Bielefeld plot

According to this conspiracy theory , the city of Bielefeld in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia does not actually exist. All evidence pointing to its existence is part of a worldwide conspiracy seeking to convince humanity of the existence of the city. Proponents of this theory refer to the plot as SIE (“they”).

People contesting the theory are invited to ask three questions:

1. Do you know anyone from Bielefeld?
2. Have you ever been to Bielefeld?
3. Do you know anyone who has ever been to Bielefeld?

If a person answers “no” to all three questions, this is considered proof of the truth of the theory. Otherwise, the answerer or that acquaintance to which the answerer refers when answering the first or third questions are considered conspirators.

Conspiracy theory was first unveiled in a newsgroup on May 16, 1994 by Achim Held, a student at the Department of Computer Science, University of Kiel. ^[2] From there, it spread to the German-speaking Internet space and still retains some popularity.

The guards jokingly call the organizers of the conspiracy the CIA , Mossad or aliens who use the University of Bielefeld as a cover for their spaceship ^{[3] [4]} .

In a television interview dedicated to the decade of the newsgroup, Held argued that the myth arose from his publication on Usenet, which was planned as a joke. According to Held, the idea of ​​conspiracy theory arose in his head during a student party during a conversation with an avid reader of New Age magazines ^[5] .

The City Council of Bielefeld makes efforts to ensure public fame and a nationwide image of Bielefeld. Until now, the city hall receives telephone calls and electronic messages every day, in which there is doubt about the existence of the city ^[5] .

In 1999, five years after the myth began to spread, the City Council announced in the press that Bielefeld gibt es doch! ("Bielefeld still exists!"). Nevertheless, the date of publication of the statement was chosen poorly - April 1 ( April Fool's Day ); this gave rise to the supporters of the theory once again to confirm the "veracity" of the conspiracy .

The authorities of the German city of Bielefeld are ready to pay a million euros to someone who proves that the city does not exist. The theory that there really is no city appeared as a parody of conspiracy theories, but in the end it got so accustomed that even Angela Merkel joked about it.

In 2009, students from the cinema faculty of the University of Bielefeld began a film development project based on the Bielefeld plot. The project was funded by the university and local sponsors. Most of the project participants are students and university staff; Several professionals joined the shoot, including actress Julia Kahl and cameraman Alexander Böke. The script is written by Thomas Walden. The film premiered in Bielefeld on June 2, 2010. ^{[6] [7]}

• In Brazil, the federal state of Acre was also the subject of a similar rally with the same use of three questions, as in the Bielefeld conspiracy theory, in order to prove the non-existence of the state. However, less emphasis was placed on the part regarding the conspiracy.
• In Italy, the Molise region plays the same role as Bielefeld. Since Molise is home to several politicians, such as Justice Minister Clemente Mastella and a former judge known for his anti-corruption revelations, Antonio di Pietro , it is assumed that they are also involved in the plot.
• There was a similar joke at USENET in the 80s regarding the US state of North Dakota . ^[8] Variations on other wilderness states such as Nebraska , Idaho, and Wyoming are often spread on the Internet. Regarding the latter, if Dick Cheney answers question No. 1, then he will be “Naturally, one of THEM!”.
• In the satirical almanac of The Areas of My Expertise, John Hodgman argues that Chicago is a myth and exposes the widespread "dubious fable of Chicago."
• Several modern online communities pretend that Belgium does not exist. These beliefs come from a 1995 publication by Lile Zapato ^[9] .
• There are similar jokes in Britain claiming that the British cities of Matlock , Workshop and Northallerton do not exist.
• In Israel, the object of such a rally is Petah Tikva .
• In the 90s in Chile, the host of the TV show “Plaza Italia” always started the program with the words “Kombarbala does not exist” - even when people from Kombarbala sent him letters and parcels in order to prove that they exist.
• In RuNet, there is a similar story regarding the city of Arzamas-16 . It is alleged that this non-existent city was invented by the CIA in order to accuse the USSR of fomenting a "nuclear race."
• In LiveJournal in 2011, a similar theory of the Lugansk conspiracy was published. ^[10] . Unlike other theories, the author describes in detail the history and causes of the conspiracy.

• Rätselhaftes Bielefeld. Die Verschwörung / Günther Butkus. - Bielefeld: Pendragon, 2010 .-- ISBN 978-3-86532-188-6 .
• Thomas Walden. Die Bielefeld-Verschwörung. Der Roman zum Film. - Bielefeld: Pendragon, 2010 .-- ISBN 978-3-86532-194-7 .
• Thomas Walden. Drachenzeit in Bielefeld: Aufgabe 2 der Bielefeld Verschwörung. - Bielefeld: tredition, 2012 .-- ISBN 978-3-8472-3859-1 .
• Karl-Heinz von Halle. Gibt es Bielefeld oder gibt es Bielefeld nicht ?. - Köln: Eichborn-Verlag, 2013 .-- ISBN 978-3-8479-0546-2 .

• Bielefeldverschwoerung.de - original plot page