- Miss Germany
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Miss Germany is a national beauty pageant for unmarried women in Germany. In 1927, the contest was held for the first time.
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.
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. In 1982, 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. 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
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.
Prior to World War II
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 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 ? Wiesbaden 1953/54 : Heidi Krüger ? Hamburg 1954 : Regina Ernst Miss Bremen Baden-Baden 1955 : Margit Nünke Miss Nordrhein-Westfalen Baden-Baden 1956 : Marina Orschel Miss Berlin Baden-Baden 1957 : Gerti Daub Miss Hamburg Baden-Baden 1958 : Marlies Behrens Miss Bayern Baden-Baden 1959 : Carmela Künzel Miss Berlin Baden-Baden 1960 : Ingrun Helgard Moeckel Miss Rheinland Baden-Baden 1961 : Marlene Schmidt Miss Baden-Württemberg Baden-Baden 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 1981 : Marion Kurz Miss Bayern Munich 1982 : Kerstin Paeserack Miss Niedersachsen Palma de Mallorca (Spain) 1982 : Monika Baier ? Nuremberg 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 broadcasted live in the German TV for the first time.
From 1985 : MGC - Miss Germany Corporation GmbH (Oldenburg)
Year Name Qualified as Site of election 1985/86 : Patricia Patek Miss Hessen Wangerooge 1986/87 : Anja Hörnich Miss Saarland Oberstdorf 1987/88 : Susann Stoss Miss Rheinland-Pfalz Bonn - Bad Godesberg 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 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 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 (near Freiburg) 2004 : Claudia Hein Miss Nordrhein-Westfalen Rust (near Freiburg) 2005 : Antonia Schmitz Miss Nordrhein-Westfalen Rust (near Freiburg) 2006 : Isabelle Knispel Miss Berlin Rust (near Freiburg) 2007 : Nelly Marie Bojahr Miss T-Online Rust (near Freiburg) 1985-1991 : Miss Germany Company
Year Name Qualified as 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 1991/92 : Monika Resch Miss Thüringen 1991-1999 : MGA - Miss Germany Association GmbH (Bergheim near Cologne)
Year Name Qualified as Site of election 1991 : Petra Hack Miss Nordrhein-Westfalen ? 1992 : Meike Schwarz Miss Saarland ? 1993 : Verona Feldbusch Miss Hamburg Bremen 1994 : Tanja Wild Miss Baden-Württemberg ? 1995 : Ilka Endres Miss Rheinland-Pfalz ? 1996 : Miriam Ruppert Miss Arabella TV ? 1997 : Nadine Schmidt Miss Rheinland-Pfalz ? 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 2000 : Sabrina Schepmann Miss Ostdeutschland Kaiserslautern 2001 : Claudia Bechstein Miss Thüringen Kaiserslautern 2002 : Natascha Börger Miss Hamburg Kaiserslautern 2003 : Alexandra Vodjanikova Miss Bayern Bielefeld 2004 : Shermine Shahrivar [Sharivar] Miss Süddeutschland Duisburg 2005 : Asli Bayram Miss Nordrhein-Westfalen Aachen 2006: Daniela Domröse Miss Bayern Krefeld 2007 : Svetlana Tsys Miss Ostdeutschland Hurghada (Egypt) Model of Germany from 2000 : Model of Germany Productions (Stuttgart)
Year Name Qualified as Site of election 2000 : Sonja Strobl Saarland Model Mainz-Kastel 2001 : Slata Hellmann Thüringen Model ? 2002 : Pamela Schneider Berlin Model ? 2003 : Kristin Wünsche Mitteldeutschland Model ? 2004 : pageant not held 2005 Yvonne Maier 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 1992 : Carina Jope 1993 : Petra Klein 1994 : Marte Helberg 1995 : Isabell Brauer 1996 : Melanie Ernst 1997 : Katja Glawe 1998 : Sandra Ahrabian 1999 : Susan Hoecke German Miss World: MGC
Year Name 2000/01 : Natascha Berg 2001/02 : Adina Wilhelmi 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 1999 : Julienne Grötsch 2000 : pageant not held 2001 : ? 2002 : Claudia Grohmann 2003 : Melanie Eder 2004 : Ann-Cathrin Schmidt Queen of Germany: QGE - Queen of Germany Entertainment (Neuhardenberg, near Frankfurt/Oder)
Year Name 2000 : Yvetta Leogrande 2001-04 : ? 2005 : Stephanie Schießl 2006 : Alis Scharkoi Miss Millennium Deutschland: MGF - Miss Germany Foundation (Barby, Sachsen-Anhalt)
Year Name 2000 : Nadin Becker Princess of Germany: Princess Entertainment & Media Group (Barby, Sachsen-Anhalt)
Year Name 2001 : Mirjana Bogojevic 2002 : Nicole Kratochvil 2003 : Katrin Reimann ? 2004 : Josephina Balasus 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)
Year Name 1993-99 : ? 2000 : Heike Schmidt 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).
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
- 1980 : Gabriella Brum
Notes: Petra Schürmann only reached rank three in Miss Germany pageant, but was delegated to Miss World because of her better knowledge of English. Gabriella Brum resigned the day after her election as Miss World.
Miss Universe
- 1961 : Marlene Schmidt
Miss International
- 1965 : Ingrid Finger
- 1989 : Iris Klein
Miss Intercontinental
- 1992 : Susanne Petry
- 1993 : Verona Feldbusch
- 2000 : Sabrina Schepmann (is not Miss Germany but Miss Deutschland)
Queen of the World
- 1988 : Susann Stoss
- 1992 : Ines Kuba
- 1996 : Yasemine Mansoor
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)
Sources
- 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
- Miss Globe Germany Official Website
- Official Website MGC (German)
- Official Website MGO (German)
- Official Website QGE (German)
- Official Website Model of Germany (German)
- Miss Berlin Wahl 2007 with Pioneer of beauty pageants Playboy Rolf Eden
Miss Europe Sovereign
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Categories:- Beauty pageants
- Beauty pageants in Germany
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