The Bielefeld Conspiracy (Bielefeldverschwörung) is a classic piece of German internet folklore that emerged in 1994 on the Usenet newsgroup de.talk.bizarre. Created by computer science student Achim Held, the theory jokingly posits that the city of Bielefeld in North Rhine-Westphalia does not actually exist and is instead an elaborate illusion maintained by 'THEM' (Sie). The meme relies on three central questions: 'Do you know anyone from Bielefeld?', 'Have you ever been there?', and 'Do you know anyone who has ever been there?'. If you answer no to all, the joke suggests you have proven the city is a myth. Even high-ranking officials like Angela Merkel have referenced the joke, solidifying its status as the definitive example of satirical conspiracy theories used to mock genuine misinformation.