![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/07\/Muster_des_Personalausweises_VS.jpg\")
<\/a>The Muster<\/em> of the Personalausweis<\/em>. There is only an official female version. So there is no picture of Max Mustermann! (Image public domain)<\/p><\/div>\n In Germany, we almost always use two simple ones:\u00a0Max Mustermann\u00a0<\/em>for men and\u00a0Erika Mustermann\u00a0<\/em>for women.\u00a0Mustermann\u00a0<\/em>means “example man” or “model man”, since it is a name used as a placeholder. Sometimes you also see\u00a0Otto Normalverbraucher\u00a0<\/em>(Otto “Normal Consumer”). We’ve written about placeholder names before, see this post<\/a> for more examples!<\/p>\n Unlike English, the name isn’t chosen for how popular it is. Mustermann is a rare name, and is easily recognised in Germany as the placeholder. For a real Max Mustermann, that actually led to people asking whether it was his real name<\/a>. Apparently, there are multiple\u00a0Erika Mustermann\u00a0<\/em>as well.<\/p>\n The most famous use of this example name is the\u00a0Personalausweis\u00a0<\/em>(identification card) that every German has. Because these are updated every few years, there are new versions of\u00a0Max Mustermann <\/em>and Erika Mustermann <\/em>all the time. However, the most famous is\u00a0Erika Mustermann<\/em>, since she has been used consistently in all kinds of government IDs, from soldiers to diplomats to\u00a0Fl\u00fcchtlinge\u00a0<\/em>(refugees). While all other\u00a0Ausweise\u00a0<\/em>say she was born in Berlin, the\u00a0Fl\u00fcchtlingsausweis\u00a0<\/em>states Damaskus as the\u00a0Geburtsort\u00a0<\/em>(place of birth).<\/p>\n At first,\u00a0Erika\u00a0<\/em>was born in M\u00fcnchen <\/em>(Munich), not Berlin. She was 1.76 meters in height, though she later shrank to 1.72 meters and even 1.60 meters. In 1983, her birth date was September 12, 1945. There is particularly special about this day, it is probably just a random date that was chosen after the Second World War. In 1997, this changed to August 12, 1957; since about 2001, it’s August 12, 1964). Her home is in the Heidestra\u00dfe 17 in M\u00fcnchen<\/em>, though that changed too. In 1986 and 1997, she lived in the Nu\u00dfh\u00e4herstra\u00dfe 10 in M\u00fcnchen<\/em>, in 2007 back in the Heidestra\u00dfe 17, though now in K\u00f6ln\u00a0<\/em>(Cologne). 2008 she lives in Berlin, 2010 again in\u00a0K\u00f6ln<\/em>. Her picture changed multiple times over this period. The woman on the picture is not a real\u00a0Erika Mustermann<\/em>, of course.<\/sup><\/p>\n Giving some real information, including a picture of an actual real person, naturally creates some mystique. Erika Mustermann received\u00a0Liebesbriefe\u00a0<\/em>(love letters), and many joking articles have been written about the relationship between Erika and Max. My favourite is one from Der Postillon<\/a>. It explains that after 14.9 years of\u00a0Ehe\u00a0<\/em>(marriage), Erika left Max for John Doe, who she met at an\u00a0internationale Reisepassmesse\u00a0<\/em>(international passport convention). She now lives with John in Miami, while Max takes care of their 1.56 children.<\/p>\n Who exactly is behind the picture is not clear, but since 1987 it is the same woman that decorates the model ID card.<\/p>\n The Personalausweis in Austria (Image public domain)<\/p><\/div>\n Frau Mustermann <\/em>(Mrs Mustermann) is known as Mustermann, geb. Gabler\u00a0<\/em>(Mustermann, born Gabler). This means that she took on the name of her husband Max Mustermann<\/em>. The example chosen for Germany is therefore the traditional image of a married woman. Not everybody is happy with that, and you sometimes see the term Musterfrau\u00a0<\/em>used, without a “born” label.<\/p>\n In Switzerland and Austria, the last name\u00a0Musterfrau\u00a0<\/em>for their examples is commonplace. Though their first names are different: Maria in Austria and Alexandra in Switzerland.<\/p>\nErika’s Mystique<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nWhat about “Example Woman”?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/a>Model Everything<\/strong><\/h2>\n