Miss Germany is a national beauty pageant in Germany. The contest was held for the first time in 1927.
History
In the past there were several organisations which claimed the title: In the 1920s already, German jurisdiction decided that the title Miss Germany could not be patented or registered, thus everybody was allowed to run a contest and name the winner Miss Germany. A similar decision followed in 1982. This resulted in having two titleholders in some years (as in 1928, 1931, 1953 and 1982), elected by different associations. In 1953, the new organiser and main sponsor of the pageant, the Opal stocking industries, acquired the international franchises for Miss Europe, Miss World, and Miss Universe and built up a kind of monopoly: Other promoters could not delegate their winners to international competitions, thus such rival contests became unattractive. The election of Heidi Krüger by the daily newspaper Hamburger Morgenpost remained an exception for many years.
During the National Socialist era there were held no beauty contests. The Nazi government prohibited them as a "Jewish-Bolshevik decadence", and instead of them publicised the election of (local) Harvest, Bloom, and Wine Queens. The government forbade Charlotte Hartmann the participation in the Miss Europe contest in Paris, France. She had been elected Miss Germany a few days before the beginning of the Nazi rule, and secretly took part in the pageant, nevertheless. In substitution, the Saar Territory which was governed by the League of Nations chose a Miss, which was allowed to travel to international competitions.
In the GDR, beauty pageants were also forbidden as "degradation and exploitation of the woman by capitalism". Nevertheless, in the Eastern part of Berlin there were held some contests, camouflaged as culture-evenings, in the second half of the 1980s. The winners received a cake and a bouquet as a prize. In 1990, the MGC (see above) held the only official election for Miss DDR. The winner, Leticia Koffke, became the first all-German Miss Germany a few months later.
In some years, no national contests were held: The German delegates for international pageants were hand-picked out of the regional winners, without a final. So it happened from 1972 to 1978. In 1971, the term of Irene Neumann was even extended for another year.
After the bankruptcy of the Opal company, a period of decline followed. There were no financially strong sponsors. Members of the Revolution of 1968 and feminists mobilized against the "meat-inspects". Public interest diminished. Influential organisers became not active before the end of the 1970s. The international franchises held by Opal became vacant. In 1979, Miss Germany was elected live in the German television for the first time. It was not until 1982 that the first rival contest was held again after a long interval.
Since 1985, at least two organisations run rival pageants:
- The MGC (Miss Germany Corporation, Oldenburg) of Horst Klemmer, compère in preliminaries and finals of the 1960s, together with his son Ralf, send their winners to the Miss World and Queen of the World pageants. After an unsuccessful lawsuit of event-manager Erich Reindl in 1982, neither MGC nor another promoter can claim protection of the title. Not before 1999, MGC succeed in having registered Miss Germany as a trade mark at the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market in Alicante (Spain), and secure the exclusive rights. From 2000 on, other organisers have to pick up other titles – not only for the pageants, but also for their companies‘ names. In addition to Miss Germany, MGC temporarily held also Miss World Germany, German Miss World, Queen of Germany, and Beauty Queen of Germany. Moreover, there are contests for Misses Germany and Mister Germany and Miss Germany 50 plus. In 2010, it acquired the Miss Earth license -where the Miss Germany winner will take part.
- The Miss Germany Company holds beauty pageants from 1985 to 1991: Miss Europe 1991 – Susanne Petry – came there. Not much is known about this company, besides the names of their winners. The company possibly is a predecessor of MGA.
- In 1991, the MGA (Miss Germany Association, Bergheim near Cologne) of Detlef Tursies run a Miss Germany pageant for the first time. The winners participate in Miss Universe, Miss International, Miss Europe, and Miss Intercontinental. In 1999, MGA transforms into MGO (Miss Germany Organisation). From 2000, they award the title Miss Deutschland, and change their name again: MGO - Komitee Miss Deutschland. Furthermore, they hold the international franchises as mentioned above.
- A short time before the title gains exclusivity, the situation becomes most unclear: In 1999, a third Miss Germany appears – Yvonne Wölke from Berlin. In autumn of 1999, two other organisations chose their titleholders for the year 2000 – Model of Germany Productions in Mainz-Kastel (= Miss Germany No. 4), and the MGF (Miss Germany Foundation, Barby) in Magdeburg, who awards the title Miss Millennium Deutschland (from 2001, Princess of Germany).
Winners
1927-1933
![](../I/m/Bundesarchiv_Bild_146-1977-062-16%2C_Berlin%2C_Wahl_Sch%C3%B6nheitsk%C3%B6nigin.jpg)
Hildegard Quandt as first Miss Germany, 1927
Year |
Name |
Site of election |
1927 |
Hildegard Quandt |
Berlin |
1928 |
Hella Hoffmann |
Berlin |
1928 |
Margarete Grow |
Berlin |
1929 |
Elisabeth Rodzyn |
Berlin |
1930 |
Dorit Nitykowski |
Berlin |
1931 |
Ruth Ingrid Richard |
Berlin |
1931 |
Daisy d’Ora |
Berlin |
1932 |
Liselotte de Booy-Schulze |
Berlin |
1933 |
Charlotte Hartmann |
Berlin |
Notes: Daisy d’Ora was a pseudonym. The real name of the 1931 winner was Daisy, Baronesse von Freyberg. – In 1935, Elisabeth Pitz from Saarbrücken participated in the Miss Europe Pageant in Paris as last German delegate before World War II. But she was not Miss Germany.
1949 to 1984
Year |
Name |
Qualified as |
Site of election |
Placement |
Notes |
1949 |
Inge Löwenstein |
Miss Stuttgart |
Bad Homburg |
|
|
1950 |
Susanne Erichsen |
Miss Schleswig-Holstein |
Baden-Baden |
|
|
1951 |
Vera Marks |
? |
Baden-Baden |
|
|
1952 |
Renate Hoy |
? |
Baden-Baden |
|
|
1953 |
Christel Schaack |
Miss Berlin |
Wiesbaden |
|
Miss Europe 1954 |
1953/54 |
Heidi Krüger |
? |
Hamburg |
|
|
1954 |
Regina Ernst |
Miss Bremen |
Baden-Baden |
|
|
1955 |
Margit Nünke |
Miss Nordrhein-Westfalen |
Baden-Baden |
|
Miss Europe 1956 |
1956 |
Marina Orschel |
Miss Berlin |
Baden-Baden |
|
|
1957 |
Gerti Daub |
Miss Hamburg |
Baden-Baden |
|
Miss Universe loss caused near riot |
1958 |
Marlies Behrens |
Miss Bayern |
Baden-Baden |
|
|
1959 |
Carmela Künzel |
Miss Berlin |
Baden-Baden |
|
|
1960 |
Ingrun Helgard Moeckel |
Miss Rheinland |
Baden-Baden |
|
Miss Europe 1961 |
1961 |
Marlene Schmidt |
Miss Baden-Württemberg |
Baden-Baden |
Miss Universe 1961 |
|
1962 |
Gisela Karschuck |
Miss Hessen |
Travemünde |
|
|
1963 |
Helga Carla Ziesemer |
Miss Bayern |
Travemünde |
|
|
1964 |
Martina Kettler |
Miss Berlin |
Berlin |
|
|
1965 |
Ingrid Bethke |
Miss Nordrhein-Westfalen |
Berlin |
|
|
1966 |
Marion Heinrich |
Miss Nordrhein-Westfalen |
Berlin |
|
|
1967 |
Fee von Zitzewitz |
Miss Schleswig-Holstein |
Berlin |
|
|
1968 |
Lilian Atterer |
Miss Bayern |
Munich |
|
|
1969 |
Gesine Froese |
Miss Bayern |
Munich |
|
|
1970 |
Irene Neumann |
? |
San Juan (Puerto Rico) |
|
|
1971 |
Irene Neumann |
— |
term extended without election |
|
|
1972 |
Heidi Weber |
Miss Bayern |
appointed without election |
|
|
1973 |
Ingeborg Martin |
? |
Munich |
|
|
1974 |
Monja Bageritz |
Miss Rheinland |
appointed without election |
|
|
1975 |
Marina Langner |
? |
appointed without election |
|
|
1976 |
Monika Schneeweis |
? |
Baden-Baden |
|
|
1977 |
Dagmar Winkler |
Miss Bayern |
Baden-Baden |
|
|
1978 |
Monika Greis |
Miss Süddeutschland |
appointed without election |
|
|
1979 |
Andrea Hontschik |
Miss Berlin |
Bremen, Studio Radio Bremen (1) |
|
|
1980 |
Gabriella Brum |
Miss Berlin |
Berlin |
Winner at Miss World 1980 |
Resigned 18 hours after winning the Miss World title. |
1981 |
Marion Kurz |
Miss Bayern |
Munich |
|
|
1982 |
Kerstin Paeserack |
Miss Niedersachsen |
Palma de Mallorca (Spain) |
|
|
1982 |
Monika Baier |
? |
Nuremberg |
|
|
1983 |
Angela Michel |
Miss Franken |
Augsburg |
|
|
1983 |
Loana Radecki |
Miss Berlin |
Badgastein (Austria) |
|
|
1984 |
Brigitte Berx |
Miss Nordrhein-Westfalen |
Bad Mondorf (Luxembourg) |
|
|
Note: (1) In 1979, the Miss Germany election was broadcast live on German TV for the first time.
From 1985 : MGC - Miss Germany Corporation GmbH (Oldenburg)
Year |
Name |
Qualified as |
Site of election |
Placement |
Notes |
1985/86 |
Patricia Patek |
Miss Hessen |
Wangerooge |
|
|
1986/87 |
Anja Hörnich |
Miss Saarland |
Oberstdorf |
|
|
1987/88 |
Susann Stoss |
Miss Rheinland-Pfalz |
Bonn - Bad Godesberg |
|
Queen of the World 1988 |
1988/89 |
Nicole Reinhardt |
Miss Baden-Württemberg |
Cologne |
|
|
1989/90 |
Claudia Weins |
Miss Nordrhein-Westfalen |
Schwäbisch-Gmünd |
|
|
1990/91 |
Leticia Koffke |
Miss Brandenburg |
Wesseling (near Cologne) |
|
|
1991/92 |
Ines Kuba |
Miss Berlin |
Oldenburg |
|
Queen of the World 1992 |
1992/93 |
Astrid Kuhlmann |
Miss Bayern |
Berlin |
|
|
1993/94 |
Cornelia Oehlmann |
Miss Baden-Württemberg |
Hanover |
|
|
1994/95 |
Beate Almer |
Miss Bayern |
Cologne |
|
|
1996 |
Yasemine Mansoor |
Miss Berlin |
Berlin |
|
Queen of the World 1996 |
1997 |
Sabrina Paradies |
Miss Norddeutschland |
Berlin |
|
|
1998 |
Michalina Koscielniak |
Miss LR-Kosmetik |
Berlin |
|
|
1999 |
Alexandra Phillips |
Miss Süddeutschland |
Berlin |
|
|
2000 |
Sandra Hoffmann |
Miss Mitteldeutschland |
Berlin |
|
|
2001 |
Mirjana Bogojevic |
Miss Hamburg |
Berlin |
|
|
2002 |
Katrin Wrobel |
Miss Berlin |
Berlin |
|
|
2003 |
Babett Konau |
Miss Schleswig-Holstein |
Rust |
|
|
2004 |
Claudia Hein |
Miss Nordrhein-Westfalen |
Rust |
|
|
2005 |
Antonia Schmitz |
Miss Nordrhein-Westfalen |
Rust |
|
|
2006 |
Isabelle Knispel |
Miss Berlin |
Rust |
|
|
2007 |
Nelly Marie Bojahr |
Miss T-Online |
Rust |
|
|
2008 |
Kim-Valerie Voigt |
Miss Norddeutschland |
Rust |
|
|
2009 |
Doris Schmidts |
Miss Baden-Württemberg |
Rust |
|
|
2010 |
Anne Julia Hagen |
Miss Berlin |
Rust |
|
|
2011 |
Anne-Kathrin Kosch |
Miss Thüringen |
Rust |
|
|
2012 |
Isabel Gülck |
Miss Schleswig-Holstein |
Rust |
|
|
2013 |
Caroline Noeding[1] |
Miss Niedersachsen |
Rust |
|
|
2014 |
Vivien Konca |
Miss Nordrhein-Westfalen |
Rust |
|
|
1985-1991 : Miss Germany Company
Year |
Name |
Qualified as |
Placement |
Notes |
1985 |
Anke Symkowitz |
Miss Baden-Württemberg |
|
|
1986 |
Birgit Jahn |
Miss Bayern |
|
|
1986/87 |
Dagmar Schulz |
Miss Nordrhein-Westfalen |
|
|
1987/88 |
Christiane Kopp |
Miss Berlin |
|
|
1988/89 |
Andrea Stelzer |
Miss Bayern |
|
|
1989/90 |
Christiane Stöcker |
Miss Hessen |
|
|
1990/91 |
Susanne Petry |
Miss Saarland |
|
Miss Intercontinental 1992; Miss Europe 1991 |
1991/92 |
Monika Resch |
Miss Thüringen |
|
|
1991-1999 : MGA - Miss Germany Association GmbH (Bergheim near Cologne)
Year |
Name |
Qualified as |
Site of election |
Placement |
Notes |
1989/90 |
Marion Winz |
Miss Nordrhein-Westfalen |
Kaarst |
|
|
1991 |
Petra Hack |
Miss Nordrhein-Westfalen |
Bielefeld |
|
|
1992 | Diana Leisgen | Miss Nordrhein-Westfalen | Dresden |
|
|
Meike Schwarz | Miss Saarland |
|
|
1993 |
Verona Feldbusch |
Miss Hamburg |
Bremen |
|
Miss Intercontinental 1993 |
1994 |
Tanja Wild |
Miss Baden-Württemberg |
Chemnitz |
|
|
1995 |
Ilka Endres |
Miss Rheinland-Pfalz |
Trier |
|
|
1996 |
Miriam Ruppert |
Miss Arabella TV |
Trier |
|
|
1997 |
Nadine Schmidt |
Miss Rheinland-Pfalz |
Trier |
|
|
1998 |
Katharina Mainka |
Miss Rheinland-Pfalz |
Trier |
|
|
1999 |
Diana Drubig |
Miss Sachsen |
Trier |
|
|
1999/2000 : other organisers
Year |
Name |
Site of election |
Company |
1999 |
Yvonne Wölke |
Berlin |
Rolf Eden |
2000 |
Sonja Strobl |
Mainz-Kastel |
Model of Germany Productions |
Notes: Yvonne Wölke became Miss Berlin and participated in Miss Deutschland in 2002. – The pageant and the title of Model of Germany Productions later had to be renamed Model of Germany.
Pageants with other names
From the following competitions, certainly, only Miss Deutschland is of importance. In the inland it does not have the same prestige as Miss Germany, but compensates this, as the election always takes place (and is announced in the media) some weeks before. One can estimate the international presence of the organization by the four assigned titles for 2006.
For the other contests there are no complete data available. Also it is not always known whether they still exist. They are only shown here in order to obtain an impression how unclear the situation still is, although there is only one Miss Germany since 2000.
Miss Deutschland from 2000 : MGO - Komitee Miss Deutschland (Bergheim near Cologne)
Year |
Name |
Qualified as |
Site of election |
Placement |
Notes |
2000 |
Sabrina Schepmann |
Miss Ostdeutschland |
Kaiserslautern |
14th place at Miss Universe 2000 |
Miss Intercontinental 2000 |
2001 |
Claudia Bechstein |
Miss Thüringen |
Kaiserslautern |
|
|
2002 |
Natascha Börger |
Miss Hamburg |
Kaiserslautern |
Top 10 (6th place) at Miss Universe 2002 |
|
2003 |
Alexandra Vodjanikova |
Miss Bayern |
Bielefeld |
|
|
2004 |
Shermine Shahrivar [Sharivar] |
Miss Süddeutschland |
Duisburg |
|
Miss Europe 2005 |
2005 |
Asli Bayram |
Miss Nordrhein-Westfalen |
Aachen |
|
|
2006 |
Daniela Domröse |
Miss Bayern |
Krefeld |
|
|
2007 |
Svetlana Tsys |
Miss Ostdeutschland |
Hurghada (Egypt) |
|
|
2008 |
Janice Behrendt |
Herford |
Dortmund |
|
|
Model of Germany from 2000 : Model of Germany Productions (Stuttgart)
Year |
Name |
Qualified as |
Site of election |
2000 | Sonja Strobl | Saarland Model | Mainz-Kastel |
Anja Schröder | Niedersachsen Model |
2001 |
Slata Hellmann |
Thüringen Model |
Würzburg |
2002 |
Pamela Schneider |
Berlin Model |
Stuttgart |
2003 |
Kristin Wünsche |
Mitteldeutschland Model |
Friedrichshafen |
2004 |
pageant not held |
|
|
2005 |
Yvonne Maier |
Baden-Württemberg Model |
Rheinmünster |
2006 |
pageant not held |
|
|
2007 |
Iren Gorich |
Baden-Württemberg Model |
? |
Note: The first pageant was held in the end of 1999 under the title of Miss Germany, but later had to be renamed.
Miss World Germany: MGC
Year |
Name |
Qualified as |
Site of election |
1992 |
Carina Jope |
Miss Hessen World |
? |
1993 |
Petra Klein |
Miss Rheinland-Pfalz World |
? |
1994 |
Marte Helberg |
Miss Hamburg World |
? |
1995 |
Isabell Brauer |
Miss Baden-Württemberg World |
Köln |
1996 |
Melanie Ernst |
Miss Baden-Württemberg World |
Köln |
1997 |
Katja Glawe |
Miss Berlin World |
Berlin |
1998 |
Sandra Ahrabian |
Miss Bayern World (?) |
Mannheim |
1999 |
Susan Hoecke |
Miss Berlin World |
München |
German Miss World: MGC
Year |
Name |
Qualified as |
Site of election |
2000/01 |
Natascha Berg |
Miss Hessen World |
Hannover |
2001/02 |
Adina Wilhelmi |
Miss Süddeutschland World |
Hannover |
Miss World Deutschland
Year |
Name |
Qualified as |
Site of election |
2008 |
Anne Katrin Walter |
Kiel |
Erfurt |
2009 |
Alessandra Alores |
Köln |
Moers |
Beauty Queen of Germany: MGC
Year |
Name |
2000 |
Agnes Glowacki |
Beauty-Queen of Germany: BQOG-Management
Year |
Name |
2004/05 |
Nadine Trompka |
Queen of Germany: MGC
Year |
Name |
Qualified as |
Site of election |
1999 |
Julienne Grötsch |
Queen of Thüringen |
Rothenburg ob der Tauber |
2000 |
pageant not held |
2001 |
Pamela Jones |
? |
Bamberg [2][3] |
2002 |
Claudia Grohmann |
? |
Bamberg |
2003 |
Melanie Eder |
Queen of Bayern (?) |
München |
2004 |
Ann-Cathrin Schmidt |
Queen of Sachsen-Anhalt (?) |
Berlin |
Miss Germany 50 plus: From 2012 by MGC - Miss Germany Corporation GmbH
Year |
Name |
Qualified as |
Site of election |
2012/13 |
Christine Wache |
Miss Germany 50 plus 2012 |
Berlin |
2014 |
Monika Roemer Emich |
Miss Germany 50 plus 2014 |
Flein |
2015 |
Kerstin Marie Huth Rauscher ? |
Miss Germany 50 plus 2015 |
Frankfurt |
2016 |
Martina Selke |
Miss Germany 50 plus 2016 |
Hessen |
Queen of Germany: QGE - Queen of Germany Entertainment (Neuhardenberg, near Frankfurt/Oder)
Year |
Name |
Qualified as |
Site of election |
2000 |
Yvetta Leogrande |
Queen of Niedersachsen |
TV-Studio Sat.1 |
2001-04 |
? |
2005 |
Stephanie Schießl |
Queen of Bayern |
? |
2006 |
Alis Scharkoi |
Queen of Berlin |
Weimar Atrium |
2007 |
Katrin Schwarz |
Queen of Niedersachsen |
Duisburg |
Miss Millennium Deutschland: MGF - Miss Germany Foundation (Barby, Sachsen-Anhalt)
Year |
Name |
2000 |
Nadin Becker |
Year |
Name |
Qualified as |
Site of election |
2001 |
Mirjana Bogojevic |
? |
Halle |
2002 |
Nicole Kratochvil |
Princess of Niedersachsen |
Halle |
2003 |
Katrin Reimann ? |
? |
? |
2004 |
Josephina Balasus |
Princess of Sachsen-Anhalt |
Leipzig |
Princess Entertainment is successor of MGF (renamed because the title Miss Germany must not be used any longer). – The pageants concentrate on the new (eastern) lands of the Federal Republic.
Note: Mirjana Bogojevic had been elected also as Miss Germany of MGC in 2001.
Top Model of Germany: MGA/MGO Komitee Miss Deutschland (Bergheim near Cologne)
Top Model of Germany: Yet-Set Corporation (Cologne)
Year |
Name |
2001 |
Daniela Dürr |
2002-04 |
? |
2005 |
Sarah Zöllner |
This pageant was promoted by MGA and MGO from 1993 to 2000. In 2001, Yet-Set Corporation in Cologne claims title protection (Titelschutz) according to German law (§ 5 Abs. 3 MarkenG).
Model of the World Germany
Year |
Name |
Qualified as |
Site of election |
2001 | Karin Gillich | Model of the World Bayern | Ulm |
2002 | Evelina Janke | Model of the World Bremen | München |
2003 | Stephanie Thier | Model of the World Bayern | Wiesbaden |
2004 | Daniela Domröse | Model of the World Süddeutschland | Neunkirchen |
2005/06 | Hana Nitsche | Model of the World Rheinland-Pfalz | Regensburg |
2007 | Natalie Sulianto | Model of the World Mitteldeutschland | München |
2008 | Sandra Klinker | Model of the World Bremen | München |
Miss Millennium Deutschland: MGF - Miss Germany Foundation (Barby, Sachsen-Anhalt)
Year |
Name |
2000 |
Nadin Becker |
Miss Allemagne: Yet-Set Corporation (Cologne)
For this pageant Yet-Set Corporation in Cologne also claims title protection in 2001. For winners' names there are contradictory information: In 2001, both Jennifer Dietrich and Eileen Bali are named. In 2003, the pageant happened in Kiel (winner unknown). It seems to have been the last edition.
Miss pageants in the GDR
Miss DDR and predecessors (1986-1988 private events, 1990 MGC)
Year |
Name |
Site of election |
Title |
1986 |
Katrin Gawenda |
Berlin |
Miss Frühling (Miss Spring) |
1987 |
Cornelia Franzke |
Berlin |
Miss Frühling (Miss Spring) |
1988 |
Gabi Kirmihs |
Berlin |
Miss Sommer (Miss Summer) |
1990 |
Leticia Koffke |
Schwerin |
Miss DDR (Miss GDR) |
Note: Leticia Koffke later became Miss Germany for united Germany.
Titles at major international competitions
Miss World
- 1956 : Petra Schürmann (ranked only third in Miss Germany pageant, but was delegated to Miss World because of her better knowledge of English)
- 1980 : Gabriella Brum (resigned the day after her election as Miss World)
Miss Universe
Miss International
Miss Europe
- 1954 : Christel Schaack (disqualified for being a widow)
- 1956 : Margit Nünke
- 1961 : Ingrun Helgard Moeckel
- 1965 : Juliane Herm
- 1972 : Monika Sarp
- 1991 : Susanne Petry (later disqualified)
- 2005 : Shermine Shahrivar (is not Miss Germany but Miss Deutschland)
See also
References
- Veit Didczuneit, Dirk Külow: Miss Germany. Die deutsche Schönheitskönigin. S & L MedienContor, Hamburg, 1998; ISBN 3-931962-94-6 (German)
- Former Website of MGA - Miss Germany Association: http://www. missgermany. cmsonline. de (German)
External links
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Sovereign states | |
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States with limited recognition |
- Abkhazia
- Kosovo
- Nagorno-Karabakh
- Northern Cyprus
- South Ossetia
- Transnistria
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Dependencies and other territories |
- Åland
- Faroe Islands
- Gibraltar
- Guernsey
- Isle of Man
- Jersey
- Svalbard
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Active (1951–present) | |
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Inactive | |
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