List of bearers of the Great Federal Cross of Merit with Star

This list shows the bearers of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in the category Great Cross of Merit with a star with brief information on the person and the year of award. See the category of the same name for other bearers of the Cross of Merit with a star

A.

Claudio Abbado , Italian conductor (2002)
Horst Abt , entrepreneur (1994)
Eduard Adorno , politician (CDU) (1980)
Kurt Aland , theologian (1983)
Horst Albach , economist (2001)
Hans Albrecht , forester and politician (FDP) (1989)
Wilhelm Albrecht , medical officer (1967)
Hans Arp , Franco-German painter, sculptor and poet (1966)

B.

Max Bach , publisher
Wilhelm Backhaus , pianist (1969)
Paul B. Baltes , gerontologist (2001)
Władysław Bartoszewski , Polish politician, historian and publicist (1997)
Walther Bauersfeld , engineer and physicist, designer of the first planetarium (1953)
Pina Bausch , dancer and choreographer (1997)
Bagnou Beido , Nigerien Officer and Politician (1983)
Rudolf Belling , sculptor (1972)
Shalom Ben-Chorin , journalist and writer (1993)
Theodor Berchem , linguist and President of the German Academic Exchange Service (2007)
Ludwig Berger , director (1966)
Karl Bernard , Chairman of the Central Bank Council of the Bank of German States (1955)
Heinz Bethge , physicist, President of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina (1992)
Josef Beyerle , politician (1951)
Marianne Birthler , politician (Bündnis 90 / Die Grünen), Federal Commissioner for the Records of the State Security Service of the GDR (2011)
Leo Blech , composer and conductor (1956)
Karlheinz Böhm , Austrian actor (2001)
Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Borgward , entrepreneur (1960)
Gerhard Brandt , President of the Evangelical Church in the Rhineland (1989)
Wernher von Braun , rocket engineer, pioneer of rocket weapons and space travel (1970)
Egidius Braun , football official (1997)
Otto Braun , entrepreneur and politician (1974)
Horst Bredekamp , art historian and university professor (2015)
Hans Bredow , radio frequency engineer and radio pioneer (1954)
Otto Bredt , auditor (1968)
Walter Bruch , electrical engineer (1968)
Rainer Brüderle , politician (FDP) (2013)
Friedrich Brünner , politician (CDU)
Vicco von Bülow (Loriot) , humorist (1999)
Aenne Burda , publisher (1974)
Hubert Burda , publisher (2008)
Walter Burkert , Classical Philologist (2008)
Theodor Busse , General (1966)
Peter von Butler , General

C.

August Claas , entrepreneur (1962)
Ludwig Curtius , archaeologist (1952)

D.

Eberhard Daerr , Inspector of the Medical and Health Services of the Bundeswehr (1972)
Carl Dahlhaus , musicologist and university lecturer (1985)
Hanns Dahn , lawyer (1968)
Lorraine Daston , economic historian and university lecturer (2010)
Johannes Joachim Degenhardt , Archbishop of Paderborn (1993)
Heinz-Horst Deichmann , entrepreneur (2006)
Günter Diehl , diplomat (1975)
Hermann Dietrich , politician (DDP) (1952)
Fritz Dietz , businessman (1968)
Lothar Domröse , Lieutenant General (1981)
Claude Dornier , aircraft designer and entrepreneur (1964)
Herbert Dröse , Lord Mayor (1978)
Luis Durnwalder , Italian politician (SVP) (2000)

E.

Gerhard Erdmann , General Manager of the BDA (1967)
Gerhard Ertl , physicist and surface chemist (2008)
Josef van Ess , Islamic scholar (2010)
Heinrich Ewers , judge at the Roman Rota (1983)

F.

Georg Fahrbach , Chairman of the Swabian Alb Association (1973)
Walther Florian , economist and State Secretary (1987)
Wolfgang Fortner , composer (1977)
Göke Frerichs , politician (CDU), President of the European Economic and Social Committee
Joseph Freundorfer , Bishop of Augsburg (1960)
Ingeborg Friebe , politician (2011)
Wolfgang Frühwald , literary historian (2005)
Horst Fuhrmann , historian (1986)
Wilhelm Furtwängler , conductor and composer (1952)

G

Lothar Gall , historian, President of the Historical Commission at the Bavarian Academy of Sciences (1998)
Carlos Galvão de Melo , Portuguese officer (1989)
John R. Galvin , American general
Joachim Gauck , civil rights activist, Federal Commissioner for the Stasi files (2000)
Walter Gehring , Swiss molecular and developmental biologist (2010)
Georg Geiger , trade unionist, haulage contractor, politician and association official (1969)
Ingeborg Geisendörfer , politician (CSU) (1987)
Wolfgang von Geldern , politician (CDU), parliamentary state secretary and lawyer (2000)
Heinrich Gerlach , Admiral (1966)
Walther Gerlach , physicist, co-discoverer of the Stern-Gerlach effect (1970)
Johannes Gerster , politician (CDU) (1999)
Leonhard Gleske , economist (1986)
Heinrich Gottron , dermatologist and university professor (1966)
Alois Glück , politician (2008)
Adolf Grimme , educator and cultural politician (1954)
Durs Grünbein , poet, essayist and translator (2009)
Peter Grünberg , physicist (2008)
Hubertus Grunhofer , Inspector of the Medical and Health Services of the Bundeswehr (1982)
Romano Guardini , theologian and religious philosopher (1965)

H

Richard Hammer , medic and politician (FDP) (1956)
Walter Hailer , administrative lawyer
Karl Ritter von Halt , sports official (1956)
Carter F. Ham , American General (2012)
Theodor W. Hänsch , physicist (2006)
Hans Hansen , President of the German Sports Confederation (1993)
Hans CW Hartmuth , entrepreneur (1972)
Harald zur Hausen , physician (2009)
Günter Heidecke , lawyer and administrative officer (1985)
Fritz Heine , politician (SPD), publisher (1990)
Rudolf Hell , inventor (1980)
Herbert Helmrich , lawyer and politician (CDU) (2013)
Walter Henkels , journalist (1984)
Susanne Hermans , social worker and politician (1981)
Hans Heyne , Manager (1964)
Friedrich Hirzebruch , mathematician (1993)
Anton Hockelmann , trade functionary (1969)
Hilmar Hoffmann , cultural politician, President of the Goethe Institute (1990)
Herbert van Hüllen , Lord Mayor of Krefeld and Chairman of the employers' association Gesamtmetall (1975)
Georg Hüssler , President of the German Caritas Association (1989)

I.

Erich Iltgen , politician (CDU) (2009)

J

Rudolf Jaenisch , molecular biologist (2010)
Eberhard Jüngel , Protestant theologian

K

Hans Katzer , politician (CDU), Federal Minister of Labor (1969)
Eugen Keidel , Lord Mayor of Freiburg / Breisgau
Walter Kempowski , writer (2006)
Jochen Kirchhoff , entrepreneur and employer functionary (2008)
Theodor Klauser , Catholic theologian, science organizer (1974)
Carlos Kleiber , conductor (1980)
Albert Klein , Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church AB in Transylvania / Romania (1988)
Hans Kleinschmidt , pediatrician (1967)
Charlotte Knobloch , President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany (2010)
Carl Knott , engineer, director of the Siemens Schuckert works
Hannelore Kohl , wife of Federal Chancellor Helmut Kohl (1999)
Claus Köhler , economist (1990)
Bernhard Kötting , Catholic theologian, science officer (1984)
Otto Konz , hydraulic engineer (1958)
Herbert Kraus , lawyer (1964)
Alfred Krause , Federal Chairman of the German Association of Civil Servants (1987)
Heinrich Kron , Protestant theologian, Church President (1988)
Helmut R. Külz , lawyer, judge and university lecturer (1968)
Anton Kurz , administrative officer (1976)

L.

Gerhard Lapp , Ministerial Director in the Federal Post Office

Georg Leber , politician (1969)

Gertrud von Le Fort , writer (1966)

Berthold Leibinger , inventor, entrepreneur and patron (2007)

Herbert Lewin , Chairman of the Central Council of Jews

Richard Löwenthal , political scientist and journalist (1983)

Irene Ludwig , art patron (1998)

M.

Claudio Magris , Italian cultural journalist (2015)
Yuri Manin , university professor (2008)
Max Mannheimer , author and painter (2012)
Kurt Mantel , forest scientist (1975)
Helmut Maucher , Manager (1997)
Josef Clemens Maurer , Catholic theologian and Archbishop of Bolivia (1955)
Boris Meissner , German-Baltic jurist (1996)
Heinrich G. Merkel , newspaper and book publisher (1980)
Alex Meyer , lawyer (1969)
Lilo Milchsack , founder of the Society for Cultural Exchange with England (1985)
Philipp Möhring , lawyer (1970)
Klaus Peter Möller , politician (CDU) (2003)
Herta Müller , writer (2010)
Armin Mueller-Stahl , actor (2008)
Karl Münchinger , conductor (1970)
Klaus Murmann , entrepreneur and employer functionary (1992)

N

Heinz Nehrling , economist and politician (SPD)
Kurt Neuwald , Jewish functionary (1999)
Maria Niggemeyer , politician (CDU) (1956)
Alfons Nossol , Archbishop, Roman Catholic theologian and Bishop of Opole (2009)
Robert Nünlist , Commander of the Pontifical Swiss Guard (1969)
Wilhelm Nieswandt , politician (SPD) (1966)

O

Johannes Oppenheimer , Vice President of the Federal Administrative Court
Michael Otto , entrepreneur (2006)

P

David Petraeus , American general and director of the CIA secret service (2012)
Filippos Petsalnikos , Greek politician (2009)
Robert Pferdmenges , banker and politician (1954)
Reinfried Pohl , CEO of Deutsche Vermögensberatung (2007)
Hippolyt Poschinger von Frauenau , entrepreneur, forest manager and politician (1973)
Albert Pürsten , politician (CDU) (1980)

R.

Paul Raabe , librarian (1997)
Günther Rall , Bundeswehr General (1973)
Kurt Rebmann , Attorney General (1984)
Marcel Reich-Ranicki , publicist and literary critic (2003)
Wilhelm Reissmüller , publisher, editor of Donaukurier (1987)
Aribert Reimann , composer (1995)
Hans Reschke , Lord Mayor of Mannheim (1972)
Hermann Reusch , industrialist (1956)
Horst Ludwig Riemer , politician (FDP)
Fritz Ries , industrialist (1972)
Helmuth Rilling , church musician and conductor (2014)
Burkhard Ritz , politician (CDU) (1984)

S.

Franz Sackmann , politician (CSU) (1978)
Günther Saßmannshausen , geologist and manager
Walter Erich Schäfer , dramaturge and theater director (1971)
Alois Schlögl , agricultural functionary and politician
Peter Schmidhuber , politician (CSU), EU commissioner (1986)
Gerhard Schorsch , neurologist and psychiatrist (1967)
Hanns Christian Schroeder-Hohenwarth , banker (1994)
Louise Schroeder , politician (1952)
Bruno H. Schubert , patron (1990)
Karl Schubert , administrative lawyer (1969)
Emil Schumacher , painter (1983)
Klaus Schwab , economist (2012)
Rolf Schwarz-Schütte , entrepreneur and patron (2011)
Hans Schweitzer , politician (1987)
Ernst Schröder , garden architect and politician (DVP, FDP) (1959)
Richard Schröder , theologian and politician (2015)
Josef Seifried , politician (SPD), Minister of the Interior of Bavaria (1956)
Rudolf Seiters , politician (CDU), Federal Minister of the Interior (1995)
Heinz Sielmann , behavioral scientist, animal filmmaker and publicist (1997)
Hermann Otto Solms , politician (FDP) (1998)
László Sólyom , constitutional lawyer, President of Hungary (1998)
Julius Speer , forest scientist and science organizer (1973)
Werner Spies , art historian (2009)
Steven Spielberg , film director and founder of the Shoah Foundation (1998)
Hermann Josef Spital , Bishop of Trier (2003)
Eduard Spranger , philosopher, educator and psychologist (1952)
Friede Springer , publisher (2008)
Wilhelm Steinlein , administrative lawyer and politician (CDU) (1958)
Ernst C. Stiefel , German-American lawyer (1995)
Hans Peter Stihl , entrepreneur (2002)
Michael Stolleis , lawyer and university professor (2015)
Carl Strehl , co-founder and director of the German Institute for the Blind (1966)
Robert Strobel , journalist and legal scholar (1988)
Peter Struck , politician (2010)
Thomas Südhof , biochemist (2016)
Fritz Sureth , politician (1965)
Hubert Schmitt-Degenhardt , administrative lawyer (1978)

T

Heidi Tagliavini , Swiss diplomat (2015)
Max Tau , humanist, editor and writer (1967)
Gerd Tellenbach , historian (1968)
Klaus Tellenbach , lawyer (1967)
Fritz Terhalle , finance scientist (1959)
Paul Tillich , German-American theologian (1961)
Rudolf Titzck , politician (1979)
William H. Tunner , American general, organizer of the Berlin Airlift (1982)

U

Otto Uechtritz , Lieutenant General of the Bundeswehr (1969)
Günther Uecker , artist (2001)
Andreas Urschlechter , Lord Mayor of Nuremberg

V

Max Vasmer , Slavist (1958)
Wilhelm Vorndran , politician (CSU)

W.

Karl Willy Wagner , communications engineer (1953)
Wolfgang Wagner , opera director (2005)
Helmut Walcha , organist (1987)
Wilhelm Ernst Wenders , film director (2006)
Hermann Wenzel , industrialist (1952)
Kurt Werner , entrepreneur (1990)
Rudolf Wild , entrepreneur (1989)
Hans Wimmer , sculptor (1967)
Thomas Wimmer , Mayor of Munich (1959)
Ernst-Ludwig Winnacker , biochemist and research manager (2010)
Richard Winkels , politician and sports official (1983)
Hans Günter Winkler , show jumper (2008)
Wilhelm Winterstein , banker and patron (2004)
Zhongbi Wu , Chinese pathologist (2002)

Z

Anton Zeilinger , physicist (2009)
John van Nes Ziegler , Mayor of Cologne (1991)
Robert Zollitsch , Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Freiburg and Chairman of the German Bishops' Conference (2014)
Carl Zuckmayer , poet (1955)