German Red
(most common name in English)

(most common name):
• Rotes Höhenvieh
(local/other name):
• Mitteldeutsches Gebirgsvieh
• Mitteldeutsches Rotvieh
local/other name (English):
• Middle German Hill
• Middle German Red
• Red cattle of Central Germany
• Red Hill
• Red Mountain

The German Red originated from Celtic-Sudeten cattle that are thought to have been present in Germany starting around 1000 BC.

• 1911 - 16 herdbooks (of local shorthorned, red-colored triple-purpose cattle) in mountainous central Germany were combined; this formed the German Red (Deutsches Rotvieh); 8 varieties continued to be recognized within the new combined herdbook
• after 1950 - German Red almost died out due to crossbreeding
• since 1980 - German Red (Highland type) reconstituted using a few surviving animals and a stock of frozen semen from a single bull

German Red (Highland type) herdbook regulations have permitted admixture from other breeds, resulting in:
• German Red (41.7%)
• Danish Red (29.5%)
• Angeln (10.7%)
• Gelbvieh (6.4%)
• Lahn (variety of Gelbvieh, 3.9%)
• Polish Red (1.7%)

A computer-guided mating plan has been used to decrease inbreeding.

Varieties of German Red include:
• Harz Red
• Hesse Red

Former varieties of German Red include:
• Bavarian Red
• Hesse-Westphalian
• Silesian Red
• Thuringian Red
• Vogelsberg
• Vogtland
• Westphalian Red

German to English:
• Mitteldeutsches Gebirgsvieh = Middle German Hill cattle
• Mitteldeutsches Rotvieh = Middle German Red cattle
• Rotes Höhenvieh = Red Hill or Red Mountain cattle

This page was last updated on: 2023-07-14

You can also go to:

My Daily Cow® Germany and read about other German cattle breeds.

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