List of Germans
Appearance
Here is a list of famous Germans:
Actors
- Mario Adorf, (born 1930), actor
- Hans Albers, actor
- Moritz Bleibtreu, (born 1971), actor
- Eric Braeden, (born Hans Gudegast, 1941), actor
- Horst Buchholz, (1933-2003), actor
- Marlene Dietrich, (1901-1992), actress
- Heinz Erhardt, (1909-1979), actor and comedian
- Gert Fröbe, (1913-1988), actor
- Götz George, (born 1938), actor
- Heinrich George, actor
- Brigitte Helm, (1908-1996), actress
- Klaus Kinski, (1926-1991), actor
- Hildegard Knef, (1925-2002), actress, singer, writer
- Diane Kruger, (born 1976), actress
- Heike Makatsch, actress
- Willy Millowitsch, (1909-1999), actor
- Armin Mueller-Stahl, (born 1930), actor
- Franka Potente (born 1974), actress
- Jürgen Prochnow, (born 1941), actor
- Heinz Rühmann, (1902-1994), actor
- Uwe Ochsenknecht, (born 1956), actor
- Kristina Söderbaum, (1912-2001), actress and photographer
- Otto Waalkes, (born 1948), actor and comedian
Artists
- Hans von Aachen, (1552-1615), mannerist painter
- Albrecht Altdorfer, (1480-1538), painter
- Ernst Barlach, (1870-1938), sculptor (and writer)
- Joseph Beuys, (1921-1986), artist
- Arnold Böcklin, (1827-1901), painter
- Lovis Corinth, 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
- Jörg Immendorff, painter
- Janosch, (born 1931), artist known for his books for children
- Käthe Kollwitz, (1867-1945), painter
- Max Liebermann, painter
- Franz Marc, (1880-1916), painter
- Oskar Schlemmer, (1888-1943), choreographer, painter, sculptor, stage & costume designer
- Eberhard Schlotter (born 1921), painter
- Kurt Schwitters, painter, poet
- Max Slevogt, painter
- Carl Spitzweg, (1808-1885), painter
- Franz Stuck, 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
- Martin Boettcher, (1927), film-composer
- Johannes Brahms, (1833-1897), composer
- Georg Friedrich Händel, (1685-1759), composer, opera composer
- Paul Hindemith, (1895-1963), composer
- Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, (1756-1791), composer
- Carl Orff, (1895-1982), composer
- Johann Pachelbel, (1653-1706), composer
- Franz Schubert, (1797-1828), composeer, songwriter
- 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
- Doris Dörrie, female film director
- Roland Emmerich, film director
- Gregor von Bismarck, film director
- Rainer Werner Fassbinder, (1945-1982), film director
- 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
- Volker Schlöndorff, (born 1939), film director
- Wim Wenders, (born 1945), 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 Barbarossa (1122–1190), King of Germany 1152, Holy Roman Emperor 1155-1190
- Frederick I of Prussia (1657-1713), Elector of Brandenburg (1688-1713), King in Prussia (1701-1713)
- Frederick I of Württemberg (1754-1816), Duke (1797-1803), Elector (1803-1806), and King (1806-1816) of Württemberg
- Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor (1194-1250), Holy Roman Emperor and King of Jerusalem
- Frederick II of Prussia (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)
- Henry II (972-1024), King of Germany 1002, Holy Roman Emperor 1014-1024
- Henry III (1017-1056), King of Germany 1039, Holy Roman Emperor 1046-1056
- Henry IV (1050-1106), King of Germany 1056, Holy Roman Emperor 1084-1106
- Henry V (1081-1125), King of Germany 1106, Holy Roman Emperor 1111-1125
- Henry VI (1165-1197), King of Germany 1190, Holy Roman Emperor 1191-1197
- 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 I the Great (912-973), King of Germany 936, Holy Roman Emperor 962-973
- Otto II (955-983), Holy Roman Emperor 973-983
- Otto III (980-1002), King of Germany 983, Holy Roman Emperor 996-1002
- Otto of Greece King of Bavaria (1815-1867), King of the Hellenes (1833-1862)
- Otto of Bavaria (1848-1916), King of Bavaria (1886-1913)
- 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
- Blind Guardian
- Can
- Die Ärzte
- Die Toten Hosen
- Faust
- Heino, popular singer
- Herbert Grönemeyer, (born 1956)
- Kraftwerk
- Gundula Krause, (born 1966)
- Reinhard Mey, (born 1942)
- Marius Müller-Westernhagen
- Karl Münchinger, conductor
- Nena, (born 1960)
- Klaus Nomi, (1944-1983)
- Lisa Otto, opera singer
- Rammstein
- Michael Schenker, (born 1955), guitar player of UFO and solo career
- Scooter
- The Scorpions
- Ton Steine Scherben
- Hannes Wader
- Konstantin Wecker
- Wir sind Helden
- Funny van Dannen
- Paul Van Dyk
- Willy Hess (violinist)
See also: List of German bands
Philosophers
- Theodor Adorno, (1903-1969), philosopher, sociologist and composer
- Albertus Magnus, medieval philosopher and theologian
- Hannah Arendt, (1906-1975), political theorist
- Bruno Bauer, (1809 - 1882), political theorist and philosopher
- Walter Benjamin
- Ernst Bloch
- Ernst Cassirer, (1874 - 1945)
- Nikolaus Cusanus, (1401 - 1462), philosopher, theologian, mathematician
- Friedrich Engels, (1820 - 1895), philosopher, political economist, and collaborator with Karl Marx
- Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, (1770-1831), philosopher
- Ludwig Feuerbach, (1804 - 1872), philosopher
- Johann Gottlieb Fichte, (1762-1814), philosopher
- Gottlob Frege, (1848-1925), mathematician, logician and philosopher
- Erich Fromm
- Hans-Georg Gadamer, (1900-2002), philosopher
- Jürgen Habermas, (1929-), philosopher, social theorist
- Eduard von Hartmann, philosopher
- Martin Heidegger, (1889-1976), philosopher
- Max Horkheimer
- Karl Jaspers, (1883-1969), philosopher
- Immanuel Kant, (1724-1804), philosopher
- Ludwig Klages, philosopher
- Gottfried Leibniz, (1646-1716), physicist, philosopher
- Leo Löwenthal
- Karl Löwith
- Herbert Marcuse
- Karl Marx, (1818-1883), philosopher and sociologist. Founder of Marxist political and economic philosophy
- Friedrich Nietzsche, (1844-1900), early existentialist philosopher
- Johann Karl Friedrich Rosenkranz
- Franz Rosenzweig
- Max Scheler, philosopher
- Friedrich Schelling, (1775-1854), philosopher
- Carl Schmitt, (1888 - 1985), political theorist
- Arthur Schopenhauer, (1788-1860), philosopher
- Georg Simmel
- Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker, (1912 - ), philosopher and physicist
- Peter Wust, philosopher
Politicians
- Konrad Adenauer, (1876-1967), federal chancellor (CDU)
- Prince Maximilian of Baden, (1867-1929), Imperial Chancellor
- Gustav Bauer, (1870-1944), chancellor of the Weimar Republic (SPD)
- Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg, (1856-1921), Imperial Chancellor
- Otto von Bismarck, (1815-1898), Imperial Chancellor
- Willy Brandt, (1913-1992), West German Chancellor (SPD)
- Heinrich Brüning (1885-1970), Chancellor of the Weimar Republic (Centre Party)
- Bernhard von Bülow (1849-1929), Imperial Chancellor
- Leo von Caprivi (1831-1899), Imperial Chancellor
- Wilhelm Cuno (1876-1933), chancellor of the Weimar period
- Friedrich Ebert, (1871-1925), First President of the Weimar Republic (SPD)
- Ludwig Erhard, (1897-1977), federal chancellor (CDU)
- Konstantin Fehrenbach (1852-1926), chancellor of the Weimar Republic (Centre)
- Joschka Fischer, (born 1948), Foreign Minister and vice chancellor since 1998 (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
- 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
- Georg von Hertling, (1843-1919), Imperial Chancellor
- Paul von Hindenburg, (1847-1934), general, president
- Prince Chlodwig zu Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst, (1819-1901), Imperial Chancellor
- Petra Kelly, (1947-1992), founder of the German Green Party
- Kurt Georg Kiesinger, (1904-1988), federal chancellor (CDU)
- Helmut Kohl, (1930-), federal chancellor -1998 (CDU)
- Horst Köhler, (1943-), federal president since 2004 (CDU)
- Hans Luther, (1885-1962), chancellor of the Weimar period
- Wilhelm Marx, (1863-1946), chancellor of the Weimar Period (Centre)
- Jakob Maria Mierscheid, (1933-), virtual parlamentarian (SPD)
- Angela Merkel, (1954-), Leader of the CDU
- Georg Michaelis, (1857-1936), Imperial Chancellor
- Hermann Müller, (1876-1931), Chancellor of the Weimar Republic (SPD)
- 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), former federal president 1999-2004 (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 since 1998 (SPD)
- Gerhard Schröder (1910-1989), foreign minister (CDU)
- Kurt Schumacher, (1895-1952), leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany in the early years of the FRG
- 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)
- Joseph Wirth, (1879-1956), Chancellor of the Weimar Period (Centre)
- Clara Zetkin, (1857-1933), socialist and fighter for women's rights
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
- Willy Stoph, (1914-1999) - Premier of the GDR
- 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-probably 1945), nazi leader
- 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
- Manfred von Ardenne, (1907-1997), physicist
- Otto Wilhelm Hermann von Abich, (1806-1886), mineralogist, geologist
- Anton de Bary, (1831-1888), surgeon, botanist, microbiologist
- Johann Bayer, (1572-1625), astronomer
- Carl Benz, (1844-1929), one of the inventors of the gasoline-powered automobile
- Friedrich Bessel, (1784-1846), mathematician
- Ludwig Boltzmann, (1844-1906), physicist
- Max Born, (1882-1970), physicist
- Carl Ferdinand Braun - physicist
- Wernher von Braun, (1912-1977), space engineer
- Robert Wilhelm Bunsen, (1811-1899), chemist
- Georg Cantor, (1845-1918), mathematician
- Hans Gerhard Creutzfeldt - neuropathologist
- Gottlieb Daimler, (1834-1900), one of the inventors of the gasoline-powered automobile
- Rudolf Diesel, (1858-1913), inventor of the Diesel engine
- Albert Einstein, (1879-1955), physicist
- Hans Jürgen Eysenck, psychologist
- Joseph von Fraunhofer, (1787-1826), physicist
- Erich Fromm, (1900-1980), psychologist
- Carl Friedrich Gauss, (1777-1855), mathematician
- Fritz Haber, (1868-1934), chemist
- Ernst Haeckel, (1834-1919), physician
- Otto Hahn, (1879-1968), chemist
- Felix Hausdorff, (1868-1942), mathematician
- Robert Havemann, (1910-1982), chemist (and dissident)
- Ernst Heinkel, (1888-1958), Aircraft engineer
- Werner Karl Heisenberg, (1901-1976), physicist
- Hermann Helmholtz, physicist
- David Hilbert, (1862-1943), mathematician
- Johann Homann, (1664-1724), geographer
- Erich Hueckel, (1896-1980), physicist
- Carl Gustav Jakob Jacobi, (1804-1851), mathematician
- Alfons Maria Jakob, (1884-1931), neurologist
- Hugo Junkers, (1859-1935), Aircraft engineer
- Theodor Kaluza, (1885-1954), mathematician, theoretical physicist
- Friedrich August Kekulé von Stradonitz, (1829-1896), chemist
- Johannes Kepler, (1571-1630), astronomer
- Gustav Robert Kirchhoff, (1824-1887), physicist
- Felix Klein, (1849-1925), mathematician
- Wolfgang Franz von Kobell (1803-1882) - mineralogist
- Robert Koch, (1843-1910), physician
- Walter Karl Koch - surgeon
- Adolph Wilhelm Hermann Kolbe, (1818-1884), chemist
- Leopold Kronecker, (1823-1891), mathematician
- Ernst Eduard Kummer, (1810-1893), mathematician
- Edmund Landau, (1877-1938), mathematician
- Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, (1646-1716), mathematician
- Justus von Liebig, (1803-1873), chemist
- Ferdinand von Lindemann, (1852-1939), mathematician
- Alexander Lippisch, (1894-1976), aerodynamicist
- Konrad Zacharias Lorenz, (1903-1989), behavioural physiologist
- Albertus Magnus, (died 1280), alchemist
- Ludwig Immanuel Magnus, mathematician
- Wilhelm Maybach, (1846-1929), car-engine and automobile constructor
- 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
- Johannes Müller, (1801 - 1858), physiologist
- Walther Nernst, (1864-1941), physicist
- Franz Ernst Neumann, (1798-1895), mathematician
- Carl Gottfried Neumann, (1832-1925), mathematician
- Emmy Noether, (1882-1935), mathematician
- Georg Ohm, (1789-1854), physicist
- Wilhelm Ostwald, Nobel prize winning chemist, philosopher
- Nikolaus Otto, (1832-1891), coinventor of the Otto cycle
- Wolfgang Pauli, (1900-1958), physicist
- Max Planck, (1858-1947), physicist
- Bernhard Riemann, (1826-1866) mathematician
- 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
- Friedrich Hermann Schottky, (1851-1935), mathematician
- Theodor Schwann, (1810-1882), physiologist
- Hermann Amandus Schwarz, (1843-1921), mathematician
- Karl Schwarzschild, (1873-1916), physicist
- Rolf Singer, (1906-1994), mycologist
- Arnold Sommerfeld, (1868-1951), physicist
- Georg Steller, (1709-1746), naturalist
- Alfred Stock, (1876-1946), chemist
- Max Vasmer (1886-1962), linguist
- Rudolf Virchow, (1821 - 1902), pioneer of medicine
- Otto Wallach, physicist
- Hellmuth Walter, (1900-1980), propulsion
- Felix Wankel, (1902-1988), inventor of the Wankel engine
- Alfred Wegener, meteorologist
- August Weismann, (1834-1914), biologist
- Karl Weierstrass, (1815-1897), mathematician
- Viktor von Weizsäcker, physician
- Hermann Weyl, (1885-1955), mathematician
- Maximilian zu Wied-Neuwied, (1782-1867), zoologist
- Wilhelm Wien, (1864-1928), physicist
- Wilhelm Wundt, (1832-1920), physiologist, psychologist
- Ernst Zermelo, (1871-1953), mathematician
- Konrad Zuse, (1910-1995), computers
Sportspersons
- Max Baer (died 1959), World Heavyweight Boxing Champion
- Michael Ballack (born 1976), soccer player
- Karin Balzer (born 1938), hurdler
- Franz Beckenbauer (born 1945), soccer player
- Boris Becker (born 1967), tennis player
- Kai Budde (born 1979), professional Magic: The Gathering player
- Bettina Bunge (born 1963), tennis 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), soccer player
- Jürgen Klinsmann (born 1964), soccer player
- Olaf Kölzig (born 1970), hockey
- Hermann Lang (1909-1987), Champion race car driver
- Bernhard Langer (born 1957), golfer
- Sepp Maier (born 1944), soccer player
- Lothar Matthäus (born 1961), soccer player
- Ulrike Meyfarth (born 1956), high jumper
- Rosi Mittermaier (born 1950), alpine ski champion
- Gerd Müller (born 1945), soccer player
- Dirk Nowitzki (born 1978), NBA star
- Birgit Prinz (born 1977), soccer player
- Lina Radke (1903-1983), athlete
- Annegret Richter (born 1950), athlete
- Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, soccer player
- Max Schmeling (born 1905), 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 (born 1954), soccer player
- Ralf Schumann (born 1962), pistol shooter
- Uwe Seeler, soccer player
- Werner Seelenbinder, (1904-1944), wrestler
- Katja Seizinger, alpine ski champion
- Renate Stecher (born 1950), athlete
- Toni Turek (1919-1984), soccer player
- Jan Ullrich (born 1973), cyclist
- Berti Vogts, soccer player
- Rudi Völler (born 1960), soccer player
- Fritz Walter (1920-2002), soccer player
- Manfred Winkelhock (1951-1985), racing driver
- Katarina Witt (born 1965), figure skater
- Sigrun Wodars (born 1965), athlete
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
- Johannes Bugenhagen, (1485-1558) Protestand Reformer of Pomerania and Denmark, Theologian
- Rudolf Bultmann
- Alfred Delp
- Hans Küng
- Karl Lehmann
- Martin Luther, (1483-1546), of the Protestant Reformation
- Philipp Melanchthon, (1497-1560), Protestant Reformation
- Elisabeth Moltmann-Wendel
- Jürgen Moltmann, (born 1926), theologian
- Karl Rahner
- 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, songwriter, and patriot
- 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
- Gero von Wilpert - essayist
- 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
- Thomas Hoffmarck, Big Brother Germany winner, extreme sports practitioner
- 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
- Siegfried Kracauer
- 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
- Mathias Rust, (b. 1968), aviator who landed in Red Square in 1987
- 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
- Alfred Weber, sociologist
- Max Weber, sociologist
- Diedrich Hermann Westermann, (1875-1956), linguist
See also: List of German Jews, List of people by nationality