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

Russia accuses Ukrainian military chief of ordering downing of war prisoner plane
22:10 05.07.2025
Türkiye supports firefighting operations in Syria’s Latakia
22:00 05.07.2025
UNRWA calls for immediate fuel delivery to Israel-blockaded Gaza before shutdown of basic services
21:45 05.07.2025
Pashinyan: Armenia needs new constitution
21:20 05.07.2025
UN chief condemns Russia's recent 'series of large-scale' attacks on Ukraine
21:00 05.07.2025
Kazakh servicemen arrive in Azerbaijan to participate in Tarlan - 2025 exercise
20:45 05.07.2025
Erdogan: US has crucial role in achieving ceasefire in Gaza
20:20 05.07.2025
Building collapse in Pakistan kills 15
19:45 05.07.2025
Turkish FM Fidan to attend 17th BRICS Leaders Summit in Rio de Janeiro
19:30 05.07.2025
Australia pledges $283M for green energy project by explosives maker
19:10 05.07.2025
OPEC+ speeds up oil output hikes, adds 548,000 bpd in August
18:45 05.07.2025
Inter completes signing of Ange-Yoan Bonny from Parma
18:20 05.07.2025
Turkish president sees Zangazur corridor 'as part of the geoeconomic revolution'
18:00 05.07.2025
Turkish president urges Azerbaijan, Russia to show restrain amid tension
17:45 05.07.2025
China says war 'not a solution' to Iranian nuclear issue
17:15 05.07.2025
At least 18 people injured after fire alert on Ryanair plane in Majorca as passengers abandon jet & leap from wing
17:00 05.07.2025
Azerbaijani PM meets with UNESCAP executive secretary
16:45 05.07.2025
Lebanese president affirms coordination with Syria, warns against sectarian tensions
16:15 05.07.2025
21 killed in Israeli strikes on tents, school-turned-shelters in Gaza Strip
16:00 05.07.2025
Turkish construction sector takes on international projects worth $6.2B in first half of 2025
15:45 05.07.2025
Azerbaijani woman wrestler becomes European champion
15:30 05.07.2025
Mayor: Death toll in Russian attacks on Kyiv reached two
15:15 05.07.2025
Texas floods kill 24 people and leave many missing from girls' summer camp
14:45 05.07.2025
Conor McGregor has interest in White House fight after Trump's UFC idea
14:30 05.07.2025
Netanyahu era sees 40% surge in Israeli settlements in occupied West Bank
14:15 05.07.2025
Equatorial Guinea sues France in UN court to block sale of Paris mansion
14:00 05.07.2025
US president 'disappointed' over phone call with Putin
13:45 05.07.2025
Academy of Azerbaijan`s State Security Service hosts graduation ceremony
13:30 05.07.2025
Azerbaijan and Pakistan ink memo in Khankendi
13:15 05.07.2025
Trump says there could be Gaza deal next week
13:00 05.07.2025
First flight from Türkiye to Syria launched
12:45 05.07.2025
US marks its 249th anniversary of independence
12:30 05.07.2025
Azerbaijan's role in regional integration discussed at London conference
12:00 05.07.2025
Uzbek Minister: Mirziyoyev's visit to Azerbaijan crucial for dev’t of transport links
11:45 05.07.2025
Trump says US will start talks with China on TikTok deal this week
11:30 05.07.2025
Prime Minister of Pakistan Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif concludes visit to Azerbaijan
11:15 05.07.2025
Pakistani premier proposes low-emissions corridor at Economic Cooperation Organization summit
11:00 05.07.2025
Rwanda pledges to deliver on its part of US-brokered peace deal with DR Congo
10:45 05.07.2025
Hezbollah rejects calls to disarm before end of Israeli ‘aggression’ against Lebanon
10:30 05.07.2025
Trump says Gaza ceasefire deal may come next week after ‘positive’ Hamas response
10:15 05.07.2025
Hamısı