German Wikipedia: NowFossilized

That means France's first lady, Carla Bruni, Playstation3 or trivia about the US television series House, starring British actor Hugh Laurie, have earned their place among more typical encyclopedia fodder such as politics and geography.

The Wikipedia Lexikon has turned into something of "a document of the zeitgeist", said Beate Varnhorn, a director at its publisher Bertelsmann Lexicon.

All entries, which include high-profile events such as the 2007 G8 summit in Heiligendamm, have been shortened and checked factually. Dotted with images and photographs, its creators aim to reach people who do not use Wikipedia online.

The sheer size of the articles on the German Wikipedia site proved too daunting for a publisher who planned to convert it into print a few years ago.

"It turned out that even on very thin paper, the German Wikipedia would fill an [Ikea] shelving unit," said Arne Klempert, the director of Wikipedia Germany. "In the end it didn't happen."

The Wikipedian, Mathias Schindler, said the credits page runs 27 pages “in a dense layout -– it’s a page full of names, separated by commas.” “I was able to spot my name within half a minute,” Mr. Schindler said. “And I was able to read it without any auxiliary devices.”