diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 8eebd3b27..41097e371 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@ $ bower install validator-js
 - **contains(str, seed)** - check if the string contains the seed.
 - **equals(str, comparison)** - check if the string matches the comparison.
 - **isAfter(str [, date])** - check if the string is a date that's after the specified date (defaults to now).
-- **isAlpha(str)** - check if the string contains only letters (a-zA-Z).
-- **isAlphanumeric(str)** - check if the string contains only letters and numbers.
+- **isAlpha(str [, locale])** - check if the string contains only letters (a-zA-Z).
+- **isAlphanumeric(str [, locale])** - check if the string contains only letters and numbers.
 - **isAscii(str)** - check if the string contains ASCII chars only.
 - **isBase64(str)** - check if a string is base64 encoded.
 - **isBefore(str [, date])** - check if the string is a date that's before the specified date.
diff --git a/test/validators.js b/test/validators.js
index dc54e8fe4..276981271 100644
--- a/test/validators.js
+++ b/test/validators.js
@@ -551,6 +551,28 @@ describe('Validators', function () {
                 'abc1'
               , '  foo  '
               , ''
+              , 'ÄBC'
+              , 'FÜübar'
+              , 'Jön'
+              , 'Heiß'
+            ]
+        });
+    });
+
+    it('should validate german alpha strings', function () {
+        test({
+            validator: 'isAlpha'
+          , args: ['de-DE']
+          , valid: [
+                'äbc'
+              , 'ÄBC'
+              , 'FöÖbär'
+              , 'Heiß'
+            ]
+          , invalid: [
+                'äbc1'
+              , '  föö  '
+              , ''
             ]
         });
     });
@@ -565,6 +587,24 @@ describe('Validators', function () {
           , invalid: [
                 'abc '
               , 'foo!!'
+              , 'ÄBC'
+              , 'FÜübar'
+              , 'Jön'
+            ]
+        });
+    });
+
+    it('should validate german alphanumeric strings', function () {
+        test({
+            validator: 'isAlphanumeric'
+          , args: ['de-DE']
+          , valid: [
+                'äbc123'
+              , 'ÄBC11'
+            ]
+          , invalid: [
+                'äca '
+              , 'föö!!'
             ]
         });
     });
@@ -1333,6 +1373,22 @@ describe('Validators', function () {
     });
 
     it('should validate mobile phone number', function () {
+      test({
+        validator: 'isMobilePhone'
+        , valid: [
+            '+49 (0) 123 456 789'
+          , '+49 (0) 123 456789'
+          , '0123/4567890'
+          , '+49 01234567890'
+          , '01234567890'
+        ]
+        , invalid: [
+            ''
+          , 'Vml2YW11cyBmZXJtZtesting123'
+        ],
+        args: ['de-DE']
+      });
+
       test({
         validator: 'isMobilePhone'
         , valid: [
diff --git a/validator.js b/validator.js
index 900e7180b..a1abef682 100644
--- a/validator.js
+++ b/validator.js
@@ -64,8 +64,14 @@
       , all: /^[0-9A-F]{8}-[0-9A-F]{4}-[0-9A-F]{4}-[0-9A-F]{4}-[0-9A-F]{12}$/i
     };
 
-    var alpha = /^[A-Z]+$/i
-      , alphanumeric = /^[0-9A-Z]+$/i
+    var alpha = {
+        'en-US': /^[A-Z]+$/i,
+        'de-DE': /^[A-ZÄÖÜß]+$/i,
+      }
+      , alphanumeric = {
+        'en-US': /^[0-9A-Z]+$/i,
+        'de-DE': /^[0-9A-ZÄÖÜß]+$/i
+      }
       , numeric = /^[-+]?[0-9]+$/
       , int = /^(?:[-+]?(?:0|[1-9][0-9]*))$/
       , float = /^(?:[-+]?(?:[0-9]+))?(?:\.[0-9]*)?(?:[eE][\+\-]?(?:[0-9]+))?$/
@@ -99,7 +105,8 @@
       'nn-NO': /^(\+?47)?[49]\d{7}$/,
       'vi-VN': /^(0|\+?84)?((1(2([0-9])|6([2-9])|88|99))|(9((?!5)[0-9])))([0-9]{7})$/,
       'en-NZ': /^(\+?64|0)2\d{7,9}$/,
-      'en-IN': /^(\+?91|0)?[789]\d{9}$/
+      'en-IN': /^(\+?91|0)?[789]\d{9}$/,
+      'de-DE': /^(\+?49[ \.\-])?([\(]{1}[0-9]{1,6}[\)])?([0-9 \.\-\/]{3,20})((x|ext|extension)[ ]?[0-9]{1,4})?$/
     };
 
     // from http://goo.gl/0ejHHW
@@ -414,12 +421,14 @@
         return (['true', 'false', '1', '0'].indexOf(str) >= 0);
     };
 
-    validator.isAlpha = function (str) {
-        return alpha.test(str);
+    validator.isAlpha = function (str, locale) {
+        locale = locale || 'en-US';
+        return alpha[locale].test(str);
     };
 
-    validator.isAlphanumeric = function (str) {
-        return alphanumeric.test(str);
+    validator.isAlphanumeric = function (str, locale) {
+        locale = locale || 'en-US';
+        return alphanumeric[locale].test(str);
     };
 
     validator.isNumeric = function (str) {