Sausage buffet row overshadows German car company Daimler's AGM

'We either need more sausages or we get rid of them altogether'

Daimler provided 12,500 sausages for the event (Wikipedia/Kobako)

An annual company meeting for shareholders in automotive company Daimler was overshadowed by a row which broke out over sausages.

The row over a plate of Saitenwürschtle led to the police being called to the Berlin venue.

It began when a shareholder reportedly began to help himself to a plate of the traditional saitenwürschtle sausages, which are similar to frankfurters. He began to wrap up several in napkins to take home.

However, he was reprimanded by a female shareholder, who believed he was helping himself to more than his fair share.

An argument ensued, which quickly escalated into a vigorous shouting match.

Commentators in Foreign Policy magazine pointed out the sausage-snatcher was caught in a very German moment of Erklärungsnot – “the exact moment you are caught with your hand in the cookie jar and forced to explain yourself with only a split second to think.”

It appears the woman did not make much of his reply, and she filed a complaint for slander.

The board chairman of Daimler, who own the Mercedes and Smart brands, Manfred Bischoff, said of the incident: “We either need more sausages or we get rid of them altogether.”

The company later tweeted an image of frankfurters after the event, captioned "Stay hungry! We know more still needs to be done."

There were 12,500 sausages shared at the event, which 5,500 people attended, equating to less than three sausages per person.

However, wraps, bread rolls and potato soup and potato salad were also served alongside the saitenwürschtle.

The incident garnered poor publicity for an event which should have had more positive overtones, given it saw the announcement of Daimler's highest shareholder dividend in the history of the company.

Dividends are now worth €3.25 per share, amounting to a total distribution of €3.477 million.