Germany

• Type: Country
• Location: Central Europe
• Owner/Residents: German Witches, Wizards, and Muggles. Notable associated figures include Gellert Grindelwald (historically) and Anton Vogel (former Minister for Magic). (Fantastic Beasts)
• Key Features: Home to the German Ministry of Magic (Deutsches Zaubereiministerium), a national Quidditch team, and various professional Quidditch clubs.

Germany is a large European country with a significant and organized magical community coexisting alongside its non-magical population. The German wizarding government is known as the Deutsches Zaubereiministerium, or the German Ministry of Magic. (Fantastic Beasts) Historically, Germany and the surrounding region are most famously associated with the rise of the Dark Wizard Gellert Grindelwald in the first half of the 20th century. While Grindelwald himself attended Durmstrang Institute, his ideology and quest for power were centered in continental Europe, culminating in a reign of terror that ended with his legendary duel and defeat by Albus Dumbledore in 1945. His fortress and prison, Nurmengard, bears a Germanic name and was inscribed with his slogan, “For the Greater Good.” In the modern era, Germany maintains a presence in the international wizarding community, particularly in the sport of Quidditch. The German National Team competed in the 1994 Quidditch World Cup, where they were defeated in the quarter-finals by the eventual champions, Ireland. Ludo Bagman commented that the German seeker was “an agile flyer” but that the team was ultimately “slaughtered.” Germany is also home to at least one professional Quidditch club, the Heidelberg Harriers, considered by some to be “the fiercest team in the German league.” (Quidditch Through the Ages)

In the original seven novels, Germany's primary role is historical and contextual, providing the backdrop for Gellert Grindelwald's rise to power. His defeat in 1945 is a cornerstone of Albus Dumbledore's personal history and global reputation, establishing him as the only wizard Lord Voldemort ever feared. The mention of the German Quidditch team in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire serves to broaden the reader's understanding of the international scope of the wizarding world. The country's role was significantly expanded in the Fantastic Beasts film series, which established Berlin as a key location in the global wizarding war of the 1930s. It was depicted as the headquarters for the German Ministry of Magic and the host for a pivotal election for the position of Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards. (Fantastic Beasts)

• German Ministry of Magic: The headquarters of the German wizarding government. In the 1930s, it was located in Berlin, with a magical entrance concealed behind a poster on a wall. (Fantastic Beasts)
• Black Forest: A large, forested mountain range in southwest Germany. This location is known to be a habitat for certain magical creatures, including the Demiguise. (Fantastic Beasts screenplay)

• The timeline of Gellert Grindelwald's rise and fall is a direct parallel to that of Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany. J.K. Rowling confirmed that Dumbledore's defeat of Grindelwald in 1945 was a deliberate reference to the end of World War II.
• Much of the specific information about magical Germany, including the name of its Ministry of Magic, its location in Berlin, and the name of its Minister, Anton Vogel, originates from the film Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore and not the original novels.
• The Heidelberg Harriers Quidditch team is mentioned in the supplementary book Quidditch Through the Ages. In an interview, Irish rugby player Gordon D'Arcy once humorously referred to the England national team as “the Heidelberg Harriers of international rugby,” a quote which J.K. Rowling later shared. (J.K. Rowling interview)