List of Germans

Famous people from Germany:

Table of contents

1 Actors 2 Artists 3 Composers 4 Filmmakers 5 Royalty 6 Musicians and singers 7 Philosophers 8 Politicians 8.1 Politicians in East Germany 8.2 Personalities of the Nazi Party and Regime 9 Scientists and Engineers 10 Sportspersons 11 Theologians 12 Writers 13 Others

Actors

• Marlene Dietrich, (1901-1992), actress
• Gert Fröbe, (1913-1988), actor
• Klaus Kinski, (1926-1991), actor and father of Nastassia Kinski
• Hildegard Knef, (1925-2002), actress, singer, writer
• Armin Mueller-Stahl, (born 1930), actor

Artists

• Hans von Aachen, (1552-1615), mannerist painter
• Albrecht Altdorfer, (1480-1538), painter
• Joseph Beuys, (1921-1986), artist
• Arnold Böcklin, (1827-1901), painter
• Lucas Cranach the Elder, (1472-1553), painter
• Lucas Cranach the Younger, (1515-1586), painter
• Albrecht Dürer, (1471-1528), painter
• Max Ernst, (1891-1976), surrealist painter
• Caspar David Friedrich, (1774-1840), painter
• Walter Gropius, (1883-1969), architect
• George Grosz, (1893-1959), artist
• Hannah Höch - artist
• Hans Holbein the Elder, (c.1465-1524), painter
• Hans Holbein the Younger, (c.1497-1543), illustrator, painter
• Janosch, (1931), artist known for his books for children
• Franz Marc, (1880-1916), painter
• Eberhard Schlotter (1921), painter
• Carl Spitzweg, (1808-1885), painter

Composers

• Karl Friedrich Abel, (1725-1787), composer
• Martin Agricola, (1466-1506), composer
• Siegfried Alkan, (1858 - 1941), composer
• Johann Sebastian Bach, (1685-1750), composer
• Ludwig van Beethoven, (1770-1827), composer
• Johannes Brahms, (1833-1897), composer
• Georg Friedrich Händel, (1685-1759), composer, opera composer
• Paul Hindemith, (1895-1963), composer
• Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
• Carl Orff, (1895-1982), composer
• Johann Pachelbel, (1653-1706), composer
• Clara Schumann, (1819-1896), composer
• Robert Schumann, (1810-1856), composer, songwriter
• Karlheinz Stockhausen, (1928-), modern electronic composer
• Richard Strauss, (1864-1949), composer, opera composer
• Georg Philipp Telemann, (1681-1767), composer
• Richard Wagner, (1813-1883), composer
• Carl Maria von Weber, (1786-1826), composer
• Kurt Weill, (1900-1950), composer: Threepenny Opera, "September Song"

Filmmakers

• Werner Herzog, (born 1942), film director
• Fritz Lang, (1890-1976), film director
• Ernst Lubitsch, (1892-1947), film director
• F.W. Murnau, (1888-1931), film director
• Wolfgang Petersen, (born 1941), film director
• Leni Riefenstahl, (1902-2003), female film director
• Wim Wenders, (born 1945), film director
• Volker Schlöndorff, (born 1939), film director

Royalty

• Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, (1819-1861), Queen Victoria's husband & consort
• Albert (1828-1902), King of Saxony (1873-1902)
• Anton (1755-1836), King of Saxony (1827-1836)
• Carol I of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (1839-1914), Prince (1867-1881) and King (1881-1914) of Romania
• Charles (1823-1891), King of Württemberg (1823-1891)
• Ferdinand of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (1865-1927), King of Romania (1924-1927)
• Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (1861-1948), Prince of Bulgaria (1887-1908), King (or Tsar) of the Bulgarians (1908-1918)
• Frederick I (1657-1713), Elector of Brandenburg (1688-1713), King in Prussia (1701-1713)
• Frederick I (1754-1816), Duke (1797-1803), Elector (1803-1806), and King (1806-1816) of Württemberg
• Frederick II the Great (1712-1786), King of Prussia (1740-1786)
• Friedrich III (1831-1888), German Emperor and King of Prussia (1888)
• Frederick Augustus I (1750-1827), Elector (1763-1806) and King (1806-1827) of Saxony
• Frederick Augustus II (1797-1854), King of Saxony (1836-1854)
• Frederick Augustus III (1865-1932), King of Saxony (1904-1918)
• Frederick William I (1688-1740), King of Prussia (1713-1740)
• Frederick William II (1744-1797), King of Prussia (1786-1797)
• Frederick William III (1770-1840), King of Prussia (1797-1840)
• Frederick William IV (1795-1861), King of Prussia (1840-1861)
• George (1832-1904), King of Saxony (1902-1904)
• George V (1819-1878), King of Hanover (1851-1866)
• John (1801-1873), King of Saxony (1854-1873)
• Ludwig I (1786-1868), King of Bavaria (1825-1848)
• Ludwig II (1845-1886), King of Bavaria (1864-1886)
• Ludwig III (1845-1921), King of Bavaria (1913-1918)
• Maximilian I (1756-1825), Elector (1799-1805) and King (1805-1825) of Bavaria
• Maximilian II (1811-1864), King of Bavaria (1848-1864)
• Otto (1848-1916), King of Bavaria (1886-1913)
• Otto of Bavaria (1815-1867), King of the Hellenes (1833-1862)
• Wilhelm I (1797-1888), German Emperor (1871-1888) and King of Prussia (1861-1888)
• Wilhelm II (1859-1941), German Emperor and King of Prussia (1888-1918)
• William I (1781-1864), King of Württemberg (1816-1864)
• William II (1848-1921), King of Württemberg (1891-1918)

Musicians and singers

• Klaus Nomi, (1944-1983)
• Michael Schenker, (born 1955), guitar player of UFO and solo career

Philosophers

• Hannah Arendt, (1906-1975), political theorist
• Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, (1770-1831), philosopher
• Johann Gottlieb Fichte, (1762-1814), philosopher
• Gottlob Frege, (1848-1925), mathematician, logician and philosopher
• Martin Heidegger, (1889-1976), philosopher
• Immanuel Kant, (1724-1804), philosopher
• Gottfried Leibniz, (1646-1716), physicist, philosopher
• Karl Marx, (1818-1883), philosopher and sociologist. Founder of Marxist political and economic philosophy
• Friedrich Nietzsche, (1844-1900), existentialist philosopher and fierce critic of what he called the 'slave
• Arthur Schopenhauer, (1788-1860), philosopher

Politicians

• Konrad Adenauer, (1876-1967), federal chancellor (CDU)
• Otto von Bismarck, (1815-1898), 19th century statesman
• Martin Bormann, (1900-probably 1945), nazi leader
• Willy Brandt, (1913-1992), West German Chancellor (SPD)
• Heinrich Brüning (1885-1970), Chancellor of the Weimar Republic (Centre Party)
• Friedrich Ebert, (1871-1925), First President of the Weimar Republic (SPD)
• Ludwig Erhard, (1897-1977), federal chancellor (CDU)
• Joschka Fischer, (born 1948), Foreign Minister and German Green Party leader
• Hans-Dietrich Genscher, (born 1927), former minister for foreign affairs (FDP)
• Jakob Grimm, (1785-1863), parlamentarian
• Wilhelm Grimm, (1786-1859), parlamentarian
• Gregor Gysi, (1948-), former leader of the PDS
• Paul von Hindenburg, (1847-1934), general, president
• Petra Kelly, (1947-1992), founder of the German Green Party
• Kurt Georg Kiesinger, (1904-1988), federal chancellor (CDU)
• Helmut Kohl, (1930-), federal chancellor (CDU)
• Jakob Maria Mierscheid, (1933-), parlamentarian (SPD)
• Angela Merkel, (1991-1994 and ; 1994-1998 , and), (CDU)
• Hans Modrow (1928-), former leader of GDR, honorary chairman of PDS
• Franz von Papen (1879-1969), chancellor and politician of the Weimar Republic
• Walther Rathenau (1867-1922), foreign minister (DDP)
• Johannes Rau, (born 1931), federal president (SPD)
• Philipp Scheidemann, (1865-1939), chancellor in the Weimar period (SPD)
• Kurt von Schleicher - general and chancellor in the Weimar period
• Helmut Schmidt, (1969-1972 ; 1972-1974 ; 1974-1982), federal chancellor (SPD)
• Gerhard Schröder, (born 1944), federal chancellor (SPD)
• Kurt Schumacher, (1895-1952), leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany in the early years of the FDR
• Franz Josef Strauß, (1915-1988), Bavarian Politician (CSU)
• Gustav Stresemann, (1878-1929), chancellor and statesman of the Weimar Republic (DVP)
• Ernst Thälmann, (1886-1944), leader of the Communist Party of Germany during the Weimar period
• Guido Westerwelle - party leader of the liberal party (FDP)

Politicians in East Germany

• Egon Krenz, (born 1937) - leader of the GDR after Honecker
• Erich Honecker, (1912-1994) - leader of the GDR until 1989
• Erich Mielke, (1907-2000) - head of the Stasi
• Wilhelm Pieck, (1876-1960) - first president of the GDR
• Günter Schabowski, (born 1929) - member of politburo
• Walter Ulbricht, (1893-1973) - leader of the GDR
• Otto Grotewohl, (1894-1964) - minister president of the GDR

Personalities of the Nazi Party and Regime

• Klaus Barbie, (1913-1991), the "Butcher of Lyon"
• Martin Bormann (1900-1945?), Hitler's private secretary
• Eva Braun, (1912-1945), Hitler's mistress
• Karl Brandt, (1904-1948)
• Karl Dönitz, (1891-1980), chief of the german marine, briefly Hitler's successor
• Anton Drexler, (1884-1942), founder of German Workers Party, which became the NSDAP
• Adolf Eichmann, (1906-1962), German SS officer
• Hans Frank, (1900-1946), Governor-General of Poland
• Roland Freisler, (1893-1945), politician
• Wilhelm Frick, (1877-1946), Minister of the Interior
• Walter Funk, (1890-1960), Minister of Economics
• Joseph Goebbels, (1897-1945), Chancellor of Germany, propaganda chief for the Nazis
• Hermann Göring, (1893-1946), Nazi and chief of Luftwaffe
• Rudolf Hess, (1894-1987), Hitler's private secretary
• Reinhard Heydrich, (1904-1942), Nazi officer, head of the SD and Gestapo
• Heinrich Himmler, (1900-1945), Nazi head of the SS
• Adolf Hitler, (1889 in Braunau, Austria-1945), dictator
• Alfred Jodl, (1890-1946), general, operations chief of the OKW
• Ernst Kaltenbrunner, (1903-1946), Heydrich's successor at the SD
• Wilhelm Keitel, (1882-1946), field marshal, head of the OKW
• Robert Ley, (1890-1945), head of the German Labour Front
• Erhard Milch, (1892-1972), Göring's second-in-command, Air Inspector General
• Konstantin von Neurath, (1873-1956), Foreign Minister in the early years of the regime
• Franz von Papen (1879-1969), Deputy Chancellor in Hitler's first cabinet.
• Erich Raeder, (1876-1960), Head of the German Navy
• Joachim von Ribbentrop, (1893-1946), Nazi foreign minister
• Ernst Röhm, (1887-1934), head of the SA
• Erwin Rommel, (1891-1944), Feldmarschall
• Alfred Rosenberg, (1893-1946), nazi ideologist
• Hjalmar Schacht, Minister of economics
• Baldur von Schirach, (1907-1974), Hitler Youth leader
• Arthur Seyss-Inquart (1892-1946), Austrian Nazi leader
• Albert Speer, (1905-1981), "Hitler's architect", Minister of Armaments
• Gregor Strasser, Left-wing Nazi leader
• Julius Streicher, (1885-1946), Nazi Party leader in Nuremberg

Scientists and Engineers

• Otto Wilhelm Hermann von Abich, (1806-1886), mineralogist, geologist
• Wernher von Braun, (1912-1977), space engineer
• Joseph von Fraunhofer, (1787-1826), physicist
• Justus von Liebig, (1803-1873), chemist
• Fritz Haber, (1868-1934), chemist
• Johann Bayer, (1572-1625), astronomer
• Friedrich Bessel, (1784-1846), mathematician
• Carl Ferdinand Braun - physicist
• Robert Wilhelm Bunsen, (1811-1899), chemist
• Georg Cantor, (1845-1918), mathematician
• Hans Gerhard Creutzfeldt - neuropathologist
• Anton de Bary, (1831-1888), surgeon, botanist, microbiologist
• Rudolf Diesel, (1858-1913), inventor of the Diesel engine
• Albert Einstein, (1879-1955), physicist
• Erich Fromm, (1900-1980), psychologist
• Carl Friedrich Gauss, (1777-1855), mathematician
• Ernst Haeckel, (1834-1919), physician
• Otto Hahn, (1879-1968), chemist
• Robert Havemann, (1910-1982), chemist (and dissident)
• Ernst Heinkel, (1888-1958), Aircraft engineer
• Werner Karl Heisenberg, (1901-1976), physicist
• Johann Homann, (1664-1724), geographer
• Erich Hueckel, (1896-1980), physicist
• Alfons Maria Jakob, (1884-1931), neurologist
• Hugo Junkers, (1859-1935), Aircraft engineer

• Friedrich August Kekulé von Stradonitz, (1829-1896), chemist
• Johannes Kepler, (1571-1630), astronomer
• Wolfgang Franz von Kobell (1803-1882) - mineralogists
• Robert Koch, (1843-1910), physician
• Walter Karl Koch - surgeon
• Adolph Wilhelm Hermann Kolbe, (1818-1884), chemist
• Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, (1646-1716), mathematician
• Alexander Lippisch, (1894-1976), aerodynamicist
• Konrad Zacharias Lorenz, (1903-1989), behavioural physiologist
• Albertus Magnus, (died 1280), alchemist
• Lise Meitner, (1878-1968), physicist
• Wilhelm Messerschmitt, (1898-1978), Aircraft engineer
• Lothar Meyer, (1830-1895), chemist
• Franz Mertens, (1840-1927), mathematician
• August Ferdinand Möbius, (1790-1868), mathematician, theoretical astronomer
• Walther Nernst, (1864-1941), physicist
• Georg Ohm, (1789-1854), physicist
• Adam Riese, (1492-1559), mathematician
• Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, (1845-1923), physicist
• Carl Wilhelm Scheele, (1742-1786), chemist
• Matthias Jakob Schleiden, (1804-1881), botanist
• Heinrich Schliemann, (1822-1890), archaeologist
• Christian Friedrich Schonbein, (1799–1868), chemist
• Theodor Schwann, (1810-1882), physiologist
• Rolf Singer, (1906-1994), mycologist
• Georg Steller, (1709-1746), naturalist
• Alfred Stock, (1876-1946), chemist
• Otto Wallach, physicist
• Hellmuth Walter, (1900-1980), propulsion
• August Weismann, (1834-1914), biologist
• Wilhelm Wundt, (1832-1920), physiologist, psychologist
• Konrad Zuse, (1910-1995), computers

Sportspersons

• Max Baer, (died 1959), World Heavyweight Boxing Champion
• Michael Ballack (born 1976) - footballer
• Franz Beckenbauer (born 1945) - footballer
• Boris Becker (born 1967) - tennis player
• Kai Budde (born 1979), professional Magic: The Gathering player
• Rudolf Caracciola, (1901-1959), race car driver
• Steffi Graf (born 1969) - tennis player
• Georg Hackl, (born 1966), luger
• Armin Hary, (born 1937), athlete
• Oliver Kahn (born 1969) - footballer
• Jürgen Klinsmann (born 1964) - footballer
• Olaf Kolzig (born 1970) - hockey
• Bernhard Langer (born 1957) - golfer
• Sepp Maier - footballer
• Lothar Matthäus (born 1961) - footballer
• Rosi Mittermaier, alpine ski champion
• Gerd Müller, (born 1945), footballer
• Dirk Nowitzki (born 1978) - NBA star
• Birgit Prinz (born 1977) - footballer
• Annegret Richter, (born 1950), athlete
• Karl-Heinz Rummenigge - footballer
• Max Schmeling - boxer
• Detlef Schrempf (born 1963) - former NBA star
• Michael Schumacher (born 1969) - racing driver
• Ralf Schumacher (born 1975) - racing driver, brother of Michael
• Toni Schumacher - footballer
• Uwe Seeler - footballer
• Werner Seelenbinder, (1904-1944), wrestler
• Katja Seizinger, alpine ski champion
• Renate Stecher, (born 1950), athlete
• Toni Turek - (1919-1984), footballer
• Berti Vogts - footballer
• Rudi Völler - footballer
• Fritz Walter, (1920-2002), footballer
• Manfred Winkelhock, (1951-1985), racing driver
• Katarina Witt (born 1965) - ice skater

Theologians

• Heinrich Abeken, (1809-1872), theologian
• Johannes Agricola, (1494-1566), Protestant reformer
• Eusebius Amort, (1692-1775)
• Karl Barth, (1886-1968)
• Dietrich Bonhoeffer, (1906-1945), Theologian
• Rudolf Bultmann
• Alfred Delp
• Martin Luther, (1483-1546), of the Protestant Reformation
• Philipp Melanchthon, (1497-1560), Protestant Reformation
• Elisabeth Moltmann-Wendel
• Jürgen Moltmann, (born 1926), theologian
• Joseph Ratzinger, (born 1927), Cardinal
• Friedrich Schleiermacher, (1768-1834), theologian
• Dorothee Sölle, (1929-2003)
• Helmut Thielicke
• Paul Tillich, philosopher
• Adolf Harnack, (1851-1930)

Writers

• Ernst Moritz Arndt - poet
• Achim von Arnim, (1781-1831), poet
• Bettina von Arnim, (1785-1859), poet
• Ingeborg Bachmann, (1926-1973), poet
• Heinrich Böll, (1917-1985), author
• Bertolt Brecht, (1898-1956), playwright, poet
• Clemens Brentano, (1778-1842), poet
• Georg Büchner, poet
• Wilhelm Busch, (1832-1908), poet
• Matthias Claudius - poet
• Annette von Droste-Hülshoff, (1797-1848), poet
• Michael Ende, (1929-1995), poet
• Joseph von Eichendorff, (1788-1857), poet
• Hans Magnus Enzensberger, (born 1929), poet
• Wolfram von Eschenbach, (died 1220), poet
• Theodor Fontane, (1819-1898), poet
• Paul Gerhardt, (c. 1606-1676), poet
• Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, (1749-1832), author, poet
• Günter Grass, (born 1927), author
• Heinrich Heine, (1797-1856), poet
• Johann Gottfried von Herder, (1744-1803), poet
• Hermann Hesse, (1877-1962), author
• Rolf Hochhuth, (born 1931), playwright
• Ernst Jünger, (1895-1998), poet
• Erich Kästner, (1899-1974), poet, novelist
• Siegfried Lenz, (born 1926), novelist
• Gotthold Lessing - playwright, poet
• Thomas Mann, (1875-1955), author
• Karl May, (1842-1912), poet
• Christian Morgenstern, (1871-1914), poet
• Novalis, (1772-1801), poet
• Erich Maria Remarque, (1898-1970), novelist
• Rainer Maria Rilke, (1875-1926), poet
• Friedrich Schiller, (1759-1805), poet, playwright
• Theodor Storm, (1817-1888), poet
• Patrick Süskind, (born 1949), author of Perfume
• Kurt Tucholsky, (1890-1935), poet
• Walter von der Vogelweide - poet
• Christa Wolf, poet

Others

• Rodolphus Agricola, (1443-1485)
• Johann Eck, (1486-1543)
• Gudrun Ensslin - terrorist
• Anne Frank, (1929-1945), diarist and victim of the Holocaust
• Klaus Fuchs, (1911-1988)
• Reinhard Furrer, (1940-1995), astronaut
• Herschel Grynszpan
• Johann Gutenberg, (circa 1390s-1468), printer
• Hildegard von Bingen, (1098-1179), abbess, mystic
• August Horch, (1868-1951), car designer/manufacturer (AUDI)
• Karen Horney - psychoanalyst
• Heribert Illig, (born 1947), historian
• Sigmund Jähn, (b. 1937), the first German in space
• Ulrike Meinhof, (1934-1976), terrorist
• Ulf Merbold, (b. 1941), astronaut
• Gerardus Mercator, (1512-1594), cartographer
• Carl von Ossietzky, (1889-1938), journalist and pacifist
• Ludwig Quidde, (1858-1941), historian and pacifist
• Albert Schweitzer, (1875-1965), physician , humanitarian
• Edith Stein, (1891-1942), nun, victim of Holocaust
• Johann Tetzel, (1465-1519)
• Manfred von Richthofen, (1892-1918), pilot
• Ulrich Walter, (b. 1954), astronaut
• Diedrich Hermann Westermann, (1875-1956), linguist

See also: List of people by nationality