Thor Steinar
Encyclopedia
Thor Steinar is a German
clothing brand
manufactured by Thor Steinar Mediatex GmbH, a subsidiary of International Brands General Trading, a Dubai
-based company.
and a *sowilo rune
. The manufacturers of the Thor Steinar brand reject the controversial interpretations of the former logo,. Their second logo is a Gyfu
rune, similar in appearance to a Saltire
, and has not caused controversy.
Verfassungsschutz have identified the wearing of Thor Steinar clothes as one of the indications of membership in the Right-wing subculture.
Wearing the label is prohibited in the German Bundestag
and in the Landtag
of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. In addition several football clubs including Borussia Dortmund
, Werder Bremen and Hertha BSC prohibit wearing the label in their stadiums.
. The government filed a complaint against the use of the Norwegian flag in February 2008. The legal complaint however failed and it is unlikely that a second attempt will be made. The Norwegian Embassy, the Norwegian Office for Foreign Affairs were informed by Mediatex - the company behind the Thor Steinar brand - on the 6th of December 2007 that future collections starting and including the Spring/Summer 2008 collection will no longer use the national symbol of Norway. The company issued a statement in response to the issue.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
clothing brand
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
manufactured by Thor Steinar Mediatex GmbH, a subsidiary of International Brands General Trading, a Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
-based company.
Controversy
Since the inception of Thor Steinar, the company has used two logos. Much of the controversy regarding the clothing label revolves around their first logo, featuring a combination of a *tiwaz runeTiwaz rune
The t-rune is named after Týr, and was identified with this god. The reconstructed Proto-Germanic name is *Tîwaz or *Teiwaz.-Rune poems:Tiwaz is mentioned in all three rune poems...
and a *sowilo rune
Sowilo rune
*Sowilō or *sæwelō is the reconstructed Proto-Germanic name of the s-rune, meaning "sun". The name is attested for the same rune in all three rune poems...
. The manufacturers of the Thor Steinar brand reject the controversial interpretations of the former logo,. Their second logo is a Gyfu
Gyfu
Gyfu is the name for the g-rune in the Anglo-Saxon rune poem, meaning "gift" or "generosity":The corresponding letter of the Gothic alphabet is g, called giba. The same rune also appears in the Elder Futhark, with a suggested Proto-Germanic name *gebô "gift". J. H...
rune, similar in appearance to a Saltire
Saltire
A saltire, or Saint Andrew's Cross, is a heraldic symbol in the form of a diagonal cross or letter ex . Saint Andrew is said to have been martyred on such a cross....
, and has not caused controversy.
Germany
Various authorities and organizations, including BrandenburgBrandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
Verfassungsschutz have identified the wearing of Thor Steinar clothes as one of the indications of membership in the Right-wing subculture.
Wearing the label is prohibited in the German Bundestag
Bundestag
The Bundestag is a federal legislative body in Germany. In practice Germany is governed by a bicameral legislature, of which the Bundestag serves as the lower house and the Bundesrat the upper house. The Bundestag is established by the German Basic Law of 1949, as the successor to the earlier...
and in the Landtag
Landtag
A Landtag is a representative assembly or parliament in German-speaking countries with some legislative authority.- Name :...
of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. In addition several football clubs including Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...
, Werder Bremen and Hertha BSC prohibit wearing the label in their stadiums.
Norway
Various designs by Thor Steinar have had Norwegian flags and Norwegian names, such as Trondheim, Nordfjord, Nordstrand or Bergen. The official stores selling the clothes are also named after the oldest Norwegian city, TønsbergTønsberg
is a city and municipality in Vestfold county, southern Norway, located around north-east of Sandefjord. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tønsberg....
. The government filed a complaint against the use of the Norwegian flag in February 2008. The legal complaint however failed and it is unlikely that a second attempt will be made. The Norwegian Embassy, the Norwegian Office for Foreign Affairs were informed by Mediatex - the company behind the Thor Steinar brand - on the 6th of December 2007 that future collections starting and including the Spring/Summer 2008 collection will no longer use the national symbol of Norway. The company issued a statement in response to the issue.