Famous Germans
Austrians, Germans, German-Swiss
A Biographical Index
An alphabetical list of significant people, both living and dead, who were born in German-speaking Europe or had Germanic ancestors—handy for biographical projects or general inspiration. For some of them, you can click on the name or link to learn more.
Also see:
Top 100 Germans > Germanic Inventors > Trivia
A-B-C | D-E-F | G-H-I | J-K-L
M-N-O | P-Q-R | S-Z | Inventors
German-Americans
Featured Person of the Month
Max Schmeling - German boxer
A-B-C
A
Konrad Adenauer (1876-1967) First chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany
Alois Alzheimer (1864-1915) Discoverer of the brain disease named for him - Web > German Alzheimer bio
Marie Antoinette (1755-1793) Daughter of the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph who married the French king Louis XVI - Web > M. Antoinette Bio (in English)
Arminius (Hermann der Cherusker) Defeated the Romans in the Battle of the Teutoburger Forest Web > Arminius bio (Wikipedia)
Fred Astaire (1899-1988) The famous dancer's real name was Frederick Austerlitz; his father was born in Linz, Austria. Web > Astaire - German-Hollywood Connection
Nadja Auermann (1970- ) German fashion model
Melissa Auf der Maur (1972- ) Canadian-born rock singer whose family comes from Switzerland. Web > Auf Der Maur - laut.de (Deutsch) and Auf Der Maur (English)
Also see
German-Americans
B
Andreas Baader (1943-1977) was a key member of the infamous Baader-Meinhof gang, a German terrorist group (Red Army Faction, RAF) in the 1970s. Web > Baader-Meinhof | Baader Biographie - DHM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) German composer - Web > Bach's life (with map)
Karl Baedeker (1801-1859) invented the first travel guides and created the field of travel writing. Web > German Baedeker bio | Baedeker Verlagsgeschichte (German)
Boris Becker (1967- ) German tennis star, first German and youngest ever to win at Wimbleton (1985) - Web > German Becker bio (Rasscass)
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) German composer - Beethoven bio (in English)
Peter Behrens (1868-1940) German architect - Web > German Behrens bio (DHM)
Karl Benz (1844-1929) and Gottlieb Daimler (1834-1900) Inventors of the first motor car (1885), although the two never met!
Otto von Bismarck (1815-1898) German political figure (Prussia), first chancellor of the German Reich (1871) - Web > Bismarck bio (German Wikipedia)
Heinrich Böll (1917-1985) German author, Nobel Prize winner (1972) - Web > Heinrich Böll Foundation (Ger., Engl., Span.)
Robert Bosch (1861-1942) German scientist, inventor
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) German composer - Web > Brahms bio (Johannesbrahms.org)
Willy Brandt (Herbert Ernst Karl Frahm, 1913-1992) German chancellor and mayor of Berlin - Web > Brandt bio (Brandt-Stiftung) - Willy Brandt (Wikipedia)
Wernher von Braun (1912-1977) German rocket scientist who helped put Americans on the moon
Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956) German author, dramatist, best known for his "Dreigroschenoper" ("Threepenny Opera") co-authored with composer Kurt Weill - German bio (DHM)
Alfred Edmund Brehm (1829-1884) was a German zoologist, explorer, and author whose Thierleben lexicon (1864-69) and animal stories for children helped popularize a more sympathetic understanding of animals and their environment. Web > German bio (MDR)
C
Elias Canetti (1905-1994) Jewish writer often claimed by the Austrians. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1981. Born in Bulgaria, Canetti was educated in Vienna, wrote in German, but was a British subject when he died in Switzerland. - Web > Canetti (Nobelprize.org) | Canetti (DHM)
Charlemagne (Karl der Große, 742-814) The first European unifier - Web > Charlemagne | Karl der Große (German Wikipedia)
NEXT > D-E-F
MORE > German-Americans
MORE > Authors in German Literature
ACTIVITY > Graveyard Tour of famous people
MORE > Top 100 Germans | Germanic Inventors
TRIVIA > Germanic Trivia
For FILM PEOPLE see The German-Hollywood Connection
For famous WOMEN see Famous German Women (MSCD)
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