James Bond: Born in Germany?

Agent 007 is definitely one of the most famous British fictional figures ever created. But according to some sources, he was actually born in the Ruhr valley. An exhibition in Bochum promotes the spy's German roots.

Culture 23:25 02.02.2019

In his first James Bond novels, Ian Fleming didn't offer much information about the spy's origin and background. Bond obviously had to be British, given the fact that 007 worked for the UK's secret service, but that's all that was officially known.

Following the popularity of the first James Bond film, Dr. No (top picture), released in 1962, the author provided a few biographical details in his next novel that tied in with the background of actor Sean Connery, who played the secret agent in seven films.

In Fleming's You Only Live Twice (1964), Bond goes missing, and an obituary written by his superior, M., the head of the Secret Intelligence Service, mentions the names and nationalities of 007's parents.  

His father was Andrew Bond, a Scottish man like Connery, while his mother, Monique Delacroix, was a Swiss national — adding to the spy's international flair.

The 'authorized biography'

Later on, John Pearson, a former assistant of Ian Fleming at the Sunday Times newspaper, wrote a biography of the James Bond creator, titled The Life of Ian Fleming (1966); he went on to write a related work of fiction, James Bond: The Authorized Biography of 007, which was first published in 1973.

In the book, Pearson includes himself as a character of the plot: After the success of his Fleming biography, he is commissioned by MI6 to write the life story of agent 007.

Based on elements found in Fleming's novels, Pearson thereby fills in the blanks surrounding Bond's background.

While the biography was not actually commissioned by the publication company behind Ian Fleming's books, Pearson knew the Glidrose Publications chairman and obtained his permission to publish the work, making it an authorized biography.

Born in the Ruhr region — because of a train strike

In Pearson's book, 007 fans discover that James Bond was born in Wattenscheid near Essen, in the Ruhr region, on November 11, 1920.

While it used to be a separate town, Wattenscheid now belongs to the city of Bochum, where the exhibition "On a secret mission: The spy who came from Wattenscheid" opens on February 1.

According to Pearson's account, Bond's father Andrew, an engineer with Metro-Vickers, was stationed in Wattenscheid to dismantle Krupp's armament factories for the allied military government.

His wife, Monique Delacroix, had actually planned to go back to England to give birth, but she was caught up in Wattenscheid because of a rail strike.

Bond became an orphan at an early age; his parents died in a climbing accident in the Swiss mountains. Still, even after his aunt became his guardian, the young James would regularly return to Wattenscheid, where the family kept a summer house.

But maybe it was Zurich or Berlin

There are, however, contradictory accounts surrounding Bond's place of birth.

'Danger Society: The Young Bond Dossier' profiles the character

For example, according to Charlie Higson's Young Bond books, another official series based on Fleming's story, the secret agent was actually born in Zürich.

But then, according to the passport given to Daniel Craig as a prop in the movie Casino Royale, Bond was born in West Berlin — and way later, on April 13, 1968.

Experts who have tried to crosscheck James Bond's biography in detail, such as John Griswold in Ian Fleming's James Bond: Annotations and Chronologies for Ian Fleming's Bond Stories, have noted different background inconsistencies emerging from the author's own novels. Apparently, that didn't bother Fleming too much. 

Film journalist and Bond expert Siegfried Tesche sees Pearson's version as the authoritative one, since the biography author knew Fleming very well. Tesche also argues that many official events still celebrate Bond's birthday on November 11, based on Pearson's account. 

In the end, for some fans, Bond works best as a character without all those details about his background.

Fleming's experience of Germany

Nevertheless, the exhibition celebrates 007's Ruhr valley roots. Siegfried Tesche, who also curated the exhibition, definitely sees links between Germany, the fictional figure and the author of the novels.

"A little bit of James Bond can be found in Ian Fleming," he told DW. For example, like agent 007, the author also worked for the Royal Navy's Intelligence Division during World War II, before he started working as a journalist and an author.

"Fleming had to deal with the Nazis and German spies, and with the Cold War afterwards; and he built in the stories and things he experienced during the Second World War into his novels later on," explains Tesche. 

Fleming also studied in Austria, Germany and Switzerland, points out the Bond expert. The author was fluent in French and German, and spoke Russian and different other languages too. He also loved the Alps, where he learned to ski and climb — all these passions would later emerge in his fictional character's adventures.

Among the exhibits Tesche organized for the James Bond exhibition in Bochum are different vehicles, including the Sunbeam Alpine S II the secret agent drives in Dr. No (1962), the one-man helicopter he flies in the 1967 You Only Live Twice and the Lotus Esprit S1 sports car seen in a chase in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977). Costumes, films scripts and other Bond accessories also make up the exhibition.

Along with the exhibition, the program includes different film screenings and talks with physics professor Metin Tolan, renowned for analyzing the science behind 007 movie stunts.

The Bond exhibition can be seen in Bochum until March 31.  

IEPF issued a statement regarding Azerbaijani children at the UN Human Rights Council

News line

Trump says US will supply weapons to Ukraine
10:15 08.07.2025
Priorities of Azerbaijan's international development policy discussed
10:00 08.07.2025
US to impose 25% duties on imports from Kazakhstan from August
09:45 08.07.2025
Plans for border delimitation, demarcation with Armenia discussed in Baku
09:30 08.07.2025
Israel wants to coordinate with US on possibility of new strikes on Iran
09:15 08.07.2025
Netanyahu nominates Trump for Nobel Peace Prize
09:00 08.07.2025
Geno rejects signing of 38-year-old Jamie Vardy
21:00 07.07.2025
Gaza death toll passes 57,500 as Israeli attacks continue unabated
20:45 07.07.2025
Russian emergencies minister arrives in Baku
20:25 07.07.2025
Trump due to meet Netanyahu at White House
20:15 07.07.2025
Russia attacks recruitment centers in Ukraine's Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia
20:00 07.07.2025
Pezeshkian says Israel attempted assassination against him
19:45 07.07.2025
Iran has military capability to strike Israel daily for 2 years, IRGC adviser says
19:20 07.07.2025
US envoy says ‘satisfied’ with Lebanese response on roadmap to disarm Hezbollah
19:00 07.07.2025
Peskov: Russia, Azerbaijan should remain close partners, allies
18:45 07.07.2025
The Gulf Observer: Armenians' destruction of Azerbaijan's cultural heritage - vandalism against all humanity
18:30 07.07.2025
Official: Nearly 1M foreigners arrived in Azerbaijan in 5 months of 2025
18:15 07.07.2025
Chief of General Staff of Azerbaijan Army visits Saudi Arabia
18:00 07.07.2025
Israeli PM approved Yemen airstrikes during his flight to US
17:45 07.07.2025
Expert: ECO Summit in Khankendi confirmed member countries' desire for inclusive, multipolar world
17:30 07.07.2025
AZAL introduces new online service
17:15 07.07.2025
Poland imposes checks on German and Lithuanian borders amid migration fears
17:00 07.07.2025
Saudi Arabia raises August oil prices for Asia, Europe buyers
16:45 07.07.2025
EU Reporter: Karabakh region became platform for int'l forums
16:15 07.07.2025
Georgian PM says direct foreign interference in democratic elections failed
16:00 07.07.2025
Typhoon Danas kills two in Taiwan, injures over 500
15:45 07.07.2025
'Coalition of the Willing' may fall apart over Starmer-Macron conflict
15:30 07.07.2025
Former Adjara head hospitalized with gunshot wound in Georgia
15:15 07.07.2025
Scientists reveal how caffeine slows down aging
15:00 07.07.2025
Thailand to offer US more trade concessions to avert 36% tariff
14:45 07.07.2025
Putin dismisses transport minister
14:30 07.07.2025
Israel carries out strikes on Houthi-controlled power station, ports across Yemen
14:15 07.07.2025
UK to name Iran as one of its biggest threats
14:00 07.07.2025
Armenia rejects possibility of using country's territory for military purposes
13:45 07.07.2025
Mexico defeats US for second consecutive Gold Cup title
13:30 07.07.2025
Iranian FM calls attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities flagrant violation of NPT
13:15 07.07.2025
Netanyahu lands in US ahead of White House meeting with Trump
13:00 07.07.2025
Ilham Aliyev receives delegation led by Pakistani National Assembly speaker
12:55 07.07.2025
Araghchi: BRICS to play key role in defending world order
12:45 07.07.2025
Eight Turkish soldiers martyred in northern Iraq
12:30 07.07.2025
Hamısı