Germany's Defense Minister: Busted for Plagiarism

Germany's defense minister is feeling the heat after admitting he plagiarized his doctoral thesis. Will academics now look back at the degrees earned by other politicians?

Karl-Theodor Freiherr zu Guttenberg, Germany’s Minister of Defense, is an aristocrat and political superstar. Articulate, dynamic, spiffy and calm he’s long been the lifeline of the CSU (Christian Social Union) party in Germany.  But after a recent plagiarism scandal, his political fortunes have taken a dip.

Guttenberg has been in the media spotlight for sometime.  After the death of a cadet on board the German naval ship Gorch Fock, his was blamed for mismanaging the defense ministry and for communication mishaps in the aftermath of the tragedy.

Matters however escalated after allegations appeared accusing Guttenberg of plagiarizing his doctoral thesis, which he claimed to have completed with flying colors (he received summa cum laude). In the spirit of web 2.0 and WikiLeaks, academics and amateur internet surfers were quick to establish GuttenPlag Wiki a web platform. The site meticulously analyzed and highlighted plagiarized passages from his thesis.

It didn’t take elaborate Google research before more and more passages were uncovered.  In most cases, the passages were a result of “copy and paste.”  Many respected European newspapers, which had been misquoted and plagiarized from responded to the news with shock.  One, the NZZ (New Zurich Newspaper) released an ad advertising its subscription services as “summa cum laude”-worthy content, mocking the honors Guttenberg received for his plagiarized doctoral work.

Guttenberg’s initial denial soon crumbled as more and more evidence was compiled via the GuttenPlag Wiki platform. The German defense minister recently gave in, admitting to the “…junk he has written…” His doctoral title is in the process of being annulled which represents a new low point in his yet young political career.

Following “Guttenberg Gate” many are pushing for a second look at the various doctoral degrees held by other high-level German politicians. It will be interesting to observe whether this evaluation of academic integrity will spread to the U.S and its political figures. Meanwhile Guttenberg remains an aristocrat, if not quite noble.

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