# Scientific plagiarism in Germany

Scientific plagiarism in Germany became widely discussed during the Guttenberg plagiarism scandal, which has led to other, mostly doctoral, dissertations being scrutinised. Initially focused on the dissertations of notable persons submitted at German institutions, non-doctoral works in languages other than German submitted at institutions outside Germany have since also been scrutinised.
This scrutiny has found extensive plagiarism in the work of several notable persons, including cabinet members, and in a significant number of cases – but not all – their academic degree has been rescinded. As of 2024, the German VroniPlag Wiki has, since it started in 2011, published the plagiarism found in over 200 works; in at least 90 of these cases the academic degree was rescinded. Each year, about 30,000 doctorates are completed in Germany.
However, academic misconduct has been a topic in Germany for centuries, especially at the doctoral level since one of the rights and privileges that come with an academic degree at this level is the title of doctor. In Germany, this title has been regarded since the 16th century "almost equal to a noble title." While the legal privileges of royalty and nobility were abolished in Germany in 1919 following the German revolution and proclamation of the republic at the end of World War I, hereditary titles continue to form part of surnames that continue to be protected by law, the wealth and power of formerly royal and noble families has remained, and German media continues to treat royal and noble persons is if it had never been abolished. Therefore obtaining the title of doctor equates to a significant rise in social status in Germany and thus motivation for doing so, with the achievement itself seemingly less important than the title. When accusations of plagiarism first emerged, Guttenberg volunteered to stop using the title, and when the doctorate was rescinded leading to loss of privilege to use the title, German media focused on the loss of title rather than the academic degree as a recognition of effort and achievement.

## Notable cases

| Author | Profession | Dissertation | Year of Work | University | Sanction | Year of Sanction |
| Jorgo Chatzimarkakis | Politician | Informationeller Globalismus: Kooperationsmodell globaler Ordnungspolitik am Beispiel des Elektronischen Geschäftsverkehrs | 2000 | University of Bonn | Degree rescinded | 2011 |
| Bijan Djir-Sarai | Politician | Ökologische Modernisierung der PVC-Branche in Deutschland | 2008 | University of Cologne | Degree rescinded | 2012 |
| Klaus Goehrmann [de] | Manager | Beitrag zum technologisch-wirtschaftlichen Vergleich des gepulsten zum kontinuierlichen Laserstrahlschweißen | 2010 | Clausthal University of Technology | Degree rescinded | 2014 |
| Jürgen Goldschmidt [de] | Politician | Management des Stadtumbaus unter Berücksichtigung der städtebaurechtlichen Rahmenbedingungen | 2009 | Technische Universität Berlin | Degree surrendered | 2013 |
| Florian Graf [de ] | Politician | Der Entwicklungsprozess einer Oppositionspartei nach dem abrupten Ende langjähriger Regierungsverantwortung am Beispiel der Christlich Demokratischen Union (CDU) in der Hauptstadt Berlin während der 15. Wahlperiode (2001–2006) | 2010 | University of Potsdam | Degree rescinded | 2012 |
| Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg | Politician | Verfassung und Verfassungsvertrag: Konstitutionelle Entwicklungsstufen in den USA und der EU | 2006 | University of Bayreuth | Degree rescinded | 2011 |
| Andreas Kasper [de] | Lawyer and politician | Sozialsponsoring: Eine rechtliche Bewertung unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des Sponsorings kirchlicher Werke und Einrichtungen | 2004 | University of Göttingen | Degree rescinded | 2010 |
| Sarah Sophie Koch [de] | TV actor | Mentalisierungsfähigkeit der Mutter und kindliche Bindung | 2011 | University of Düsseldorf | Degree rescinded | 2015 |
| Silvana Koch-Mehrin | Politician | Historische Währungsunion zwischen Wirtschaft und Politik: Die Lateinische Münzunion 1865–1927 | 2000 | Heidelberg University | Degree rescinded | 2011 |
| Jakob Kreidl [de] | Politician | Der Kosovo-Konflikt: Vorgeschichte, Verlauf und Perspektiven. Zur Stabilisierung einer Krisenregion | 2005 | Bundeswehr University Munich | Degree rescinded | 2013 |
| Ursula von der Leyen | Politician | C-reaktives Protein als diagnostischer Parameter zur Erfassung eines Amnioninfektionssyndroms bei vorzeitigem Blasensprung und therapeutischem Entspannungsbad in der Geburtsvorbereitung | 1991 | Hannover Medical School | University found plagiarism, but also found it acceptable at that university | 2015 |
| Margarita Mathiopoulos [de] | Entrepreneur and publisher | Geschichte und Fortschritt im Denken Amerikas: Ein europäisch-amerikanischer Vergleich | 1986 | University of Bonn | Degree rescinded | 2012 |
| Friedrich Wilhelm von Preußen [de ] | Historian | Die Reichsgründung 1870/71 im Spiegel neutraler Pressestimmen | 1971 | University of Erlangen–Nuremberg | Degree rescinded | 1973 |
| Matthias Pröfrock [de] | Lawyer and politician | Energieversorgungssicherheit im Recht der Europäischen Union/ Europäischen Gemeinschaften | 2007 | University of Tübingen | Degree rescinded | 2011 |
| Annette Schavan | Politician | Person und Gewissen: Studien zu Voraussetzungen, Notwendigkeit und Erfordernissen heutiger Gewissensbildung. | 1980 | University of Düsseldorf | Degree rescinded | 2013 |
| Anette Seelinger [de] | Artist and teacher | Ästhetische Konstellationen: Zur Konzeption kritisch-ästhetischer Bildung in der medien-technologischen Gesellschaft | 2000 | Technische Universität Darmstadt | Degree rescinded | 2011 |
| Daniel Volk [de] | Politician | Die Begrenzung kriegerischer Konflikte durch das moderne Völkerrecht | 2004 | University of Würzburg | University found plagiarism but also found it acceptable at that university | 2013 |