| Year
|
Word of the Year
|
"Unwort"
|
Notes
|
| 1971
|
aufmüpfig
|
|
|
| 1977
|
Szene
|
|
|
| 1978
|
konspirative Wohnung (“safehouse”, literally “conspiratory appartment”)
|
|
Kidnapping and murder of Hanns Martin Schleyer
|
| 1979
|
Holocaust
|
|
|
| 1980
|
Rasterfahndung
|
|
computer-aided anti-terror investigations in Germany
|
| 1981
|
Nullösung
|
|
“Zero Option” proposed by Ronald Reagan
|
| 1982
|
Ellenbogengesellschaft
|
|
|
| 1983
|
heißer Herbst
|
|
mass-protests by the Friedensbewegung in Germany against the NATO Double-Track Decision
|
| 1984
|
Umweltauto
|
|
|
| 1985
|
Glykol
|
|
1985 diethylene glycol wine scandal in Austria
|
| 1986
|
Tschernobyl
|
|
Chernobyl disaster
|
| 1987
|
Aids, Kondom
|
|
|
| 1988
|
Gesundheitsreform
|
|
vote on the German health reform law
|
| 1989
|
Reisefreiheit
|
|
|
| 1990
|
die neuen Bundesländer
|
|
German reunification
|
| 1991
|
Besserwessi
|
ausländerfrei
|
first Unwort of the year
|
| 1992
|
Politikverdrossenheit
|
ethnische Säuberung
|
|
| 1993
|
Sozialabbau
|
Überfremdung
|
|
| 1994
|
Superwahljahr
|
Peanuts
|
Hilmar Kopper § Controversy
|
| 1995
|
Multimedia
|
Diätenanpassung
|
|
| 1996
|
Sparpaket
|
Rentnerschwemme
|
|
| 1997
|
Reformstau
|
Wohlstandsmüll
|
|
| 1998
|
Rot-Grün (literally “Red-Green”)
|
|
SPD-Green coalition formed after the 1998 German federal election
|
| 1999
|
Millennium
|
Kollateralschaden
|
|
| 2000
|
Schwarzgeldaffäre (“black money affair”)
|
|
CDU donations scandal
|
| 2001
|
der elfte September
|
Gotteskrieger
|
September 11 attacks
|
| 2002
|
Teuro
|
Ich-AG
|
launch of the Euro (notes and coins)
|
| 2003
|
das alte Europa (“old Europe”)
|
Tätervolk
|
remarks by Donald Rumsfeld about the Old Europe and New Europe
Tätervolkdiskussion
|
| 2004
|
Hartz IV
|
Humankapital
|
vote on the Hartz IV reforms in Germany
|
| 2005
|
Bundeskanzlerin
|
Entlassungsproduktivität
|
Angela Merkel (chancellor from Nov 2005–Dec 2021)
|
| 2006
|
Fanmeile
|
|
2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany
|
| 2007
|
Klimakatastrophe
|
Herdprämie
|
2007 Nobel Peace Prize to IPCC and Al Gore, IPCC Fourth Assessment Report
Bundeselterngeld- und Elternzeitgesetz
|
| 2008
|
Finanzkrise
|
|
2007–2008 financial crisis
|
| 2009
|
Abwrackprämie
|
betriebsratsverseucht
|
introduction of the Umweltprämie in Germany
|
| 2010
|
Wutbürger
|
alternativlos
|
protests against Stuttgart 21 and Thilo Sarrazin
there is no alternative § 2010s austerity
|
| 2011
|
Stresstest
|
Döner-Morde
|
2011 European Union bank stress test
NSU murders
|
| 2012
|
Rettungsroutine (literally “saving routine”)
|
Opfer-Abo
|
European debt crisis
Jörg Kachelmann § False rape accusation
|
| 2013
|
GroKo
|
Sozialtourismus
|
grand coalition following the 2013 German federal election
|
| 2014
|
Lichtgrenze (literally “light border”)
|
Lügenpresse
|
Berlin Wall 25th anniversary
|
| 2015
|
Flüchtlinge
|
Gutmensch
|
2015 European migrant crisis
|
| 2016
|
postfaktisch
|
Volksverräter
|
|
| 2017
|
Jamaika-Aus
|
alternative Fakten
|
failure of the Jamaika-Koalition
|
| 2018
|
Heißzeit
|
|
2018 European heat wave, pun on Eiszeit (“ice age”)
|
| 2019
|
Respektrente
|
Klimahysterie
|
Grundrente (“basic pension”)
|
| 2020
|
Corona-Pandemie
|
Corona-Diktatur
|
|
| 2021
|
Wellenbrecher (“breakwater”, literally “wave breaker”)
|
Pushback
|
COVID-19 waves
|
| 2022
|
Zeitenwende
|
Klimaterroristen
|
Zeitenwende speech
|
| 2023
|
Krisenmodus
|
Remigration
|
Meeting of right-wing extremists at Potsdam in 2023
|
