It was bred in the 1950s in West Germany by crossing Aberdeen Angus with various native German cattle breeds: the German Black Pied, the Deutsche Rotbunte and the Fleckvieh.

The German Angus was bred in West Germany in the 1950s by cross-breeding imported Aberdeen Angus stock from the United Kingdom with local German breeds; these were the German Black Pied or Deutsches Schwarzbuntes Niederungsrind, the Deutsche Rotbunte or Rotbuntes Niederungsrind, and the Fleckvieh or German Simmental.

[4] The German Angus is solid-coloured, black, brown or red, and is always naturally polled (hornless).

[3]: 183  Compared to the Fleckvieh it matures earlier, calves much more easily and has a higher calving rate, while the calf mortality rate is much lower.

A comparative study of recently-weaned calves of the two breeds found the German Angus to be more easily handled and more placid.