List of people from Berlin

Berlin

The following is a list of notable people who were born in Berlin, Germany.

Politicians and Statesmen

Frederick the Great

Wilhelm II, German Emperor

• Adolf Heinrich von Arnim-Boitzenburg (1803–1868), statesman and politician
• Eduard Bernstein (1850–1932), politician (SPD), member of the Reichstag
• Anna of Brandenburg (1487–1514), noblewoman and mother of Christian III (King of Denmark)
• Rainer Brüderle (born 1945), politician (FDP)
• Sawsan Chebli (born 1978), politician (SPD)
• Eberhard Diepgen (born 1941), politician (CDU), Governing Mayor of Berlin
• Kurt Eisner (1867–1919), politician (SPD, USPD)
• Frederick the Great (1712–1786), King of Prussia from 1740 until 1786
• Frederick William (1620–1688), Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia from 1640 until 1688
• Frederick William I (1688–1740), King in Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg from 1713 until 1740
• Frederick William II (1744–1797), King of Prussia from 1786 until 1797
• Stefan Gelbhaar (born 1976), politician (Bündnis90/Die Grünen)
• Ernst Ludwig von Gerlach (1795–1877), judge, politician and journalist
• George V of Hanover (1819—1878), King of Hanover from 1851 until 1866
• Gregor Gysi (born 1948), politician (The Left)
• Klaus Gysi (1912–1999), Minister of Culture and state secretary for church affairs of GDR
• Reinhard Klimmt (born 1942), politician (SPD), Prime Minister of Saarland
• Hans Luther (1879–1962), Chancellor in the Weimar Republic
• David McAllister (born 1971), politician (CDU), Prime Minister of Niedersachsen
• Erich Mielke (1907–2000), head of the Stasi
• Petra Pau (born 1963), politician (The Left)
• Hugo Preuss (1860–1925), lawyer and "father of the Weimar Constitution"
• Jesko von Puttkamer (1855–1917), colonial military chief, and nine times governor of Cameroon
• Walther Rathenau (1867–1922), industrialist, politician (DDP) and Foreign Minister of the Weimar Republic
• Baldur von Schirach (1907–1974), leader of the Hitlerjugend 1931-1940, Reich governor in Vienna
• Rupert Scholz (born 1937), politician (CDU)
• Paul Singer (1844–1911), SPD co-founder, whose chairman and Reichstag, producer
• Willi Stoph (1914–1999), politician (SED), Chairman of the State Council
• Gustav Stresemann (1878–1929), politician (DVP), chancellor and foreign minister of the Weimar Republic, Nobel Peace Prize laureate
• Otto Wels (1873–1939), politician (SPD)
• William I, German Emperor (1797–1888), German Emperor
• Wilhelm II, German Emperor (1859–1941), German Emperor
• Klaus Wowereit (born 1953), politician (SPD), Governing Mayor of Berlin from 2001 to 2014

Entrepreneurs

Hasso Plattner

Carl Friedrich von Siemens

• Ellen Allien, musician, DJane, founder of music label BPitch Control
• Heinz Berggruen (1914–2007), art Dealer
• Alexander Duncker (1813–1897), publisher and bookseller
• Friedrich Karl Flick (1927–2006), industrialist and billionaire
• Albert Göring (1895–1966), engineer and business manager
• Klaus and Eva Herlitz (born 1947 and 1952 respectively), business people and the initiators of the Buddy Bears
• Günter Herlitz (1913-2010), business people
• Gustav Langenscheidt (1832–1895), language teacher, book publisher, and the founder of Langenscheidt Publishing Group
• Ernst Litfaß (1816–1874), publisher, inventor of the Litfaßsäule
• Joseph Mendelssohn (1770–1848), banker
• Franz Oppenheim (1852-1929), industrialist and chemist
• Harald Quandt (1921–1967), industrialist
• Hasso Plattner (born 1944), co-founder of SAP SE software company
• Emil Rathenau (1838–1915), industrialist and founder of the AEG
• Wolf Jobst Siedler (1926–2013), publisher and publicist
• Arnold von Siemens (1853-1918), entrepreneur and industrialist
• Carl Friedrich von Siemens (1872–1941), industrialist
• Georg Wilhelm von Siemens (1855-1919), industrialist
• Georg Solmssen (1869-1957), German banker

Military officers

• Hans-Rudolf Boehmer (born 1938), Vice Admiral A.D. the German Navy, inspector of the navy (1995–1998)
• Karl von Bülow (1846–1921), Prussian field marshal
• Heinz Brandt (1907–1944), General Staff officer
• Leo von Caprivi (1831–1899), Vice Admiral of the Imperial German Navy, politicians, Chancellor as a successor Bismarck
• Karl Dönitz (1891–1980), naval officer and commander of the German Navy in Second World War
• Max von Fabeck (1854–1916), Prussian general
• Maximilian Vogel von Falckenstein (1839–1917), Prussian general
• Friedrich Wilhelm Quirin von Forcade de Biaix (1699–1765), Prussian general
• Georg Freiherr von Gayl (1850–1927), Prussian general
• Ludwig Friedrich Leopold von Gerlach (1790–1861), Prussian general
• Karl von Grolman (1777–1843), Prussian general
• Friedrich Wilhelm von Grumbkow (1678–1739), Prussian field marshal
• Wilhelm von Hahnke (1833–1912), Prussian field marshal
• Henning von Holtzendorff (1853–1919), German admiral
• Ludwig Karl von Kalckstein (1725–1800), Prussian field marshal
• Christian Nicolaus von Linger (1669–1755), Prussian general
• Ludwig Adolf Wilhelm von Lützow (1782–1834), Prussian lieutenant general
• Erich von Manstein (1887–1973), German Field Marshal
• Alexander von Monts (1832–1888), Prussian and German Imperial Navy officer
• Friedrich Graf Kleist von Nollendorf (1762–1823), Prussian field marshal
• Jürgen Oesten (1913–2010), German Korvettenkapitän in the Kriegsmarine
• Hermann von Oppeln-Bronikowski (1899–1966), German general
• Alexander August Wilhelm von Pape (1813–1895), Prussian field marshal
• Augustus Ferdinand of Prussia (1730–1813), Prussian general
• Adalbert of Prussia (1811–1873), Prussian admiral
• Albert of Prussia (1837–1906), Prussian general field marshal
• Friedrich Karl of Prussia (1828-1873), Prussian field marshal
• Henry of Prussia (1726–1802), 13 child king Frederick William. I in Prussia, the Prussian commander army
• Sigismund von Schlichting (1829–1909), Prussian general
• Samuel von Schmettau (1682–1751), Prussian field marshal
• Friedrich von Sohr (1775–1845), Prussian colonel
• Christoph Ludwig von Stille (1696–1752), Prussian general
• Albert von Rauch (1829–1901), Prussian general
• Friedrich von Rauch (1855–1935), Prussian general
• Gustav Waldemar von Rauch (1819–1890), Prussian general
• Nikolaus von Rauch (1851–1904), Prussian oberst
• Klaus Reinhardt (born 1941), German general
• Manfred von Richthofen (1892–1918), German fighter pilot
• August Otto Rühle von Lilienstern (1780–1848), Prussian lieutenant general
• Alfred von Schlieffen (1833–1913), Field Marshal
• Rudolf Schmidt (1886–1957), German general
• Günther Tamaschke (1896–1959), Nazi SS concentration camp commandant
• Carl Friedrich Heinrich, Graf von Wylich und Lottum (1767–1841), Prussian general

Scientists

Alexander von Humboldt

Statue of Konrad Zuse

• Peter Simon Pallas (1741-1811), botanist and zoologist
• Otto Wilhelm Hermann von Abich (1806–1886), mineralogist and geologist
• Emil du Bois-Reymond (1818–1896), physician and physiologist
• Max Delbrück (1906–1981), biophysicist
• Hermann von Helmholtz (1821–1894), physician
• Ingrid van Houten-Groeneveld (1921–2015), Dutch astronomer
• Alexander von Humboldt (1769–1859), geographer, naturalist, explorer, and influential proponent of Romantic philosophy and science.
• Edmund Landau (1877–1938), mathematician
• Paul Langerhans (1847–1888), pathologist, physiologist and biologist
• Johann Nathanael Lieberkühn (1711-1756), physician
• Bernhard Hermann Neumann (1909–2002), mathematician
• Alfred Wegener (1880–1930), polar researcher, geophysicist and meteorologist
• Adolf Windaus (1876–1959), chemist who won a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1928
• Carl Gustav Witt (1866–1946), astronomer and discover of two asteroids
• Konrad Zuse (1910–1995), civil engineer, inventor and computer pioneer
• Michael Albeck (born 1934), Israeli chemist; President of Bar-Ilan University

Judges and Lawyers

• Heinz Drossel (1916–2008), judge, was honored as Righteous Among the Nations
• Wilhelm Heinrich von Grolman (1781–1856), lawyer, Berlin Court of Appeal president (the "righteous judge")
• Jutta Limbach (1934–2016), President of the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany from 1994 to 2002, as the first woman in this office
• Hans-Jürgen Papier (born 1943), President of the Federal Constitutional Court s 2002–2010

Theologians

• Kurt Aland (1915–1994), theologian
• Albrecht of Brandenburg (1490–1545), archbishop of Magdeburg and Elector of Mainz, Lord Chancellor of Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation
• Otto Dibelius (1880–1967), leading member of the Confessing Church, bishop of Berlin, Chairman of the Council of Evangelical Church, president of Ecumenical Council
• Regina Jonas (1902–1944), first woman in history to be ordained as a rabbi

Authors, Historians, Journalists, Scholars, Philosophers

Herbert Marcuse

Walter Benjamin

• Achim von Arnim (1781–1831), author, poet and novelist
• Gisela von Arnim (1827–1889), author
• Bernd-Rainer Barth (born 1957), historian and publicist
• Walter Benjamin (1892–1940), philosopher
• Ludwig Borchardt (1863–1938), Egyptologist
• Adolf Brand (1874-1945), writer
• Heinrich Brugsch (1827–1894), Egyptologist
• Friedrich von Canitz (1654-1699), poet and diplomat
• Hoimar von Ditfurth (1921–1989), physician, writer and journalist
• Georg Ebers (1837–1898), Egyptologist
• Ernst Ehrlich (1921–2007), German-Swiss Judaic scholar and historian
• Joachim Fest (1926–2006), historian, journalist and author
• Paul Friedlander (1882–1968), philologist and writer
• Kurt Großmann (1897-1972, journalist
• Hans Gustav Güterbock (1908–2000), Hittitologist
• Hans von Hentig (1887–1974), criminologist
• Kurt Hiller (1885-1972), writer, journalist and essayist
• Gerald Holton (born 1922), science historian and physicist
• Maybrit Illner (born 1965), journalist
• Robert Jungk (1913–1994), writer, journalist and futurist
• Manuela Kay (born 1964), journalist and writer
• Klemens von Klemperer (1916–2012), historian
• Luise Kraushaar (1905–1989), historian
• Bernhard von Kugler (1837–1898), historian
• Günther von Lojewski (born 1935), journalist
• Wolf von Lojewski (born 1937), journalist
• Herbert Marcuse (1898–1979), German-American philosopher, political scientist and sociologist
• Erich Maschke (1900–1982), historian and professor of history
• Franz Oppenheimer (1864–1943), sociologist and economist
• Iris Radisch (born 1959), journalist
• Peter Rüchel (1937–2019), music journalist
• Hajo Seppelt (born 1963), journalist
• Georg Simmel (1858–1918), sociologist, philosopher
• Gabor Steingart (born 1962), journalist and author
• Kurt Tucholsky (1890-1935), journalist and writer
• Theodor Wolff (1868-1943), journalist and writer

Actors, Architects, Artists, Comedians, Directors and Singers

Marlene Dietrich

• Ken Adam (1921–2016) set designer
• Die Ärzte band members, Farin Urlaub and Bela B.
• Peer Augustinski (1940–2014), actor
• Hugo Egon Balder (born 1950), actor and comedian
• Mario Barth (born 1972), comedian
• Karl Becker (1820-1900), painter
• Reinhold Begas (1831–1911), sculptor
• Michael Ballhaus (1935–2017), cinematographer
• Tim Bendzko (born 1985), singer-songwriter
• Dagmar Berghoff (born 1943), actress, radio and television presenter.
• Horst Buchholz (1933–2003), actor
• Marlene Dietrich (1901–1992), singer and actress
• Christoph von Dohnányi (born ), conductor
• Angelica Domröse (born 1941), actress
• Caroline Fischer (born 1984), pianist
• Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (1925–2012)
• Klaus Doldinger (born 1936), saxophonist
• Elton (born 1971), comedian and television presenter
• Alexander Fehling (born 1981), actor
• Hansjörg Felmy (1931–2007), actor
• Julia Franck (born 1970), writer
• Naomi Frankel (1918–2009), novelist
• Peter Frankenfeld (1913–1979), comedian, radio and television personality
• Liv Lisa Fries (born 1990), actress
• Claus Theo Gärtner (born 1943), actor
• Kurt Gerron (1897-1944), actor
• Götz George (1938–2016) actor
• Valeska Gert (1892–1978), dancer and cabaret artist
• Walter Gronostay (1906-1937), composer
• Walter Gropius (1883–1961), architect
• Georg Grosz (1893–1959), painter
• Nina Hagen (born 1955), singer
• Karoline Herfurth (born 1984), actress
• Judith Hermann (born 1970), writer
• Martina Hill (born 1974), actress
• Margot Hielscher (1919–2017), actress
• Alfred Hirschmeier (1931-1996), film production designer
• Harald Juhnke (1929–2005) actor, singer, comedian and entertainer
• Roland Kaiser (born 1952), singer
• Nastassja Kinski (born 1961), actress
• Johanna von Koczian (born 1933), actress
• Wolfgang Kohlhaase (born 1931), screenwriter and film director
• Hildegard Knef (1925–2002) singer and actress
• Hardy Krüger (born 1928), actor
• Fritz Kühn (1910-1967), visual artist
• Peer Kusmagk (born 1975), actor
• Paul Landers (born 1964), musician of band Rammstein
• Maria Landrock (1923-1992), actress
• Max Liebermann (1847–1935), painter
• Paul Lincke (1866–1946), composer and theatre conductor
• Christian Lorenz (born 1966), musician of band Rammstein
• Ernst Lubitsch (1892–1947), film director, producer, writer, and actor
• Florian Lukas (born 1973), actor
• Markus Majowski (born 1964), actor and comedian
• Inge Meysel (1910–2004), actress
• Helmut Newton (born Helmut Neustädter) (1920–2004), photographer
• Désirée Nick (born 1956), actress and writer
• Erik Ode (1910-1983), actor and film director
• Gerd Oswald (1919-1989), film director
• Kerstin Ott (born 1982), singer
• Oliver Petszokat (born 1978), singer
• Günter Pfitzmann (1924–2003), actor
• Hans Poelzig (1864–1936), architect
• André Previn (1929–2019), pianist, conductor and composer
• Jürgen Prochnow (born 1941), actor
• Rammstein band members, Paul Landers, bassist Oliver Riedel, drummer and keyboardist Christian Lorenz
• Ivan Rebroff (1931-2008), singer
• Leni Riefenstahl (1902–2003), film director, producer, screenwriter, editor, photographer and actress
• Marianne Rosenberg (born 1955), singer
• Hans Rosenthal (1925–1987), radio editor, director, and radio and television host
• Erna Sack (1898-1972), soprano singer
• Tom Schilling (born 1982), actor
• Wilhelm Schirmer (1802–1866), painter
• Cornelia Schleime (born 1953), painter, performer, filmmaker and author
• Jörn Schlönvoigt (born 1986), actor and singer
• Christoph Schneider (born 1966), musician of Band Rammstein
• Klaus Schulze (born 1947), electronic music pioneer, composer and musician
• Tomer Sisley (born 1974), Israeli humorist, actor, screenwriter, comedian, and film director
• Max Skladanowsky (1863-1939), early filmmaker and co-inventor of Bioscop
• Elke Sommer (born 1940), actor
• Ingrid Steeger (born 1947), actress and comedian
• Katharina Thalbach (born 1954), actress
• Sophia Thomalla (born 1989), actress
• Ludwig Tieck (1773–1853), poet, translator, editor, novelist
• Nora Tschirner (born 1981), actress
• Kurt Tucholsky, (1890–1935), writer
• Michael Verhoeven (born 1938), actor
• Otto Wallburg (1889-1944), actor
• Rolf Zacher (1941–2018), actor

Sportspeople

Katarina Witt

Jérôme Boateng

• Rudi Ball (1911–1975), Olympic and Hall of Fame ice hockey player
• Muhamed Bešić (born 1992), professional footballer who plays for the Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team.
• Jérôme Boateng (born 1988), football player and 2014 FIFA World Cup winner
• Kevin-Prince Boateng (born 1987), football player
• Guido Buchwald (born 1961), footballer
• Sven Felski (born 1974), ice hockey coach
• Gottfried Fuchs (1889–1972), German-Canadian Olympic soccer player
• Thomas Häßler (born 1966), footballer and 1990 FIFA World Cup winner
• Robert Harting (born 1984), discus thrower
• Heinz Henschel (1920–2006), German Ice Hockey Hall of Fame, and IIHF Hall of Fame inductee
• Achim Hill (1935-2015), German rower
• Robert Huth (born 1984), footballer
• Gustav Jaenecke (born 1908), Olympic ice hockey player
• Patrick Jahn (born 1983), German footballer
• Carsten Keller (born 1939), field hockey player and gold medalist at the 1972 Summer Olympics, father of Andreas Keller, Natascha Keller and Florian Keller
• Max Kepler (born 1993), is a baseball player for the Minnesota Twins of the MLB
• Henry Laskau (born 1916), track and field athlete
• Pierre Littbarski (born 1960), footballer
• Laura Ludwig (born 1986), beach volleyballer
• Ingeborg Mello (born 1919), track and field athlete
• Claudia Pechstein (born 1972), speed skater
• Ellen Preis (Ellen Müller-Preis) (1912–2007), German-born Austrian Olympic champion foil fencer
• Daniel Prenn (1904–1991), Russian-born German, Polish, and British world-top-ten tennis player
• Otto Scheff (born 1886), Olympic swimmer
• Gustav Scholz (1930–2000), boxer
• Jochen Schümann (born 1959), sailor and Olympic champion
• Hagen Stamm (born 1960), water polo player
• Ulf Timmermann (born 1962), shot putter
• Franziska van Almsick (born 1978), swimmer and sport journalist
• Katarina Witt (born 1965), figure skater
• Christian Ziege (born 1972), footballer

Others

• Nadja Auermann (born 1971), supermodel
• Erna Barschak (1888-1958), teacher and psychologist
• Bärbel Bohley (1945-2010), opposition figure and artist
• Gabriele von Bülow (1802–1887), noblewoman
• Margot Dreschel (1908–1945), Nazi concentration camp guard executed for war crimes
• Marta Husemann (1913-1960), actress, communist and resistance fighter
• Käthe Niederkirchner (1909-1944), communist and resistance fighter
• Horst Fischer (1912–1966), SS concentration camp doctor executed for war crimes
• Heinz Kapelle (1913-1941), communist and resistance fighter
• Elisabeth Lupka (1902–1949), Nazi concentration camp guard executed for war crimes
• Detlef Soost (born 1970), dancer, choreograph and tv-presenter
• Karl-Eduard von Schnitzler (1918-2001), communist propgandist
• Rahel Varnhagen (1771–1833), salon host

See also

• Culture of Berlin
• Music in Berlin
• Sport in Berlin