Mister Germany 2019 is crowned

After a tight race with contestants all across the country, 27-year-old Sasha Sasse took home the title of "Mister Germany 2019" at an event on Saturday night.

Sasse, who hails from the eastern city of Leipzig, said he was "unbelievably happy" after receiving the coveted Mister Germany winner's sash.

"I still cannot believe it," Sasse said smiling in an Instagram story during the event. The 1.85-meter (6-foot) sports and fitness administrator works as a stylist and a model.

Sasse donned a vibrant red suit coat for the final portion of judging, setting himself apart from the other finalists who chose darker jackets, reported news agency DPA.

Besides taking home the title, he was also awarded a designer bed worth up to €5,000 ($5,690) as well as designer clothes worth €2,000.

25th 'Mister Germany'

This year marked the 25-year anniversary of the Mister Germany contest, which was narrowed down to 16 regional finalists from 1,112 applicants.

Second place went to Soabre Ouattara, a 27-year-old chef with Ghanaian roots, from the northern town of Lübeck. Third place went to 20-year-old dentistry student Alexander Speiser from Karlsruhe, who was the youngest finalist.

All of the final 16 contestants were flown to a resort in Egypt on the Red Sea for a training camp to learn choreography for their final performance, as well as take part in photoshoots and workshops on cultivating their media presence and social media accounts.

Controversy over past winner

Although most Mister Germany winners tend to avoid controversy, at least one prior winner has run into legal issues in recent years.

Adrian Ursache, who won Mister Germany in 1998, is currently on trial for attempted murder after opening fire on police officers during a raid on his property in 2016.

Ursache is believed to be part of the Reichsbürger (Citizens of the Reich) movement — an amalgamation of subgroups that do not recognize the German government and believe that the borders of the German Reich, which ended after World War II, still exists today.