German Thesis

What is the German thesis template?

This German Abschlussarbeit template is a ready-to-use LaTeX structure for German-language Bachelor's, Master's, and Diplomarbeit theses at universities in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland). It uses the standard book class with classical academic configuration: two-sided printing, A4, German hyphenation rules, fancyhdr for headers, and prepared theorem environments for mathematics and natural sciences.

The template is multi-file (main file + chapters/*.tex) — the standard layout for theses. When opened from the Sarmate gallery, the chapter files are inlined into the main file automatically so everything compiles directly in the online editor.

When should you use this template?

• You're writing a German-language Bachelor's, Master's, or Diplomarbeit thesis and don't want to start from scratch.
• Your university doesn't have an official LaTeX template, or the official one is outdated.
• You want a modern multi-file structure (good for long theses and collaboration).

If your university mandates its own template (LMU München, RWTH Aachen, ETH Zürich…), use that — exam regulations often require the in-house template.

Step-by-step: your first thesis

1. Understanding the main file

\documentclass[12pt,a4paper,twoside]{book}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage[ngerman]{babel}            % German hyphenation
\usepackage{amsmath,amssymb,amsthm}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage[margin=2.5cm,headheight=15pt]{geometry}
\usepackage[plainpages=false,pdfpagelabels]{hyperref}
\usepackage{fancyhdr}
\usepackage{setspace}
\usepackage{titlesec}

Key packages: babel with ngerman activates German spelling and hyphenation. fancyhdr allows custom headers showing chapter and section names. geometry sets margins (2.5 cm is a good compromise between space and readability).

2. Customize the title page

\begin{titlepage}
\centering
{\large UNIVERSITÄT [NAME]}\\[0.5cm]
{\large Fakultät für [NAME]}\\[0.5cm]
{\large Fachbereich [NAME]}\\[2cm]

{\Large\bfseries ABSCHLUSSARBEIT}\\[0.5cm]
{\large vorgelegt zur Erlangung des Grades}\\[0.3cm]
{\large\bfseries Master of Science}\\[2cm]

{\LARGE\bfseries Titel Ihrer Abschlussarbeit}\\[1cm]

{\large vorgelegt von}\\[0.5cm]
{\Large Ihr Name}\\[2cm]

\begin{tabular}{ll}
Erstgutachter:  & Prof.\ Dr.\ Vorname Nachname \\
Zweitgutachter: & Prof.\ Dr.\ Vorname Nachname \\
\end{tabular}

\vfill
{\large Berlin, \today}
\end{titlepage}

Replace all placeholders with your real data. Universities often have a mandated order (name before/after title, university logo, etc.) — check your exam regulations.

3. Front matter (Zusammenfassung, Danksagung, Inhaltsverzeichnis)

\frontmatter      % roman page numbers i, ii, iii ...

\chapter*{Zusammenfassung}
\addcontentsline{toc}{chapter}{Zusammenfassung}
Briefly summarize your thesis ...

\chapter*{Danksagung}
\addcontentsline{toc}{chapter}{Danksagung}
I want to thank ...

\tableofcontents

\frontmatter activates roman page numbering. \chapter* gives an unnumbered title; \addcontentsline adds it back to the TOC (otherwise it would be invisible there).

4. Main body with chapters

\mainmatter       % arabic page numbers 1, 2, 3 ...
\include{chapters/einleitung}
\include{chapters/kapitel1}
\include{chapters/fazit}

The template splits chapters into separate files chapters/einleitung.tex, chapters/kapitel1.tex, chapters/fazit.tex. Advantages:

• Faster compilation: with \includeonly{chapters/kapitel1} in the preamble, only the current chapter compiles — saving time on long theses.
• Better organization: three 200-line files are clearer than one 600-line file.
• Version control: with git, conflicts in smaller files are easier to resolve.

5. Theorem environments

\newtheorem{satz}{Satz}[chapter]
\newtheorem{lemma}[satz]{Lemma}
\newtheorem{proposition}[satz]{Proposition}
\newtheorem{korollar}[satz]{Korollar}
\theoremstyle{definition}
\newtheorem{definition}[satz]{Definition}
\newtheorem{beispiel}[satz]{Beispiel}
\theoremstyle{remark}
\newtheorem{bemerkung}[satz]{Bemerkung}

These German names are the standard tradition in mathematical and scientific writing: Satz (theorem), Lemma, Proposition, Korollar (corollary), Definition, Beispiel (example), Bemerkung (remark). Use \begin{satz} ... \end{satz} for each new theorem.

6. Bibliography

\backmatter
\bibliographystyle{plain}
\bibliography{literatur}

\backmatter switches page numbering and treats the bibliography as an appendix without numbering. Create a literatur.bib file in BibTeX format. Sarmate runs pdflatex → bibtex → pdflatex → pdflatex automatically.

Common errors and how to fix them

! Package babel Error: Unknown language `ngerman'

Outdated TeX distribution. On Sarmate it's up-to-date so you shouldn't see this. Locally, install the babel-german package via your TeX distribution.

Umlauts come out broken (ü instead of ü)

Save your .tex file in UTF-8. Sarmate uses UTF-8 by default. Locally: set your editor's encoding to UTF-8.

Table of contents only shows some chapters

Two compilation passes are needed: the first writes the .aux file, the second reads it into the TOC. Sarmate handles this automatically.

Long German words break ugly in headers

Help LaTeX with \hyphenation{Wis-sen-schaft Trenn-stelle} in the preamble, or use \- inside the word: Wissen\-schaft.

"File `chapters/einleitung.tex' not found"

You deleted or renamed the chapter file. In the Sarmate demo, chapters are inlined automatically — when logged in, copy the full template via "+ Template" in the file manager.

FAQ

Which universities mandate their own template?

RWTH Aachen, ETH Zürich, TU Darmstadt, KIT Karlsruhe, many TUM and LMU departments. Ask your program. If your university has no template, this one is a good starting point.

Should I use \include or \input?

\include starts the included chapter on a new page and allows selective compilation with \includeonly. \input embeds content seamlessly without page break. For chapters: \include. For smaller building blocks (tables, figure lists): \input.

How do I cite in German style?

Sciences: numeric [1] or author-year. Humanities: footnote citations with biblatex + style verbose-trad2 or chicago-authordate. Talk to your advisor; disciplines vary widely.

Do I need an "Eidesstattliche Erklärung" (statutory declaration)?

Yes, in virtually all German programs. Usually after the title page, before the Zusammenfassung. Get the exact text from your exam office.

How long should a Bachelor's/Master's thesis be?

Bachelor: 30-60 pages typical. Master: 60-100. Diplom: 80-120. PhD: 150-250+. This template scales to all lengths.

Going further

• DANTE e.V. — German-speaking TeX user group with mailing list and meetings.
• texdoc.org — documentation for all LaTeX packages.