I.D. first. Go to DMV to get California I.D. and said she needs a social security card first. Ok son of a bee. Go back to Social Security Office and demand a SS# for my wife and have to argue how she can't get an CA I.D. without a SS#. Finally apartment approves me based on myself (credit checked, etc.) Then over a year later the apartment manager asks who the girl is I'm living with and how long has she been living with me in my apartment. I explain she's my wife which took months to get a SS#. Since they had no record they thought I was living in sin.

Also I used to go to Mexico way back in the day (TJ or Tijuana) to be precise in a '79 Ugly Brown Honda Accord and every single time I was asked to go to the 2nd checkpoint to search the car for drugs. As soon as I bought a more modern car I think I made it through 95% of the time without getting sent to the 2nd checkpoint. Why did the 2nd checkpoint suck the big one so much? Easy the search took about 2 to 3 mins but each and every time I had to wait over an hour for them to come by. 30 mins sounds like it wasn't too bad for a board game after all.

The whole thing wouldn't bug me so much if not some weirdos decide (or however they name it) if I get my 120 $+ investment or not based on their opinion of "whatever".

And what kind of possibility do I have to get the game if this one lady (very frustrated looking) thought that it was a tool or handbook to start a war with France again? At least I could have tried to go to court to use the "legal powers" to get A GAME !!! back.

Looks to me I have one right: To get kicked in the lower part of my back

Another good reason to reprint Up Front with a nice friendly Joe on the cover.
Seriously, this is not good what has happened to you. I wonder if you would be equally interrogated for buying a copy of Shirer's Rise and Fall of the Third Reich from Amazon US?

Wolfgang,
I wish you well and agree that this is scary stuff. In the UK, the Labour party (Tony Blair's mob) is trying to get rid of trial by jury for some offences and enforce ID cards (although they say it will be voluntary). The world has well and truly been turned upside down due to the fear of terrorism and the political correctness brigade. I'm surprised wargaming hasn't been outlawed altogether.