  We have grown single crystals of YbFe6Ge6 and LuFe6Ge6 and characterized
their anisotropic behaviour through low field magnetic susceptibility,
field-dependent magnetization, resistivity and heat capacity measurements. The
Yb+3 valency is confirmed by LIII XANES measurements. YbFe6Ge6 crystals exhibit
a field-dependent, sudden reorientation of the Fe spins at about 63 K, a unique
effect in the RFe6Ge6 family (R = rare earths) where the Fe ions order
anti-ferromagnetically with Neel temperatures above 450 K and the R ions'
magnetism appears to behave independently. The possible origins of this unusual
behaviour of the ordered Fe moments in this compound are discussed.
