Bulgaria has awarded its best mayors for 11th year in a row
Almost 140 000 people have cast their vote in the national contest for Mayor of the Year
Bielefeld municipality is offering a cash prize to anyone who can prove the city does not exist
On its official Twitter page, Bielefeld municipality announced a curious contest – prove the city does not exist and you will win 1 million euros. With the motto “Too nice to not be true”, the local government’s marketing campaign shines the light on one of the most prominent conspiracy theories in Germany.
Eine Million Euro für den Beweis, dass es Bielefeld nicht gibt. Alle Freunde der Bielefeld-Verschwörung haben jetzt die letzte Chance, den Beweis zu liefern! #bielefeldmillion #bielefeldverschwörung ➡️https://t.co/LlztgdxbO1 pic.twitter.com/4AF2ky1LFR
— Stadt Bielefeld (@stadtbielefeld) August 21, 2019
The so-called Bielefeld conspiracy theory was first posted in an online forum as a joke in 1993, but as with all jokes, the Internet might have taken it too far. 26 years later people still refer to the conspiracy – including German chancellor Angela Merkel, who in 2012 stated that she believed to have attended a meeting in the city – if it actually exists. “I had the impression I was there” she said.
The theory is based on three questions – Do you know anybody from Bielefeld? Have you ever been to Bielefeld? Do you know anyone who has ever been to Bielefeld? Despite the city allegedly having a population of over 300,000 people the expected answer is no – if someone says yes, they are obviously in on the conspiracy or have been lied to. According to the theory, Bielefeld was made up either by the CIA, Mossad to cover up their activities or even by aliens who have disguised their spaceship as the Bielefeld University (which allegedly has over 25,000 students).
The supposed local administration has been very keen to promote the city using the conspiracy. On April Fools’ Day 1999 the mayor’s office released a press statement titled “Bielefeld does exist!” and on the city’s alleged 800 birthday in 2014, celebrations were held under the motto “This cannot be real”.
If you have conclusive and irrefutable proof that Bielefeld does not exist, you can visit the official website to submit your evidence.
Almost 140 000 people have cast their vote in the national contest for Mayor of the Year
The planned public transit service will be completed somewhere in 2035
Almost 140 000 people have cast their vote in the national contest for Mayor of the Year
The technology differs from maglev in that it allows the usage of already existing infrastructure, with only slight modifications
Floya will be one hell of a helpful tool next time you’re in the Belgian capital
Almost 140 000 people have cast their vote in the national contest for Mayor of the Year
City officials invite residents to meet in person for valuable consultations on greening transformations of their living environment
Almost 140 000 people have cast their vote in the national contest for Mayor of the Year
The main focus of the festivities is a ‘miracle’, which involves the liquefaction of the saint’s blood
Se Poate Association led the training sessions in several cities and engaged over 150 young people
This one could be a real game-changer for our built environments and the way they look
The practical art objects are competing for one of the 2023 New European Bauhaus Prizes
Cast your vote before 24 May and do your part in promoting the NEB values
An interview with a member of the No Hate Speech Network team
A talk with the first man to circumnavigate the globe with a solar plane, on whether sustainability can also be profitable
An interview with the president of the European Federation of Journalists