---
title: "Scientific plagiarism in Germany"
chunk: 1/1
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_plagiarism_in_Germany"
category: "reference"
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
date_saved: "2026-05-05T04:28:35.380148+00:00"
instance: "kb-cron"
---

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persons, including cabinet members, and in a significant number of cases – but not all – their academic degree has been rescinded.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in 2011, published the plagiarism found in over 200 works; in at least 90 of these cases the academic degree was rescinded.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accusations of plagiarism first emerged, Guttenberg volunteered to stop using the title, and when the doctorate was rescinded leading to loss of privilege to use the title, German media focused on the loss of title rather than the academic degree as a recognition of effort and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 ==


== See also ==
Scientific misconduct


== References ==