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World Briefing | Europe

German Politician Faces Plagiarism Accusations

By MELISSA EDDY

Published: September 30, 2013

BERLIN — A German university is looking into allegations that Frank-Walter
Steinmeier, a leading Social Democrat and a former foreign minister,
plagiarized parts of his doctoral dissertation.

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Mr. Steinmeier is the first ranking member of the center-left Social Democrats
to be confronted with such accusations. Similar charges brought down two
members of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cabinet.

Mr. Steinmeier is the parliamentary leader for the Social Democrats, who are to
hold talks with Ms. Merkel’s conservatives this week to explore the possibility
of forming a new governing coalition. He has dismissed the charges and said
Monday that he had requested that the University of Giessen check his
dissertation for unacknowledged citations. It was written in 1991 and explored
the role of the state in the prevention of homelessness.

Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, a former defense minister, and Annette Schavan, who
served eight years as education minister, both quit their posts after separate
challenges to the authenticity of their research. The University of Bochum is
investigating the doctoral dissertation of Norbert Lammert, a senior member of
Ms. Merkel’s party.

Germans prize titles; the title Doctor is commonly used for nonmedical
professionals. The spate of plagiarism allegations in recent years has led to
soul-searching among German academics and universities in an effort to ensure
that the titles retain their importance.

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Germany                    Plagiarism
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