Some of you may be aware of the Bielefeld Conspiracy. It arose in the 90s as a parody of conspiracy theories, and alleges that the city of Bielefeld does not exist. It has apparently remained quite popular as a joke in Germany, and has been featured prominently in the city's tourism marketing, and has been mentioned by Merkel as well.
Mocking conspiracy theories and theorists in general has obvious benefits, but I recently realized there is another reason the German government may want to encourage the joke. I've seen a number of discussions on the existence and legitimacy of Germany itself. Specifically, the process by which the Third Reich was succeeded by later regimes is rather blurry and vague. And, the extent of the authority of the Allied powers (mostly the US) over the new government, and their jurisdiction and duration, are not clear. In essence, it is alleged that modern Germany is not a valid successor to the historical nation, and that it differs legally from typical countries as a result.
This is where Bielefeld comes in.
First, searches questioning the existence of Germany will be filled with results concerning Bielefeld. Reasonably-worded searches (e.g. German government successor state legitimacy) will come up with the desired results, but the vast majority of people aren't good at that, and are probably more inclined to search something like "Germany does not exist". This search does turn up many results about Bielefeld, driving relevant information out of the first page.
Second, more than mocking conspiracy theories in general, it specifically mocks the idea of the non-existence of a German place. While any parody theory would have some effect in making the idea that Germany is not legitimate seem laughable, this parody has a very direct and specific relevance. To have anyone searching for information on the real question be confronted with the same idea in the form of satire and mockery will strongly discourage anyone from taking it seriously.
Is it a Pure Coincidence, or am I just looking too far into things?