Miss Germany Explained

Miss Germany Corporation
Type:Beauty pageant
Headquarters:Berlin
Location:Germany
Membership:Miss Universe
(Miss Germany 1952–1999)
(Miss Deutschland 2000–2008)
Miss World
(1952–1992)
Miss International
(1960–2014)
Miss Europe
(1927–2006)
Language:German
Leader Title:CEO
Leader Name:Horst Klemmer
(1960–present)
Num Staff:4

Miss Germany is a national beauty pageant in Germany. The contest was held for the first time in 1927. Since 2020 it is used to honour women with special achievements.

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 no beauty contests. The Nazi government prohibited them as "Jewish-Bolshevik decadence", and instead of them publicised the election of (local) Harvest, Bloom, and Wine Queens. The government forbade Charlotte Hartmann from taking part 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. However, the Saar Territory which was governed by the League of Nations chose a Miss, who 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 some contests were held, 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 following reunification.

In some years, no national contests were held: the German delegates for international pageants were handpicked from the regional winners, without a final, as 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:

Titleholders

1927–1933

YearMiss GermanySite of Election
1927Hildegard Quandt†Berlin
1928Hella Hoffmann†Berlin
1928Margarete Grow†Berlin
1929Elisabeth Rodzyn†Berlin
1930Dorit Nitykowski†Berlin
1931Ruth Ingrid Richard†Berlin
1931Daisy D'oraBerlin
1932Liselotte de Booy-Schulze†Berlin
1933Charlotte 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.

1949–1984

YearMiss GermanyRegional TitleholderSite of ElectionPlacementNotes
1949Inge LöwensteinMiss Stuttgart Bad Homburg-
1950Susanne Erichsen Miss Schleswig-Holstein Baden-Baden-
1951Vera Marks? Baden-Baden-
1952Renate Hoy? Baden-BadenFourth Runner-up
Miss Universe 1952
1953Christel Schaack† Miss BerlinWiesbadenTop 16
Miss Universe 1953
1953/54Heidi Krüger? Hamburg
1954Regina Ernst Miss Bremen Baden-BadenThird Runner-up
Miss Universe 1954
1955Margit Nünke Miss Nordrhein-Westfalen Baden-BadenThird Runner-up
Miss Universe 1955
1956Marina Orschel Miss Berlin Baden-BadenFirst Runner-up & Miss Photogenic
Miss Universe 1956
1957Gerti Daub Miss Hamburg Baden-BadenFourth Runner-up & Miss Photogenic
Miss Universe 1957
1958Marlies Behrens Miss Bayern Baden-BadenTop 15
Miss Universe 1958
1959Carmela Künzel Miss Berlin Baden-BadenTop 15
Miss Universe 1959
1960Ingrun Helgard Moeckel Miss Rheinland Baden-BadenTop 15
Miss Universe 1960
1961Marlene Schmidt Miss Baden-Württemberg Baden-BadenMiss Universe 1961
1962Gisela Karschuck Miss Hessen TravemündeUnplaced
Miss Universe 1962
1963Helga Carla Ziesemer Miss Bayern TravemündeTop 15
Miss Universe 1963
1964Martina Kettler Miss Berlin BerlinUnplaced
Miss Universe 1964
1965Ingrid Bethke Miss Nordrhein-Westfalen BerlinMiss Congeniality
Miss Universe 1965
1966Marion Heinrich Miss Nordrhein-Westfalen BerlinTop 15
Miss Universe 1966
1967Fee von Zitzewitz† Miss Schleswig-Holstein BerlinUnplaced
Miss Universe 1967
1968Lilian Atterer Miss Bayern MunichUnplaced
Miss Universe 1968
1969Gesine Froese Miss Bayern MunichUnplaced
Miss Universe 1969
1970Irene Neumann? San Juan (Puerto Rico)Unplaced
Miss Universe 1970
1971Irene Neumannterm extended without election -
1972Heidi Weber Miss Bayern appointed without electionTop 12
Miss Universe 1972
1973Ingeborg Martin? Munich Top 15
Miss International 1973
1974Monja Bageritz Miss Rheinland appointed without election-
1975Marina Langner? appointed without election First Runner-up
Miss World 1975
1976Monika Schneeweis†? Baden-BadenUnplaced
Miss World 1976
1977Dagmar Winkler Miss Bayern Baden-BadenSecond Runner-up & Miss Photogenic
Miss World 1977
First Runner-up
Miss International 1977
First Runner-up
Miss Europe 1978/1977
1978Monika Greis Miss Süddeutschland appointed without election Unplaced
Miss World 1978
1979Andrea Hontschik† Miss Berlin Bremen, Studio Radio Bremen (1)Top 12
Miss Universe 1979
Top 15
Miss World 1979
1980Gabriella Brum Miss Berlin BerlinMiss World 1980
1981Marion Kurz Miss Bayern MunichTop 12
Miss Universe 1981
1982Kerstin Paeserack Miss Niedersachsen Palma de Mallorca (Spain)Top 12
Miss Universe 1982
1982Monika Baier? Nuremberg-
1983Angela Michel Miss FrankenAugsburg-
1983Loana Radecki Miss Berlin Badgastein (Austria)Top 12
Miss Universe 1983
1984Brigitte Berx Miss Nordrhein-Westfalen Bad Mondorf (Luxembourg)Top 10
Miss Universe 1984
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)

YearMiss GermanyRegional TitleholderSite of ElectionPlacementNotes
1985/86Patricia Patek Miss Hessen WangeroogeMiss Metronational
1986/87Anja Hörnich Miss Saarland Oberstdorf-
1987/88Susann Stoss Miss Rheinland-Pfalz Bonn - Bad GodesbergQueen of the World 1988
1988/89Nicole Reinhardt Miss Baden-Württemberg Cologne-
1989/90Claudia Weins Miss Nordrhein-Westfalen Schwäbisch-Gmünd-
1990/91Leticia Koffke Miss Brandenburg Wesseling (near Cologne)-
1991/92Ines Kuba Miss Berlin OldenburgQueen of the World 1992
1992/93Astrid Kuhlmann Miss Bayern Berlin-
1993/94Cornelia Oehlmann Miss Baden-Württemberg Hanover-
1994/95Beate Almer Miss Bayern Cologne-
1996Yasemine Mansoor Miss Berlin Berlin Queen of the World 1996
1997Sabrina Paradies Miss Norddeutschland Berlin-
1998Michalina Koscielniak Miss LR-Kosmetik Berlin-
1999Alexandra Phillips Miss Süddeutschland Berlin-
2000Sandra Hoffmann Miss Mitteldeutschland Berlin-
2001Mirjana Bogojevic Miss Hamburg Berlin-
2002Katrin Wrobel Miss Berlin Berlin-
2003Babett Konau Miss Schleswig-Holstein -
2004Christina Pinel (Miss Germany) Miss Nordrhein-WestfalenRust-
2005Antonia Schmitz Miss Nordrhein-Westfalen Rust-
2006Isabelle Knispel Miss Berlin Rust-
2007Nelly Marie Bojahr Miss T-Online Rust-
2008Kim-Valerie Voigt Miss NorddeutschlandRust-
2009Doris Schmidts Miss Baden-WürttembergRust-
2010Anne Julia Hagen Miss BerlinRust-
2011Anne-Kathrin Kosch Miss ThüringenRust-
2012Isabel Gülck Miss Schleswig-HolsteinRust-
2013Caroline Noeding Miss NiedersachsenRust-
2014Vivien Konca Miss Nordrhein-WestfalenRust-
2015Olga Hoffmann Miss Pearl.tvRust-
2016Lena Bröder Miss WestdeutschlandRust-
2017Soraya Kohlmann Miss SachsenRust-
2018Anahita Rehbein Miss Baden-WürttembergRust-
2019Nadine Berneis Miss Baden-WürttembergRust-
2020Leonie von Hase Miss Schleswig-HolsteinRust-
2021Anja Kallenbach Miss ThüringenRust--
2022Domitila BarrosTBDRust--
2023Kira GeissTBDRustTBDTBD

1985–1991: Miss Germany Company

Miss Germany Company winner was sending to Miss Universe.

YearMiss GermanyRegional TitleholderSite of ElectionPlacementNotes
1985Anke Symkowitz Miss Baden-Württemberg--
1986Birgit Jahn Miss Bayern-Unplaced
Miss Universe 1986
1986/87Dagmar Schulz Miss Nordrhein-Westfalen-Unplaced
Miss Universe 1987
1987/88Christiane Kopp Miss Berlin-Unplaced
Miss Universe 1988
1988/89Andrea Stelzer Miss Bayern-Top 10
Miss Universe 1989
1989/90Christiane Stöcker Miss Hessen- Miss Congeniality
Miss Universe 1990
1990/91 Miss Saarland-Miss Europe 1991
Miss Intercontinental 1992
1991/92Monika Resch Miss Thüringen -Unplaced
Miss Universe 1992

1991–1999: MGA - Miss Germany Association GmbH (Bergheim near Cologne)

Miss Germany Association GmbH winner was sending to Miss Universe.

YearMiss GermanyRegional TitleholderSite of ElectionPlacementNotes
1989/90Marion Winz Miss Nordrhein-WestfalenKaarst-
1991Petra Hack Miss Nordrhein-WestfalenBielefeld-
1992 Miss Nordrhein-Westfalen Dresden-
Miss Saarland Top 15
Miss International 1992
1993Verona Feldbusch Miss Hamburg BremenMiss Intercontinental 1993
1994Tanja Wild Miss Baden-Württemberg ChemnitzUnplaced
Miss Universe 1994
1995Ilka Endres Miss Rheinland-Pfalz TrierUnplaced
Miss Universe 1995
1996Miriam Ruppert Miss Arabella TV TrierUnplaced
Miss Universe 1996
1997Nadine Schmidt Miss Rheinland-Pfalz TrierMiss Baltic Sea 1997
1998Katharina Mainka Miss Rheinland-Pfalz TrierUnplaced
Miss Universe 1983
1999Diana Drubig Miss Sachsen TrierUnplaced
Miss Universe 1999

1999–2000: Other organizers

YearMiss GermanyRegional TitleholderSite of ElectionPlacementNotes
1999BerlinRolf Eden-
2000Mainz-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.

2020: Miss Germany Organisation (Miss Germany Earth)

Miss Deutschland

Miss Deutschland from 2000: MGO/KMD - Komitee Miss Deutschland (Bergheim near Cologne)

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. Since 2009 German representative to Miss Universe has selected from Miss Universe Germany Organization.

YearMiss DeutschlandRegional TitleholderSite of ElectionPlacementNotes
2000Sabrina Schepmann Miss Ostdeutschland KaiserslauternMiss Intercontinental 2000
2001Claudia Bechstein Miss Thüringen KaiserslauternUnplaced
Miss Universe 2001
2002Natascha Börger Miss Hamburg KaiserslauternTop 10
Miss Universe 2002
Top 12
Miss International 2004
2003Alexandra Vodjanikova Miss Bayern BielefeldUnplaced
Miss Universe 2003
2004Shermine Shahrivar [Sharivar] Miss Süddeutschland DuisburgMiss Europe 2005
2005Asli Bayram Miss Nordrhein-WestfalenAachenUnplaced
Miss Universe 2005
2006Daniela Domröse Miss BayernKrefeld-
2007Svetlana Tsys Miss Ostdeutschland Hurghada (Egypt)Unplaced
Miss International 2007
2008Janice Behrendt HerfordDortmund-
2009Alessandra Alores KölnMoers-
2010Zallascht SaddatMiss MGO Süddeutschland Bergheim, North Rhine-WestphaliaMiss Globe 2011
2012Susan HenryMiss MGO HessenHalleUnplaced
Miss Intercontinental 2012
2013Elena SchmidtMiss MGO BerlinBerlinTop 15 & Miss Congeniality
Miss Intercontinental 2013
2014Egzonita AlaMiss MGO SüddeutschlandDortmundUnplaced
Miss World 2014
2015Albjona MuharremajMiss MGO BayernDortmundUnplaced
Miss World 2015
2017Dalila JabriMiss MGO Nordrhein-WestfalenBremenUnplaced
Miss Intercontinental 2017
2018Olivia MöllerMiss MGO Nordrhein-WestfalenBremenTop 20 & Best Evening Gown
Miss Intercontinental 2018
2019Philine Dubiel-HahnMiss MGO OstdeutschlandUnplaced
Miss Intercontinental 2019
2020/2021TBDTBDBornheim, North Rhine-WestphaliaTBDTBD

Miss Universe Deutschland

Model of Germany from 2000: Model of Germany Productions (Stuttgart)

YearModel of GermanyRegional TitleholderSite of Election
2000 Sonja Strobl Saarland Model Mainz-Kastel
Anja Schröder Niedersachsen Model
2001 Thüringen Model Würzburg'
2002 Berlin Model Stuttgart
2003 Mitteldeutschland Model Friedrichshafen
2004pageant not held
2005 Baden-Württemberg Model Rheinmünster
2006pageant not held
2007? 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

1992–1999: Miss World Germany: MGC

YearMiss World GermanyRegional TitleholderSite of ElectionPlacementNotes
1992 Miss Hessen World?Unplaced
Miss World 1992
1993Petra Klein Miss Rheinland-Pfalz World?Unplaced
Miss World 1993
1994Marte Helberg Miss Hamburg World?Unplaced
Miss World 1994
1995 Miss Baden-Württemberg WorldKölnUnplaced
Miss World 1995
1996 Miss Baden-Württemberg WorldKölnUnplaced
Miss World 1996
1997Katja Glawe Miss Berlin WorldBerlinUnplaced
Miss World 1997
1998Sandra Ahrabian Miss Bayern World (?)MannheimUnplaced
Miss World 1998
1999Susan Hoecke Miss Berlin WorldMünchenUnplaced
Miss World 1999

2000–2001: German Miss World: MGC

YearMiss World GermanyRegional TitleholderSite of ElectionPlacementNotes
2000/01Natascha Berg Miss Hessen WorldHannoverUnplaced
Miss World 2000
2001/02Adina Wilhelmi Miss Süddeutschland WorldHannoverUnplaced
Miss World 2001

2008–2009: Miss World Deutschland

YearMiss World GermanyRegional TitleholderSite of ElectionPlacementNotes
2008Anne Katrin Walter KielErfurtUnplaced
Miss World 2008
2009Alessandra Alores KölnMoers-

Beauty Queen of Germany: MGC

Queen of Germany: MGC

YearBeauty Queen of GermanyRegional TitleholderSite of Election
1999 Queen of ThüringenRothenburg ob der Tauber
2000pageant not held
2001Pamela Jones?Bamberg [1] [2]
2002Claudia Grohmann?Bamberg
2003Melanie Eder Queen of Bayern (?)München
2004Ann-Cathrin Schmidt Queen of Sachsen-Anhalt (?)Berlin

Miss Germany 50 plus: From 2012 by MGC - Miss Germany Corporation GmbH

YearMiss Germany 50 PlusRegional TitleholderSite of Election
2012/13Christine Wache Miss Germany 50 plus 2012Berlin
2014Monika Roemer Emich Miss Germany 50 plus 2014Flein
2015Kerstin Marie Huth Rauscher ? Miss Germany 50 plus 2015Frankfurt
2016 Miss Germany 50 plus 2016Hessen

Queen of Germany: QGE - Queen of Germany Entertainment (Neuhardenberg, near Frankfurt/Oder)

YearQueen of Germany EntertainmentRegional TitleholderSite of Election
2000Yvetta Leogrande Queen of NiedersachsenTV-Studio Sat.1
2001-04?
2005Stephanie Schießl Queen of Bayern?
2006Alis Scharkoi Queen of BerlinWeimar Atrium
2007Katrin Schwarz Queen of NiedersachsenDuisburg

Princess of Germany: Princess Entertainment & Media Group (Barby, Sachsen-Anhalt)

YearPrincess of GermanyRegional TitleholderSite of Election
2001Mirjana Bogojevic?Halle
2002Nicole Kratochvil Princess of NiedersachsenHalle
2003Katrin Reimann ???
2004 Princess of Sachsen-AnhaltLeipzig
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)

YearTop Model of Germany
1993-99?
2000Heike Schmidt

Top Model of Germany: Yet-Set Corporation (Cologne)

YearTop Model of Germany
2001Daniela Dürr
2002-04?
2005Sarah 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

YearModel of the World GermanyRegional TitleholderSite of Election
2001 Model of the World Bayern Ulm
2002 Model of the World Bremen München
2003 Model of the World Bayern Wiesbaden
2004 Model of the World Süddeutschland Neunkirchen
2005/06 Model of the World Rheinland-Pfalz Regensburg
2007 Natalie Sulianto Model of the World Mitteldeutschland München
2008 Model of the World Bremen München

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)

YearMiss World GermanyRegional TitleholderSite of Election
1986Miss Frühling (Miss Spring)Berlin
1987Miss Frühling (Miss Spring)Berlin
1988Gabi KirmihsMiss Sommer (Miss Summer) Berlin
1990Leticia KoffkeMiss DDR (Miss GDR) Schwerin
Note: Leticia Koffke later became Miss Germany for united Germany.

Titles at major international competitions

Miss World

Miss Universe

Miss International

Miss Europe

See also

References

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: BILD.
  2. News: Fränkischer Tag Bamberg. 2001.