100 Notable alumni of
University of Cologne

Updated:

EduRank

The University of Cologne is 212th in the world, 74th in Europe, and 13th in Germany by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 100 notable alumni from the University of Cologne sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. 1 individual affiliated with the University of Cologne won Nobel Prizes in Chemistry.

  1. Lena Meyer-Landrut

    Lena Meyer-Landrut
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1991-.. (age 33)
    Occupations
    television actoractorpianistmodelcomposer
    Biography

    Lena Johanna Therese Meyer-Landrut, also known by the mononym Lena, is a German singer. She rose to fame after representing Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 in Oslo, winning the event with the song "Satellite". Both "Satellite" and her debut album My Cassette Player (2010) debuted at number one in Germany and became platinum sellers. With her three entries from the German national final Unser Star für Oslo, Meyer-Landrut set an all-time chart record in her home country by debuting with three songs in the top five of the German Singles Chart. She represented Germany for the second consecutive time in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in Düsseldorf with the song "Taken by a Stranger", finishing in tenth place.

  2. Stefan Raab

    Stefan Raab
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1966-.. (age 58)
    Enrolled in the University of Cologne
    Studied legal science
    Occupations
    television presenterconductorradio personalityrecord producerentertainer
    Biography

    Stefan Konrad Raab is a German television producer, businessman, and former entertainer and television host. From 1999 to 2015, he hosted the late-night comedy talk show TV total and has also created a number of other television shows, such as Schlag den Raab and Bundesvision Song Contest.

  3. Uwe Boll

    Uwe Boll
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1965-.. (age 59)
    Occupations
    film producerfilm directorscreenwriter
    Biography

    Uwe Boll is a German filmmaker. He came to prominence during the 2000s for his adaptations of popular video game franchises. Released theatrically, the films were critical and commercial failures; his 2005 Alone in the Dark adaptation is considered by many critics to be one of the worst films ever made. Boll's films during the 2010s, comprising mostly original projects and independent movies, received home media releases to better reviews. After retiring in 2016 to become a restaurateur, Boll eventually returned to filmmaking in 2022. His films are financed through his production companies Boll KG and Event Film Productions.

  4. Anke Engelke

    Anke Engelke
    Born in
    Canada Flag Canada
    Years
    1965-.. (age 59)
    Enrolled in the University of Cologne
    Studied English studies, pedagogy, and Romance studies
    Occupations
    voice actoractortelevision presenterfilm directorradio personality
    Biography

    Anke Christina Fischer is a German comedian, actress, voice actress and television presenter.

  5. Heinrich Böll

    Heinrich Böll
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1917-1985 (aged 68)
    Occupations
    translatorwriterpoetscreenwriterlyricist
    Biography

    Heinrich Theodor Böll was a German writer. Considered one of Germany's foremost post-World War II writers, Böll is a recipient of the Georg Büchner Prize (1967) and the Nobel Prize for Literature (1972).

  6. Richard David Precht

    Richard David Precht
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1964-.. (age 60)
    Occupations
    writerphilosopheruniversity teacherpunditjournalist
    Biography

    Richard David Precht is a German philosopher and author of successful popular science books about philosophical issues. He hosts the TV show "Precht" on ZDF.

  7. Mark Benecke

    Mark Benecke
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1970-.. (age 54)
    Occupations
    expert witnessbiologistwriteractorpolitician
    Biography

    Mark Benecke is a German forensic biologist.

  8. Marietta Slomka

    Marietta Slomka
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1969-.. (age 55)
    Enrolled in the University of Cologne
    1988-1995 studied general economics and international relations
    Occupations
    economistnews presenternon-fiction writertelevision presenterpolitical scientist
    Biography

    Marietta Slomka is a German journalist who has been the anchor of TV news show heute-journal since 2001.

  9. Jörg Meuthen

    Jörg Meuthen
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1961-.. (age 63)
    Occupations
    university teacherpoliticianeconomist
    Biography

    Jörg Hubert Meuthen is a German economist, academic and politician, serving as an Independent Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Germany since 2017.

  10. Hans-Georg Maaßen

    Hans-Georg Maaßen
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1962-.. (age 62)
    Enrolled in the University of Cologne
    Studied legal science
    Occupations
    university teacherjurist
    Biography

    Hans-Georg Maaßen is a German civil servant and lawyer. From 1 August 2012 to 8 November 2018, he served as the President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Germany's domestic security agency and one of three agencies in the German Intelligence Community. Maaßen is one of the founders and, since January 2023 also president, of the Values Union, a German registered association that consists mostly of the members of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany seeking to reestablish their party's conservative roots.

  11. Anne Will

    Anne Will
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1966-.. (age 58)
    Enrolled in the University of Cologne
    Studied in 1985-1990
    Occupations
    television presenterjournalist
    Biography

    Anne Will is a German television journalist and host of the eponymous political talk show. She was anchorwoman of the daily Tagesthemen news broadcast on ARD from 14 April 2001 until 24 June 2007.

  12. Nicholas of Cusa

    Nicholas of Cusa
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1401-1464 (aged 63)
    Occupations
    Catholic priestwriterscribediplomatmathematician
    Biography

    Nicholas of Cusa, also referred to as Nicholas of Kues and Nicolaus Cusanus, was a German Catholic cardinal and polymath active as a philosopher, theologian, jurist, mathematician and astronomer. One of the first German proponents of Renaissance humanism, he made spiritual and political contributions in European history. A notable example of this is his mystical or spiritual writings on "learned ignorance," as well as his participation in power struggles between Rome and the German states of the Holy Roman Empire.

  13. Jan Hofer

    Jan Hofer
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1952-.. (age 72)
    Occupations
    television presenterjournalistnews presenter
    Biography

    Jan Hofer is a German broadcast newsreader and television presenter. He was a well-known and popular reader of the news programme Tagesschau on Das Erste. Hofer was the chief reader on Tagesschau from 2004 until December 2020, having been a newsreader on that programme since 1985. Since leaving Tagesschau, he has been lead anchorman for RTL Direkt.

  14. Wolfgang Bosbach

    Wolfgang Bosbach
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1952-.. (age 72)
    Enrolled in the University of Cologne
    Studied legal science
    Occupations
    politicianlawyer
    Biography

    Wolfgang Walter Wilhelm Bosbach is a German politician and member of Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which he joined in 1972. A lawyer by profession, Bosbach is a partner at Winter, Jansen & Lamsfuß in Bergisch Gladbach.

  15. Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa

    Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1486-1535 (aged 49)
    Occupations
    lawyerastronomermercenaryphilosopherphysician
    Biography

    Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim was a German Renaissance polymath, physician, legal scholar, soldier, knight, theologian, and occult writer. Agrippa's Three Books of Occult Philosophy published in 1533 drew heavily upon Kabbalah, Hermeticism, and neo-Platonism. His book was widely influential among esotericists of the early modern period, and was condemned as heretical by the inquisitor of Cologne.

  16. Mesut Yılmaz

    Mesut Yılmaz
    Born in
    Turkey Flag Turkey
    Years
    1947-2020 (aged 73)
    Occupations
    politiciandiplomat
    Biography

    Ahmet Mesut Yılmaz was a Turkish politician. He was the leader of the Motherland Party (Turkish: Anavatan Partisi, ANAP) from 1991 to 2002, and served three times as Prime Minister of Turkey. His first two prime-ministerial terms lasted just months (in 1991 and 1996), while the third ran from June 1997 to January 1999. The first was brought to an end by defeat in the 1991 elections, the latter two by the breakdown of Yılmaz' coalition governments.

  17. Henryk Broder

    Henryk Broder
    Born in
    Poland Flag Poland
    Years
    1946-.. (age 78)
    Enrolled in the University of Cologne
    Studied general economics, sociology, statistics, and legal science
    Occupations
    journalistscreenwriteressayist
    Biography

    Henryk Marcin Broder, self-designation Henryk Modest Broder, is a Polish-born German journalist, author, and television personality. He was born into a Jewish family in Katowice, Poland.

  18. Norbert Blüm

    Norbert Blüm
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1935-2020 (aged 85)
    Occupations
    university teacherpoliticianwriter
    Biography

    Norbert Blüm was a German politician who served as a federal legislator from North Rhine-Westphalia, chairman of the CDU North Rhine-Westphalia (1987–1999), and Minister of Labour and Social Affairs.

  19. Dagmar Rosenfeld

    Dagmar Rosenfeld
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1974-.. (age 50)
    Occupations
    journalist
    Biography

    Dagmar Rosenfeld is a German journalist. She has been deputy editor-in-chief of Die Welt since 2016.

  20. Melika Foroutan

    Melika Foroutan
    Born in
    Iran Flag Iran
    Years
    1976-.. (age 48)
    Enrolled in the University of Cologne
    1995-1998 studied English studies and study of history
    Occupations
    film actoractor
    Biography

    Melika Foroutan is a German-Iranian actress.

  21. Guido Cantz

    Guido Cantz
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1971-.. (age 53)
    Enrolled in the University of Cologne
    1991-1994 studied business administration
    Occupations
    comedianoratortelevision presenter
    Biography

    Guido Cantz is a German television presenter.

  22. Gabriele Renate Homey

    Gabriele Renate Homey
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1963-.. (age 61)
    Occupations
    philanthropistjurist
    Biography

    Inaara Aga Khan, formerly Begum Inaara Aga Khan, also previously known as Princess Inaara Aga Khan, was the second wife of the Aga Khan IV, the 49th Imam of the Nizari branch of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims; from May 1998 to March 2014, she held the title Begum Aga Khan.

  23. Anna Seghers

    Anna Seghers
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1900-1983 (aged 83)
    Occupations
    novelistwriter
    Biography

    Anna Seghers, is the pseudonym of German writer Anna Reiling, who was notable for exploring and depicting the moral experience of the Second World War. Born into a Jewish family and married to a Hungarian Communist, Seghers escaped Nazi-controlled territory through wartime France. She was granted a visa and gained ship's passage to Mexico, where she lived in Mexico City (1941–47).

  24. Henriette Reker

    Henriette Reker
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1956-.. (age 68)
    Occupations
    politicianlawyerjurist
    Biography

    Henriette Reker is a German lawyer and independent politician. She is known for her pro-immigration stance and for being the victim of an assassination attempt in 2015. A day after the attack, Reker was elected mayor of Cologne after gaining 52.66% of the votes. She is the first female mayor elected in Cologne's history. Reker was re-elected in 2020.

  25. Max Otte

    Max Otte
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1964-.. (age 60)
    Enrolled in the University of Cologne
    Studied in 1983-1989
    Occupations
    university teacherentrepreneureconomistauthorfund manager
    Biography

    Matthias "Max" Otte is an economist, publicist and political activist who holds German and U.S. citizenship. Otte, who has held professorships in Worms, Graz and Erfurt, is currently a fund manager. He has written several bestsellers, mainly on financial policy topics.

  26. Sandra Navidi

    Sandra Navidi
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1972-.. (age 52)
    Occupations
    lawyerjuristauthorchief executive officer
    Biography

    Sandra Navidi is a German attorney, bestselling author, consultant, media contributor and public speaker. She is the founder and chief executive officer of BeyondGlobal, an international strategic consultancy.

  27. Karl Carstens

    Karl Carstens
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1914-1992 (aged 78)
    Occupations
    juristpoliticianlaw clerkdiplomat
    Biography

    Karl Carstens was a German politician. He served as the president of West Germany from 1979 to 1984.

  28. Gerhart Baum

    Gerhart Baum
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1932-.. (age 92)
    Occupations
    politicianlawyer
    Biography

    Gerhart Rudolf Baum is a German politician of the Free Democratic Party (FDP) and a lawyer.

  29. Norbert Walter-Borjans

    Norbert Walter-Borjans
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1952-.. (age 72)
    Occupations
    politician
    Biography

    Norbert Walter-Borjans is a German economist and politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) who served as co-leader of the SPD (alongside Saskia Esken) from 2019 to 2021. He served as State Minister of Finance of North Rhine-Westphalia from 2010 until 2017.

  30. Marco Buschmann

    Marco Buschmann
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1977-.. (age 47)
    Occupations
    politicianlawyerjurist
    Biography

    Marco Buschmann is a German lawyer and politician of the Free Democratic Party (FDP) who has been serving as Federal Minister of Justice in Chancellor Olaf Scholz's cabinet since 2021. He has served as a member of the Bundestag from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia from 2009 to 2013 and again since 2017.

  31. Ulla Kock am Brink

    Ulla Kock am Brink
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1961-.. (age 63)
    Enrolled in the University of Cologne
    1981-1984 studied German studies and social science
    Occupations
    television presenter
    Biography

    Ursula Eva Maria Kock am Brink is a German television presenter.

  32. Klaus Kinkel

    Klaus Kinkel
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1936-2019 (aged 83)
    Occupations
    politicianlawyer
    Biography

    Klaus Kinkel was a German statesman, civil servant, diplomat and lawyer who served as the minister of Foreign affairs (1992–1998) and the vice-chancellor of Germany (1993–1998) in the government of Helmut Kohl.

  33. Tina Hassel

    Tina Hassel
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1964-.. (age 60)
    Occupations
    television presenterjournalistradio personality
    Biography

    Tina Hassel is a German broadcast journalist. Since July 2015 she has been director of the capital studio of ARD, the German public broadcasting association.

  34. Otto Graf Lambsdorff

    Otto Graf Lambsdorff
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1926-2009 (aged 83)
    Occupations
    politicianlawyer
    Biography

    Otto Friedrich Wilhelm Freiherr von der Wenge Graf Lambsdorff, known as Otto Graf Lambsdorff, was a German politician of the Free Democratic Party (FDP).

  35. Herbert Reul

    Herbert Reul
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1952-.. (age 72)
    Enrolled in the University of Cologne
    1972-1979 studied pedagogy and social science
    Occupations
    Studienratpolitician
    Biography

    Herbert Reul is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) who has been serving as State Minister for Internal Affairs in the government of successive Ministers-President Armin Laschet (2017–2021) and Hendrik Wüst (since 2021). He previously served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP).

  36. Karolos Papoulias

    Karolos Papoulias
    Born in
    Greece Flag Greece
    Years
    1929-2021 (aged 92)
    Enrolled in the University of Cologne
    Graduated with doctorate in jurisprudence
    Occupations
    juristlegal counselorpoliticiandiplomat
    Biography

    Karolos Papoulias was a Greek politician who served as the president of Greece from 2005 to 2015.

  37. Michael Mronz

    Michael Mronz
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1967-.. (age 57)
    Occupations
    sporting director
    Biography

    Michael Mronz is a German sports and events manager.

  38. Sevim Dağdelen

    Sevim Dağdelen
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1975-.. (age 49)
    Enrolled in the University of Cologne
    In 2002 studied jurisprudence
    Occupations
    journalisttranslatorpolitician
    Biography

    Sevim Dağdelen is a German politician and a member of the Bundestag. She was elected for Left Party (die Linke) and switched in October 2023 to Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht.

  39. Ronald Pofalla

    Ronald Pofalla
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1959-.. (age 65)
    Occupations
    lawyerjuristpoliticianpedagogue
    Biography

    Ronald Pofalla is a German lawyer and politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) who served as the Chief of Staff of the German Chancellery and a Federal Minister for Special Affairs from 2009 to 2013, in the second coalition government of Chancellor Angela Merkel. From 2017 to 2022, he was the CEO of the infrastructure department of Deutsche Bahn.

  40. Rainer Barzel

    Rainer Barzel
    Born in
    Poland Flag Poland
    Years
    1924-2006 (aged 82)
    Occupations
    military personneljuristpoliticianminister
    Biography

    Rainer Candidus Barzel was a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). He served as the eighth president of the Bundestag from 1983 to 1984.

  41. Peter Canisius

    Peter Canisius
    Born in
    Netherlands Flag Netherlands
    Years
    1521-1597 (aged 76)
    Occupations
    theologianuniversity teacherCatholic priest
    Biography

    Peter Canisius was a Dutch Jesuit priest. He became known for his strong support for the Catholic faith during the Protestant Reformation in Germany, Austria, Bohemia, Moravia, Switzerland and the British Isles. The restoration of the Catholic Church in Germany after the Protestant Reformation is largely attributed to the work there of the Society of Jesus, which he led. He is venerated in the Catholic Church as a saint and as a Doctor of the Church.

  42. Hermann Gröhe

    Hermann Gröhe
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1961-.. (age 63)
    Enrolled in the University of Cologne
    1980-1987 studied jurisprudence
    Occupations
    politicianinternational forum participantlawyer
    Biography

    Gottfried Hermann Gröhe is a German lawyer and politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) who served as Minister of Health in the third cabinet of Chancellor Angela Merkel from 2013 until 2018.

  43. Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut

    Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1960-.. (age 64)
    Occupations
    diplomat
    Biography

    Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut is a German diplomat currently serving as the Head of the EU Delegation to Turkey. He was previously German Ambassador to France from 2015 to 2020. Before that, he served as the chief adviser for European affairs to the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel.

  44. Prince Friedrich Christian, Margrave of Meissen

    Prince Friedrich Christian, Margrave of Meissen
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1893-1968 (aged 75)
    Occupations
    ruler
    Biography

    Albert Leopold Friedrich Christian Sylvester Anno Macarius, Prince of Saxony, Duke of Saxony, Margrave of Meissen was the second son of Frederick Augustus III, the last reigning king of Saxony before the abolition of the monarchy in 1918. Upon his father's death in 1932, he became the head of the Royal House of Saxony. He was Captain à la suite in the Royal Bulgarian Infantry, and Grand Master of the Order of the Rue Crown, and also a Knight in the Order of the Black Eagle and Knight Grand Cross in the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. As head of the Albertine branch of the House of Wettin after 1932, he styled himself as Friedrich Christian, Margrave of Meissen.

  45. Britta Heidemann

    Britta Heidemann
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1982-.. (age 42)
    Occupations
    fencer
    Biography

    Britta Heidemann is a German épée fencer. In 2016, Heidemann became a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

  46. Manuel Andrack

    Manuel Andrack
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1965-.. (age 59)
    Occupations
    authorjournalistdramaturge
    Biography

    Manuel Andrack is a German journalist, television presenter, and author. He is best known as the sidekick of the Harald Schmidt Show.

  47. Bijan Djir-Sarai

    Bijan Djir-Sarai
    Born in
    Iran Flag Iran
    Years
    1976-.. (age 48)
    Enrolled in the University of Cologne
    Graduated with Diploma of Business Administration in business administration
    Occupations
    politician
    Biography

    Bijan Djir-Sarai is a German politician of the Free Democratic Party (FDP) who has served as a member of the Bundestag from 2009 until 2013 and since 2017.

  48. Dorothee Sölle

    Dorothee Sölle
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1929-2003 (aged 74)
    Occupations
    university teacherDichterwriterpoetgermanist
    Biography

    Dorothee Steffensky-Sölle, known as Dorothee Sölle, was a German liberation theologian who coined the term "Christofascism". She was born in Cologne and died at a conference in Göppingen from cardiac arrest.

  49. Ulrich Walter

    Ulrich Walter
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1954-.. (age 70)
    Enrolled in the University of Cologne
    1974-1980 studied physics
    Occupations
    university teachernon-fiction writertelevision presenterphysicistastronaut
    Biography

    Ulrich Hans Walter is a German physicist, engineer and former DFVLR astronaut.

  50. Jürgen Rüttgers

    Jürgen Rüttgers
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1951-.. (age 73)
    Occupations
    politicianjurist
    Biography

    Jürgen Rüttgers is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) who served as the 9th Minister President of North Rhine-Westphalia from 2005 to 2010.

  51. Timotheus Höttges

    Timotheus Höttges
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1962-.. (age 62)
    Occupations
    chairman of the executive boardentrepreneur
    Biography

    Timotheus Höttges is a German businessman who has been serving as chief executive officer of Deutsche Telekom AG, the majority shareholder of T-Mobile US, since 2014.

  52. Lev Kopelev

    Lev Kopelev
    Born in
    Ukraine Flag Ukraine
    Years
    1912-1997 (aged 85)
    Occupations
    writerbiographeruniversity teacheropinion journalistmilitary personnel
    Biography

    Lev Zalmanovich Kopelev (Russian: Лев Залма́нович (Зино́вьевич) Ко́пелев, German: Lew Sinowjewitsch Kopelew, 9 April 1912, Kyiv – 18 June 1997, Cologne) was a Soviet author and dissident.

  53. Peter Grünberg

    Peter Grünberg
    Born in
    Czech Republic Flag Czech Republic
    Years
    1939-2018 (aged 79)
    Occupations
    university teacherphysicist
    Biography

    Peter Andreas Grünberg was a German physicist, and Nobel Prize in Physics laureate for his discovery with Albert Fert of giant magnetoresistance which brought about a breakthrough in gigabyte hard disk drives.

  54. Stefan Homburg

    Stefan Homburg
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1961-.. (age 63)
    Occupations
    economistuniversity teacher
    Biography

    Stefan Homburg is a German professor of economics. He was the director of the Institute of Public Finance at the University of Hannover, Lower Saxony, Germany until 2021. Outside academia he is best known for his controversial statements regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

  55. Sarah-Lee Heinrich

    Sarah-Lee Heinrich
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    2001-.. (age 23)
    Enrolled in the University of Cologne
    In 2020 studied social science
    Occupations
    politician
    Biography

    Sarah-Lee Heinrich is a German politician for the German Green Party and one of the two speakers of its youth organization, Grüne Jugend.

  56. Günter Verheugen

    Günter Verheugen
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1944-.. (age 80)
    Occupations
    university teacherjournalistpolitician
    Biography

    Günter Verheugen is a German politician who served as European Commissioner for Enlargement from 1999 to 2004, and then as European Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry from 2004 to 2010. He was also one of five vice presidents of the 27-member Barroso Commission (Barroso I). After his retirement, he is now honorary Professor at the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder).

  57. Oliver Bäte

    Oliver Bäte
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1965-.. (age 59)
    Occupations
    business executiveinternational forum participant
    Biography

    Oliver Bäte is a German business executive who is the CEO of Allianz, a position he has held since October 2014.

  58. Hans Albert

    Hans Albert
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1921-2023 (aged 102)
    Enrolled in the University of Cologne
    In 1952 graduated with Doctor of Philosophy in political science
    Occupations
    university teachersociologistphilosopher
    Biography

    Hans Albert was a German philosopher. He was professor of social sciences at the University of Mannheim from 1963, and remained at the university until 1989. His fields of research were social sciences and general studies of methods. He was a critical rationalist, paying special attention to rational heuristics. Albert was a strong critic of the continental hermeneutic tradition coming from Heidegger and Gadamer.

  59. Johann Eck

    Johann Eck
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1486-1543 (aged 57)
    Occupations
    translatortheologianpundituniversity teacher
    Biography

    Johann Maier von Eck, often anglicized as John Eck, was a German Catholic theologian, scholastic, prelate, and a pioneer of the counter-reformation who was among Martin Luther's most important interlocutors and theological opponents.

  60. Katharina Dröge

    Katharina Dröge
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1984-.. (age 40)
    Enrolled in the University of Cologne
    2004-2010 graduated with Diplom in general economics
    Occupations
    politician
    Biography

    Katharina Dröge is a German economist and politician of Alliance 90/The Greens who has been serving as co-chair of the Green Party’s parliamentary group in the Bundestag since 2021, alongside Britta Haßelmann. She previously served as one of the group’s managers (Parlamentarische Geschäftsführerin) from 2018 to 2021. She has been a member of the Bundestag since 2013.

  61. Carl Hahn

    Carl Hahn
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1926-2023 (aged 97)
    Occupations
    businesspersonmanageruniversity teacherentrepreneur
    Biography

    Carl Horst Hahn was a German businessman and head of the Volkswagen Group from 1982 to 1993. He served as the chairman of the board of management of the parent company, Volkswagen AG (formerly Volkswagenwerk AG). During his tenure, the group's car production increased from two million units in 1982 to 3.5 million a decade later.

  62. Hans-Ulrich Wehler

    Hans-Ulrich Wehler
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1931-2014 (aged 83)
    Occupations
    historianwriterhistorian of Modern Agesocial historianuniversity teacher
    Biography

    Hans-Ulrich Wehler was a German left-liberal historian known for his role in promoting social history through the "Bielefeld School", and for his critical studies of 19th-century Germany.

  63. Carmen Thomas

    Carmen Thomas
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1946-.. (age 78)
    Occupations
    television presenterjournalistradio personality
    Biography

    Carmen Thomas is a German journalist, radio and television presenter, author and lecturer. On television, she was the first woman to present the ZDF's das aktuelle Sportstudio. She worked for public radio, running Hallo Ü-Wagen, a weekly travelling talk radio show for two decades. In 1990 Forbes named her one of the 100 most influential women in Germany.

  64. Naika Foroutan

    Naika Foroutan
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1971-.. (age 53)
    Occupations
    sociologistuniversity teacher
    Biography

    Naika Foroutan is a German social scientist.

  65. Freya von Moltke

    Freya von Moltke
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1911-2010 (aged 99)
    Occupations
    peace activistwriterresistance fighterjuristjournalist
    Biography

    Freya von Moltke was a German American lawyer and participant in the anti-Nazi opposition group, the Kreisau Circle, with her husband, Helmuth James von Moltke. During World War II, her husband acted to subvert German human-rights abuses of people in territories occupied by Germany and became a founding member of the Kreisau Circle, whose members opposed the government of Adolf Hitler.

  66. Claudia Stamm

    Claudia Stamm
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1970-.. (age 54)
    Occupations
    politician
    Biography

    Claudia Stamm is a German politician.

  67. Clemens Fuest

    Clemens Fuest
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1968-.. (age 56)
    Occupations
    economistuniversity teacher
    Biography

    Clemens Fuest is a German economist who has been President of the Ifo Institute for Economic Research and director of the Center for Economic Studies at the University of Munich (LMU) since 2016.

  68. Robert Hübner

    Robert Hübner
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1948-.. (age 76)
    Occupations
    historianwriterathletechess playerpapyrologist
    Biography

    Robert Hübner is a German chess grandmaster, chess writer, and papyrologist. He was one of the world's leading players in the 1970s and early 1980s.

  69. Erich Mende

    Erich Mende
    Born in
    Poland Flag Poland
    Years
    1916-1998 (aged 82)
    Occupations
    politicianjurist
    Biography

    Erich Mende was a German politician of the Free Democratic Party (FDP) and Christian Democratic Union (CDU). He was the leader of FDP from 1960 to 1968 and the vice-chancellor of West Germany from 1963 to 1966.

  70. Kurt Alder

    Kurt Alder
    Awards
    Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1950
    Born in
    Poland Flag Poland
    Years
    1902-1958 (aged 56)
    Occupations
    chemistuniversity teacher
    Biography

    Kurt Alder was a German chemist and Nobel laureate.

  71. Turgut Özakman

    Turgut Özakman
    Born in
    Turkey Flag Turkey
    Years
    1930-2013 (aged 83)
    Occupations
    lawyerplaywrightscreenwriterdramaturge
    Biography

    Turgut Özakman was a Turkish lawyer, a civil servant, a dramaturge and a writer.

  72. Magnus Manske

    Magnus Manske
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1974-.. (age 50)
    Enrolled in the University of Cologne
    2003-2006 graduated with Doctor of Philosophy in biochemistry
    Occupations
    biologistWikimediancomputer scientistbioinformaticiansoftware developer
    Biography

    Heinrich Magnus Manske is a German biochemist, who is a leading researcher on malaria. He is a senior staff scientist at the Wellcome Sanger Institute in Cambridge, UK and a software developer of one of the first versions of the MediaWiki software, which powers Wikipedia and a number of other wiki-based websites.

  73. Gustav Heinrich Ralph von Koenigswald

    Gustav Heinrich Ralph von Koenigswald
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1902-1982 (aged 80)
    Occupations
    university teacherprehistoriananthropologistarchaeologistgeologist
    Biography

    Gustav Heinrich Ralph von Koenigswald (13 November 1902 – 10 July 1982) was a German-Dutch paleontologist and geologist who conducted research on hominins, including Homo erectus. His discoveries and studies of hominid fossils in Java and his studies of other important fossils of south-eastern Asia firmly established his reputation as one of the leading figures of 20th-century paleo-anthropology.

  74. Jesús Padilla Gálvez

    Jesús Padilla Gálvez
    Born in
    Spain Flag Spain
    Years
    1959-.. (age 65)
    Occupations
    writereditoruniversity teachertranslatorphilosopher
    Biography

    Jesús Padilla Gálvez is a philosopher who worked primarily in philosophy of language, logic, and the history of sciences.

  75. Thomas Rabe

    Thomas Rabe
    Born in
    Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg
    Years
    1965-.. (age 59)
    Occupations
    business executiveinternational forum participant
    Biography

    Thomas Rabe is a German business executive. In 2006, he was appointed to the Bertelsmann executive board, of which he has been chairman and chief executive officer since 2012. Under his leadership, the group has become more international, more digital and more diversified. In particular, he has advanced the business with music rights and the educational division. Additionally, Rabe was appointed chief executive officer of RTL Group in 2019.

  76. Emily Haber

    Emily Haber
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1956-.. (age 68)
    Occupations
    diplomat
    Biography

    Emily Margarethe Haber is a German diplomat. She served as State Secretary from 2011 to 2018: from 2011 to 2013, at the Federal Foreign Office and from 2014 to 2018, at the Federal Ministry of the Interior.

  77. Johann von Staupitz

    Johann von Staupitz
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1465-1524 (aged 59)
    Occupations
    theologianuniversity teacher
    Biography

    Johann von Staupitz was a German Catholic priest and theologian, university preacher, and Vicar General of the Augustinian friars in Germany, who supervised Martin Luther during a critical period in his spiritual life. Martin Luther himself remarked, "If it had not been for Dr. Staupitz, I should have sunk in hell." Although he remained Catholic, died as a Benedictine monk and had repudiated the Reformation, he is commemorated on 8 November as a priest in the Calendar of Saints of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod.

  78. Andreas Kaplan

    Andreas Kaplan
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1977-.. (age 47)
    Occupations
    economistuniversity teachermathematician
    Biography

    Andreas Marcus Kaplan is president of Kühne Logistics University. He is specialized in the areas of social media, viral marketing, and the digital world in general.

  79. Johannes Althusius

    Johannes Althusius
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1557-1638 (aged 81)
    Occupations
    university teacherwriterjuristpoliticianphilosopher
    Biography

    Johannes Althusius was a German-French jurist and Calvinist political philosopher.

  80. Nicolaas Johannes Diederichs

    Nicolaas Johannes Diederichs
    Born in
    South Africa Flag South Africa
    Years
    1903-1978 (aged 75)
    Enrolled in the University of Cologne
    1926-1928 studied philosophy
    Occupations
    ministerpolitician
    Biography

    Nicolaas Johannes "Nico" Diederichs served as the third state president of South Africa from 1975 to 1978.

  81. Otto Piene

    Otto Piene
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1928-2014 (aged 86)
    Enrolled in the University of Cologne
    Studied in 1953-1957
    Occupations
    paintersculptordrawer
    Biography

    Otto Piene was a German-American artist specializing in kinetic and technology-based art, often working collaboratively. He lived and worked in Düsseldorf, Germany; Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Groton, Massachusetts.

  82. Conrad Celtes

    Conrad Celtes
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1459-1508 (aged 49)
    Occupations
    mathematicianuniversity teacherhistorianwriterphilosopher
    Biography

    Conrad Celtes was a German Renaissance humanist scholar and poet of the German Renaissance born in Franconia (nowadays part of Bavaria). He led the theatrical performances at the Viennese court and reformed the syllabi.

  83. Hans Mayer

    Hans Mayer
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1907-2001 (aged 94)
    Occupations
    writeruniversity teacherpoet lawyerjournalistliterary historian
    Biography

    Hans Mayer was a German literary scholar. Mayer was also a jurist and social researcher and was internationally recognized as a critic, author and musicologist.

  84. Christoph Bernhard von Galen

    Christoph Bernhard von Galen
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1606-1678 (aged 72)
    Enrolled in the University of Cologne
    Studied in 1624-1625
    Occupations
    priestCatholic priestCatholic bishop
    Biography

    Christoph Bernhard Freiherr von Galen was Prince-bishop of Münster. He was born into a noble Westphalian family.

  85. Jerónimo Saavedra

    Jerónimo Saavedra
    Born in
    Spain Flag Spain
    Years
    1936-2023 (aged 87)
    Occupations
    lawyeracademictrade unionistpolitician
    Biography

    Jerónimo Saavedra Acevedo was a Spanish politician and academic. He served as President of the Canary Islands twice, from 1983 to 1987, and again from 1991 to 1993.

  86. Jürgen Flimm

    Jürgen Flimm
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1941-2023 (aged 82)
    Occupations
    television actorfilm directortheatrical directorscreenwriteractor
    Biography

    Jürgen Flimm was a German theatre and opera director, theatre manager, and academic teacher. Flimm was first active in drama, and made the Thalia Theater in Hamburg one of the most successful German theatres when he managed it from 1985 to 2000. He was general manager of the Salzburg Festival and RuhrTriennale festivals, and intendant of the Berlin State Opera from 2010 to 2018. He directed internationally, including Beethoven's Fidelio at the Metropolitan Opera, the 2000 Ring cycle production at the Bayreuth Festival, and the 2002 world premiere of Friedrich Cerha's Der Riese vom Steinfeld at the Vienna State Opera.

  87. Reinhold Ewald

    Reinhold Ewald
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1956-.. (age 68)
    Occupations
    physicistastronaut
    Biography

    Reinhold Ewald is a German physicist and ESA astronaut.

  88. Heino Falcke

    Heino Falcke
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1966-.. (age 58)
    Occupations
    physicistastronomerastrophysicistuniversity teacher
    Biography

    Heino Falcke is a German professor of radio astronomy and astroparticle physics at the Radboud University Nijmegen (Netherlands). His main field of study is black holes, and he is the originator of the concept of the 'black hole shadow'. In 2019, Falcke announced the first Event Horizon Telescope results at the EHT Press Conference in Brussels.

  89. Werner Hoyer

    Werner Hoyer
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1951-.. (age 73)
    Occupations
    economistinternational forum participantpoliticianuniversity teacher
    Biography

    Werner Hoyer is a German economist and politician of the Free Democratic Party (FDP) who served as President of the European Investment Bank (EIB) between 2012 and 2023.

  90. Ole Bischof

    Ole Bischof
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1979-.. (age 45)
    Occupations
    judoka
    Biography

    Ole Bischof is a German judoka. He is trained by 1984 Olympic gold medalist Frank Wieneke.

  91. Kurt Bock

    Kurt Bock
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1958-.. (age 66)
    Occupations
    business executiveinternational forum participant
    Biography

    Kurt Bock, is a German businessman who has been president of the German Chemical Industry Association since 2016, and was chief executive officer (CEO) of BASF, the world's largest chemical producer, from 2011 to 2018.

  92. Gustav Trolle

    Gustav Trolle
    Born in
    Sweden Flag Sweden
    Years
    1488-1535 (aged 47)
    Occupations
    politicianpriest
    Biography

    Gustav Eriksson Trolle was Archbishop of Uppsala, Sweden, in two sessions, during the turbulent Reformation events.

  93. Manfred Lahnstein

    Manfred Lahnstein
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1937-.. (age 87)
    Occupations
    economistwriterpoliticianuniversity teacher
    Biography

    Manfred Lahnstein is a German politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). In 1982 he was German Federal Minister of Finance as well as Federal Minister of Economics and until 2004 worked for the media conglomerate Bertelsmann.

  94. Valentin Tomberg

    Valentin Tomberg
    Born in
    Russia Flag Russia
    Years
    1900-1973 (aged 73)
    Occupations
    martinistmysticjurist
    Biography

    Valentin Tomberg was an Estonian-Russian Christian mystic, polyglot scholar and esotericist.

  95. Joachim Starbatty

    Joachim Starbatty
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1940-.. (age 84)
    Occupations
    university teacherpoliticianeconomist
    Biography

    Joachim Starbatty is a German professor of economics and politician.

  96. Michaela Noll

    Michaela Noll
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1959-.. (age 65)
    Occupations
    politicianlawyer
    Biography

    Michaela Marion Noll is a German lawyer and politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) who served as a member of the Bundestag from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia from 2002 until 2021.

  97. Stefan Andres

    Stefan Andres
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1906-1970 (aged 64)
    Occupations
    writernovelistpoetplaywrightautobiographer
    Biography

    Stefan Paul Andres was a German novelist. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature.

  98. Ursula Krechel

    Ursula Krechel
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1947-.. (age 77)
    Occupations
    poetplaywrighttranslatorwriter
    Biography

    Ursula Krechel is a German writer.

  99. Hermann Simon

    Hermann Simon
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1947-.. (age 77)
    Occupations
    university teacherwritereconomist
    Biography

    Hermann Simon is a German author and businessperson. He is chairman of Simon-Kucher & Partners, a strategy and marketing consultancy. He is a strategy, marketing and pricing consultant. An ongoing online German-language survey voted him the second-most influential management thinker. Simon has authored numerous books and writes articles for international newspapers and business magazines.

  100. Gert Mittring

    Gert Mittring
    Born in
    Germany Flag Germany
    Years
    1966-.. (age 58)
    Occupations
    mental calculator
    Biography

    Gert Mittring is a German mental calculator. He was inspired by the late Wim Klein. He has competed in the MSO mental calculation event every year since 2004, failing to win the gold medal outright on only four occasions. He has held numerous world records for mental calculation, such as calculating the 89247th root of a 1000000 digit number. He has doctorates in statistics and mathematics education, and is a member of the Intelligence Research Committee of Intertel. Mittring is said to have been poor in math during his school years. He has written several books on mental calculation.