History of DENIC eG
How it all began: The launch of .de in 1986
The history of .de began more than 30 years ago – on November 5, 1986 – with the entry of the country code .de in the IANA database. This marked the starting signal for the Internet in Germany. Initially, administration was handled in the USA by the network operator CSNET. In 1988, administration was transferred to the Informatikrechner-Betriebsgruppe (IRB) at the University of Dortmund, which took over the name server service and the allocation of IPv4 address blocks. The service provider was called the Network Information Center, or NIC for short. And since it took over the administration of .de, the name DENIC was born. Just six domains (dbp.de, rmi.de, telenet.de, uka.de, uni-dortmund.de, uni-paderborn.de) were registered at that time.
The domains were initially managed “on demand” using a manually maintained list, but this list grew faster and faster – so a professional basis was needed: In August 1993, on the initiative of the three German Internet service providers at the time (DFN, EUNET, and Xlink), the “Interessenverbund Deutsches Network Information Center (IV-DENIC)” was formed, which put the operation of the name server service out to tender nationwide. The computer center at the University of Karlsruhe wins the tender and takes over the administration of the .de domains for an initial period of three years starting in January 1994. At that time, there are approximately 1,000 such domains. By mid-1996, this number has increased to 20,000.
1996: The founding of the DENICeG
In December 1996, a meeting of 37 German Internet service providers decides to establish a cooperative to manage German domains and provide the necessary infrastructure. This marks the birth of DENIC eG. The DENIC office is set up in Frankfurt am Main in July 1997 and has been the heart of the cooperative ever since.
Our History at a Glance
New Digital Presence
DENIC shows its face: more modern, user-friendly, and accessible.
With a clear structure and fresh design, we give our mission .de – for a responsible internet a contemporary home.
OpenPAQ Initiative
Quality creates trust: Introduction of the open-source tool "OpenPAQ" for intelligent validation of address data.
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Founding of IGF-D e.V.
A voice for the Internet: Founding of the IGF-D association to strengthen the multi-stakeholder dialogue on Internet Governance in Germany.
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ICANN78 in Hamburg
The Internet world visits Germany: As host of the 78th ICANN Public Meeting, DENIC welcomes over 2,500 international participants.
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Next Gen Registration
Open-heart surgery: Successful migration of the .de real-time registration system to a modern cloud-native stack. The foundation is the DENIC-owned cloud, allowing us to operate the entire technology stack independently.
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Launch of TLD ISAC
United against cybercrime: Founding of the first European TLD Information Sharing and Analysis Centre.
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.de is Number 1
Undisputed leader: A study confirms .de as by far the most popular and trusted domain extension among German internet users.
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The DENIC Cloud
Digital sovereignty: Establishment of DENIC's own cloud platform as an independent basis for future services.
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DNS 3.0
Rollout of the first virtual name server location in Sydney.
25 Years of DENIC eG
A quarter-century of the cooperative model: DENIC celebrates its 25th anniversary as the administrator of the German domain extension.
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Optimized Zone Generation
Incremental zone generation makes new registrations and changes to domain data available worldwide in the shortest possible time.
DENIC ID
DENIC develops an SSO solution that links digital identities with domains.
Founding of DENIC Services
As a wholly-owned subsidiary, DENIC Services GmbH & Co. KG takes over the business areas of DNS Anycast, Data Escrow, and DENICdirect.
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Relaunch of Domain Query
Extensive updates to the DENIC domain query (Whois) in the context of GDPR; domain holder data is no longer displayed.
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Designated Escrow Agent
DENIC receives accreditation from ICANN as a DEA and is honored with the eco Award.
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New Business Area: Escrow
Start of operations as a Third-Party Provider for Registrar Data Escrow + ICANN accreditation as a New gTLD Data Escrow Agent.
Classification of .de DNS as Critical Infrastructure
Legal ordinance classifies authoritative DNS servers for .de as critical infrastructure (KRITIS).
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30 Years of .de
The country code .de celebrates its anniversary: 30 years ago, it was entered into the IANA database.
Initial Certification ISO 22301:2013
Successful certification of DENIC's Business Continuity Management.
Open Certificate
Initial Certification ISO 27001:2013
DENIC's Information Security Management System (ISMS) certified.
Open Certificate
Redemption Grace Period
Introduction of the 30-day grace period for deleted domains to protect against accidental loss.
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New Data Center Platform
Platform for member and community services based on Continuous Integration & Deployment.
Triple Footprint for DNS
Complementary name service triples the DNS footprint for .de.
25 Years of .de
Silver Internet Jubilee: A quarter-century of German Internet history.
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DNSSEC Secures .de Domains
DNSSEC is introduced for the .de zone to secure data against modification during transport.
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Database Refactoring
Migration to a future-proof and high-performance database model for core applications; honored with the Oracle Database Award.
AuthInfo Procedure for Provider Transfers
Final switch to the AuthInfo procedure for provider transfers.
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New Business Area: DNS Anycast
Contract signing with the first customer in the new DNS Anycast business area for third-party TLDs.
New Domain Possibilities
Since October, one and two-character domains as well as numeric-only domains corresponding to license plates or a TLD are permitted.
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Joining the ccNSO
Accession to the Country Code Names Supporting Organisation as a consistent step towards formal participation in ICANN.
New Premises
Move to new business premises at Kaiserstraße 75 - 77 in Frankfurt.
Mirror Data Center Amsterdam
Commissioning of the geo-redundant mirror data center in Amsterdam; location chosen due to connection to transatlantic cables.
New Data Center Frankfurt
Commissioning of the new data center during ongoing operations at a professional housing provider.
10 Million .de Domains
In June, .de breaks the 10 million threshold.
.net Application
Submission of DENIC's application to ICANN for the operation of .net.
Real-Time Registration Interface
Electronic processing of orders to the registration system enters regular operation.
Introduction of IDNs
Since March, umlauts and special characters can be used in .de domains.
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Federal Court of Justice Ruling kurt-biedenkopf.de
DENIC cannot be required to "block" specific domains from registration.
Higher Regional Court Ruling viagrabestellung.de
When checking for an obvious legal infringement, DENIC does not have to consider the content of the website.
Whois Connection
Integration of the new domain database with Whois connection as a binding data source into the production environment.
Contractual Basis DENIC / Members / Domain Holders
General Assembly decision on the fundamental design of the contractual basis as a triangular relationship.
Rulings ambiente.de / r-e-y-de
No obligation for DENIC to verify if domains infringe third-party rights / DENIC is neither directly nor indirectly liable as an interferer regarding website content.
Infrastructure Expansion
First DENIC-operated secondary locations at the Vienna Exchange and RIPE go into operation; commissioning of a backup data center in Frankfurt.
100th Member
The cooperative is growing: DENIC welcomes its 100th member. The cooperative model establishes itself as a solid pillar of the German internet economy.
Takeover of Technical Operations
In March, DENIC takes over technical operations and thus all services for the TLD .de from the University of Karlsruhe.
The Heart Beats in Frankfurt
Shortly after founding, theory turns into practice: DENIC eG establishes its central head office in Frankfurt am Main. This marks the end of university-led administration – the Cooperative now has a permanent home and an operational hub.
Founding of the DENIC Cooperative
On December 17, the moment arrives: 37 German Internet Service Providers found DENIC eG. The new Cooperative's goal is the independent administration of .de domains and the long-term security of the infrastructure, free from profit-driven interests.
The Boom: The 20,000 Mark
The Internet goes mainstream. Within just two and a half years, registration numbers skyrocket: from 1,000 domains in 1994, the total grows to 20,000 by mid-1996. This rapid expansion demands a new structural approach.
Operational Transition to Karlsruhe
The Computing Centre of the University of Karlsruhe wins the tender and takes over the technical administration of the .de zone from Dortmund. At the start, the portfolio stands at approx. 1,000 domains – a figure that will not remain this low for long.
Founding of the IV-DENIC
Maintaining domain lists manually "on demand" is no longer sufficient. On the initiative of the providers DFN, EUNET, and Xlink, the "Interessenverbund Deutsches Network Information Center" (IV-DENIC) is formed.
The goal: to establish a professional foundation for the growing Internet and to put operations out to tender nationwide.
Relocation to Dortmund & The Birth of DENIC
The administration of .de shifts from the USA to the University of Dortmund. Since the responsible unit acts as a Network Information Center, the name DENIC is coined. The Internet is still a "global village": only six domains (including uni-dortmund.de and telenet.de) are registered.
.de Sees the Light of Day
Entry of the country code .de into the IANA database on November 5, 1986.
