One of the logos Thor Steinar has used is similar to certain National Socialist symbols. That has always caused controversy and has been one of the reasons why the brand is considered closely associated with neo-Nazism and why the Thor Steinar logo is prohibited in several locations.
Thor Steinar is headquartered in Germany. It was trademarked by Axel Kopelke in the fall of 2002. Originally, the products were manufactured by Mediatex GmbH. In 2009, the label was sold to International Brands General Trading, a firm based in Dubai.
When the name of the brand appears in German media, it is typically discussed in the light of the association to neo-Nazism. The symbols used by the company seemed strikingly similar to the swastika. This association is claimed by the Verfassungschutz of the state of Brandenburg.
The following places expressly forbid wearing the apparel made by this brand and featuring Thor Steinar logo: the Bundestag, the Landtag of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and of Saxony, several football stadiums.
There was also a controversy caused by the fact that the brand’s products have featured Norwegian flags and Norwegian names. The Norwegian government filed a complaint in early 2008. Although, legally, the complaint failed, Mediatex informed the country’s Embassy that it was not going to use the national names and symbols starting from the SS 2008 collection.