A German restaurant in Minneapolis defending hosting a party of diners dressed up in Nazi uniforms after photos of the meal leaked to an outraged public.

The controversy started last week when an anonymous tipster sent photos of the event at Gasthof Zur Gemutlichkeit to weekly newspaper City Pages.

The pictures show men dressed up in Nazi SS uniforms sitting in the restaurant's main dining room with Nazi flags hanging from the walls.

The source would only say that they received the photo from a friend.

At least one person who did attend the event has called it harmless.

Jon Boorom is the owner of the Lakeville Barbers and a member of a WWII Historical Re-enactment Society Inc.. He admitted to attending the dinner in December and compared it to 'a Star Trek convention but for WWII enthusiasts.'

'All of the German [re-enactment] groups in Minnesota have a Christmas party because we don't typically have events going on in the winter,' Boorom says. 'It's just like any club that has a party. Because they dress up like Germans from World War II, it's cool to go to a German restaurant, eat German food, and drink German beer.'

VIA Daily Mail