1951er

1951er is a German shorthand used to denote a person born in the year 1951. It is part of a common pattern in German: attaching the suffix -er to a year to form a label for the corresponding birth cohort, such as 1950er or 1960er.

Usage and scope

The term 1951er is informal and primarily found in media, journalism, and everyday speech. It is used to refer to people who share the same birth year and, by extension, similar ages during a given period. In formal demographic writing, more precise terms such as “Jahrgang 1951” or “Geboren im Jahr 1951” are preferred.

Demographic and historical context

A person born in 1951 belongs to the generation that grew up in the postwar era and entered adulthood in the 1960s and 1970s. In German-speaking countries, individuals born in this year experienced rapid economic and social changes, the Cold War context, and shifting cultural developments during their formative years. As of the 2020s, 1951er are typically in their 70s or early 80s. The label serves as a convenient shorthand for discussing generational trends, life experiences, and cohort-specific historical contexts without implying exact characteristics for all members.

Related terms

Adjacent cohorts include the 1950er (born 1950), 1952er (born 1952), and broader groups such as the 1950s generation. The concept parallels similar year-based cohort labels in other languages, though its exact usage and connotations can vary by region.

See also

Jahrgang, Geburtsjahr, Babyboomer (generation).