Nazi uniforms still made in Poznan

Remember a while back when England's Prince Harry younger of Princesses Diana's two sons was photographed dressing up in a Nazi uniform at a fancy costume party just two weeks away from the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz? The uniform was probably made in Poznan - Toledo's sister city.

According to the AP thousands of brand new Nazi uniforms are being stitched together each year in Poznan, Poland. There are a handful of garment manufacturing plants churning out these $820.00 WWII replicas.

A surprising business you might imagine in a country subjected to six years of brutal Nazi occupation that cost millions of lives during World War II.

These firms sell mainly to film companies and history buffs, although some people fear that uniforms he offers via the Internet may be falling into the hands of extremists.

One producer, Andrzej Frankowski, said, “I could also make Chinese uniforms, no problem, if only there were a demand for them."

The German invasion of Poland in 1939 started World War II, during which Poland lost more than 6 million citizens - half of them Jews. Today, bitterness toward Germany still resonates in day-to-day politics and among older Poles.

Also made are replicas of British, Polish, Russian and American army wear and are used in films and historical re-enactments, a popular activity for history buffs.

You could not make a historic film or perform a re-enactment scene without these uniforms.

The website of one such company, Hero Collection, says it has supplied uniforms for such movies as the Oscar-winning "The Pianist," the TV film "Hitler: The Rise of Evil" and the Italian movie "Karol, the Man Who Became the Pope."