page_title: Pirate Party Germany
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Pirate Party Germany / History
context_page_description: The Pirate Party Germany is a political party in Germany based on the model of the Swedish Piratpartiet.
context_section_description: The party was founded on 10 September 2006. Party leader has been Patrick Schiffer since August 2016. Previous leaders were among others Sebastian Nerz, Dirk Hillbrecht, Jens Seipenbusch and Christof Leng.
  In February 2009, the village spokesperson of Hohenstein, a city councillor in Strausberg, Jens Knoblich joined the Pirate Party Germany. In June 2009, Bundestag member Jörg Tauss, who has been charged with the crime of child pornography possession and distribution, left the SPD and joined the Pirate Party after the Zugangserschwerungsgesetz was passed. He said that while he supports the fight against child pornography, the means are unacceptable. In late August 2009, Herbert Rusche, one of the founding members of the German Green Party and, in the 1980s, the first openly homosexual member of parliament in Germany, joined the Pirate Party.
caption: Development of membership
  (dated: April 15, 2010)