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The so-called Bielefeld conspiracy has become
somewhat of a joke in popular culture. Now the city is offering €1
million to anyone can prove there is no Bielefeld.
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Bielefeld is offering €1 million ($1.1 million) to anyone who can prove
that the city of more than 300,000 people in northwestern Germany
doesn't exist.
Seeking to do away with a long-running conspiracy theory and score some
publicity, Bielefeld's mayor said he wanted to give those who believe
the joke "one more fair and generous chance" to prove the nearly
800-year-old city is just an illusion.
The Bielefeld conspiracy emerged on the internet in 1993, when computer
science student Achim Held joked about how the city that is not known
for anything in particular didn't exist.
The conspiracy then spread on the internet, where it was postulated that
a group called "SIE," or "they" in German, created an imaginary illusion
of the city.
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The city has since used the satire for public relations and even
Chancellor Angela Merkel once joked while on a visit to Bielefeld that
it does indeed exist.
"We are excited about the creative submissions and are 99.99% sure that
we will be able to refute any claims," said the head of Bielefeld
Marketing Martin Knabenreich.
Proof that the city doesn't exist can be submitted until September 4.
Absent any new evidence the city plans to hold an official celebration
with Held, who stated he was surprised how far the satire has spread.
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