List of personalities from North Rhine-Westphalia

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Ludwig van Beethoven comes from today's state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

The list of personalities in North Rhine-Westphalia contains selected well-known personalities who are associated with the state of North Rhine-Westphalia . The people were either born in North Rhine-Westphalia or the focus of their work is in the state. Persons who worked or were born on the territory of today's country before 1946/47 are taken into account. The state of North Rhine-Westphalia has produced numerous important personalities. The list only takes into account persons who are of paramount importance in their respective field or who derive their importance from being mentioned in comparable lists of external sources.

NRW's best

Konrad Adenauer
Johannes Rau

In the spring of 2010, the WDR conducted a (non-representative) TED vote on the “best” of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia among its viewers in its television program at home & on the go . Tens of thousands - according to the WDR - took part. In the last round, there were 50 personalities to choose from, who were determined in the first round based on the suggestions of the audience. A catalog of criteria for selecting the “best” was not created. All persons (except for the Cheruscan prince Arminius, whose place of birth is not certain) in the top 20 places were born in North Rhine-Westphalia or in what is now the state. According to this survey, "NRW's best" are:

Source: WDR

We in North Rhine-Westphalia

Heinrich Boell
Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen
Self-portrait August Macke
Annette von Droste-Hülshoff

The state government presents “People from North Rhine-Westphalia” on its website. The list was drawn up in the context of a poster campaign in 2009 called We in North Rhine-Westphalia in cooperation with several newspaper groups in the state. The former Prime Minister Johannes Rau tried to create a common identity for North Rhine-Westphalia under the (election campaign) motto We in North Rhine-Westphalia. Over 1000 citizens submitted proposals by November. At the request of the state government, the personalities should be named who "stand for North Rhine-Westphalia". Naturally, the selection does not follow more objective criteria, but mainly lists personalities who, from the point of view of the state government and the participating citizens, are inclined to promote a North Rhine-Westphalian identity. Not all personalities were born in North Rhine-Westphalia. In these cases, the place of birth is supplemented by today's affiliation as an indication of this fact. Of the 1000 proposals submitted, the following are mentioned on the website (the brief description of their work on the website of the state government is given as a quote in order to be able to classify the relevance in the sense of the poster campaign - the list is in alphabetical order):

  • Konrad Adenauer (* 1876 in Cologne), most famous Rhinelander and first Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany
  • Luise Albertz (* 1901 in Duisburg), as Lord Mayor (Oberhausen), first woman to head a major German city
  • Walter Arendt (* 1925 in Heessen), from miner to union leader and federal labor minister
  • Karl Arnold (* 1901 in Herrlishöfen, Baden-Wuerttemberg) fought as Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia against dismantling plans by the occupying powers
  • Pina Bausch (* 1940 in Solingen), avant-garde of dance theater
  • Iris Berben (* 1950 in Detmold), the actress campaigns against right-wing extremism and anti-Semitism
  • Ludwig van Beethoven (* 1770 in Bonn), Bonn's most famous son, the musical genius is considered a pioneer of Romanticism
  • Wolfgang Berghe von Trips (* 1928 in Cologne), first internationally successful German automobile racing driver after the war
  • Berthold Beitz (* 1913 in Zemmin, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania) played a key role in the structural change in the Ruhr area
  • Joseph Beuys (* 1921 in Krefeld), one of the most famous German artists of the 20th century
  • Friedrich von Bodelschwingh (* 1831 in Tecklenburg) took care of the mentally ill and the brothers from Landstrasse
  • Heinrich Böll (* 1917 in Cologne), as a critical spirit, represented the new literary beginning after 1945
  • Egidius Braun (* 1925 in Breinig), as DFB President, set an example against xenophobia and drugs
  • Heinrich Drake (* 1881 in Lemgo) led the negotiations for the admission of the state of Lippe to North Rhine-Westphalia
  • Anette von Droste-Hülshoff (* 1797 at Hülshoff Castle near Münster), the poet came from the old Westphalian Catholic nobility
  • Konrad Duden (* 1829 on Gut Bossigt in Lackhausen near Wesel) completed his Abitur at the grammar school in Wesel that was later named after him
  • Kurt Edelhagen (* 1920 in Herne), band leader and pioneer of jazz in post-war Germany
  • Veronica Ferres (* 1965 in Solingen), "Newsweek" is what she calls the German equivalent of Sharon Stone
  • Joseph Cardinal Frings (* 1887 in Neuss) justified "coal theft" from Allied trains as an emergency theft in the hungry winter of 1947
  • Cardinal von Galen (* 1878 in Dinklage, Lower Saxony), the "Lion of Munster" preached against the injustice in the Hitler regime
  • Herbert Grönemeyer (* 1956 in Göttingen, Lower Saxony), a poetic and time-critical rock bard who is in love with his hometown Bochum
  • Peter Grünberg (* 1939 in Pilsen, Czech Republic), the scientist working at Forschungszentrum Jülich, received the 2007 Nobel Prize for Physics
  • Gustaf Gründgens (* 1899 in Düsseldorf), outstanding actor and director enthusiastically celebrated by the audience
  • Ulla Hahn (* 1945 in Brachthausen), Monheim am Rhein plays a key role in her novels
  • Elke Heidenreich (* 1943 in Korbach, Hessen), author and literary critic who doesn’t mince words
  • Heinrich Heine (* 1797 in Düsseldorf), the famous son of Düsseldorf, is considered the last romantic poet
  • Gustav Heinemann (* 1899 in Schwelm), as Federal President, called for more democracy and civil courage
  • Hanns Dieter Hüsch (* 1925 in Moers) was a "philosophical clown" with a subtle sense of humor
  • Charlemagne (* presumably 747 or 748 presumably in the Franconian Empire) made Aachen his favorite city
  • Hans Katzer (* 1919 in Cologne), as the “advocate of the common people”, had a lasting impact on the social policy of all federal governments
  • Hape Kerkeling (* 1964 in Recklinghausen), a man with many faces
  • Manfred Kock (* 1936 in Burgsteinfurt) is considered a preacher who brings the pastoral and social dimensions of the biblical message into the dialogue with politics
  • Heinz Georg Kramm (* 1938 in Düsseldorf), Heino has sold more than 40 million records all over the world
  • Ute Lemper (* 1963 in Münster), born in Münster, studied in Cologne and Vienna, celebrated in Paris as "the new Liza Minnelli"
  • Udo Lindenberg (* 1946 in Gronau), the rock bard was born in 1946 in Gronau, Westphalia
  • Lore Lorentz (* 1920 in Mährisch-Ostrau, Czech Republic) became the "First Lady of German Cabaret" with Düsseldorfer Kom (m) ödchen
  • Heinrich Lübke (* 1894 in Enkhausen) had a decisive influence on the modernization of agriculture in Germany
  • August Macke (* 1887 in Meschede), the house where the Expressionist was born, was in Meschede in the Upper Sauerland
  • Reinhard Mohn (* 1921 in Gütersloh) built one of the largest media houses in the world
  • Marius Müller-Westernhagen (* 1948 in Düsseldorf) climbed the career ladder as an actor and singer
  • Ulrike Nasse-Meyfarth (* 1956 in Frankfurt am Main, Hessen), high jump talent, 1972 youngest Olympic champion in an individual competition
  • Nena (* 1960 in Hagen) became internationally known with 99 balloons
  • Steffi Nerius (* 1972 in Bergen auf Rügen, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania), the javelin world champion from 2009, is committed to disabled sports
  • Helmut Rahn (* 1929 in Essen), football legend from Essen, made the miracle of Bern possible with the national team in 1954
  • Johannes Rau (* 1931 in Wuppertal), Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia and later Federal President, shaped the politics of his home country for decades
  • Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen (* 1845 in Lennep), his discovery revolutionized medical diagnostics
  • Peter Paul Rubens (* 1577 in Siegen), famous son Siegen, one of the most famous painters of the Baroque
  • Mildred Scheel (* 1931 in Cologne), a Cologne-born doctor with extraordinary social commitment, founded the German Cancer Aid
  • Rudolf Schock (* 1915 in Duisburg), sold 18 million records as one of the most popular tenors of the 20th century
  • Birgit Schrowange (* 1958 in Brilon) began her television career at WDR
  • Michael Schumacher (* 1969 in Hürth-Hermülheim), best known racing driver from Kerpen and most successful Formula 1 driver
  • Clara Schumann (* 1819 in Leipzig, Saxony) and her husband Robert complained in the mid-19th century about the lack of discipline among musicians in Düsseldorf
  • Rita Süssmuth (* 1937 in Wuppertal), former President of the Bundestag D. was honored for her great commitment in the fight against AIDS
  • Alice Schwarzer (* 1942 in Wuppertal-Elberfeld), one of the best-known representatives of the new German women's movement
  • Edith Stein , religious name Teresia Benedicta a Cruce (* 1891 in Breslau, Poland), the philosopher and women's rights activist dealt with issues of girls' education in Münster
  • Paul Spiegel (* 1937 in Warendorf), a great German of the Jewish faith, who helped build the new Germany
  • August Thyssen (* 1842 in Eschweiler), the life's work of the great industrialist, cannot be overlooked on the Rhine and Ruhr
  • Helene Wessel (* 1898 in Hörde) founded the All-German People's Party with Gustav Heinemann
  • Tabea Zimmermann (* 1966 in Lahr, Baden-Württemberg), the violist is committed to the project "Every child an instrument"

Source: State government of North Rhine-Westphalia

Open list by activity

This chapter lists selected personalities who are associated with North Rhine-Westphalia or its current national territory. The selection is subjective and not final. Objective criteria were not applied for the selection. Personalities who were not born in North Rhine-Westphalia receive a supplementary description of their place of birth and the current affiliation of the place.

Politician

Gustav Heinemann

Five Federal Presidents and two Federal Chancellors were born in North Rhine-Westphalia or its current borders:

Several politicians from North Rhine-Westphalia come from the current federal cabinet:

Other well-known politicians beyond the borders of the state are:

athlete

Lawyers

Army leaders and rulers

Hermannsdenkmal , monumental statue of Arminius near Detmold
  • Arminius (* around 17 BC presumably in Germania), the Cheruscan stopped the Roman expansion into Germania
  • Agrippina the Younger (* 15 in Cologne ), daughter of Germanicus , mother Nero and wife of Emperor Claudius
  • Charlemagne (* 747 or 748 presumably in the Frankish Empire), Frankish emperor and ancestor of Germany and France with main residence in Aachen
  • Widukind (* before 777 probably in the tribal area of ​​the Saxons), Saxon duke and fighter against Charlemagne, transfigured as the progenitor of the Saxons in the Lower Saxony and Westphalia song
  • Otto III. (* 980 at Kessel ), Roman-German king and emperor

Architects

Visual artist

Self-portrait Peter Paul Rubens

Musician

Performing artist

  • Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau (* 1888 in Bielefeld), influential film director
  • Gustaf Gründgens (* 1899 in Düsseldorf), one of the most important actors and theater directors in Germany
  • Heinz Rühmann (* 1902 in Essen) is one of the most famous German actors of the 20th century
  • Willy Millowitsch (* 1909 in Cologne), Rhenish folk actor
  • Pina Bausch (* 1940 in Solingen), one of the most important choreographers of the 20th century

Literati

Heinrich Heine

Philosophers

  • Jürgen Habermas (* 1929 in Düsseldorf), one of the most popular philosophers and sociologists today

Suffragette

  • Alice Schwarzer (* 1942 in Wuppertal-Elberfeld), well-known publicist and best-known figure of the younger German emancipation movement

Natural scientist

Theologians

Entrepreneur

Alfred Krupp
  • Franz Haniel (* 1779 in Ruhrort) created one of the largest family companies in Germany with roots in the coal and steel industry
  • Alfred Krupp (* 1812 in Essen) expanded his father's company into the largest industrial company in Europe
  • Julius Kemna (* 1837 in Barmen) founded Kemna Bau
  • August Thyssen (* 1842 in Eschweiler) founded one of the largest mining groups in Europe
  • Friedrich Karl Henkel (* 1848 in Vöhl, Hessen), founder of the consumer goods manufacturer Henkel, headquartered in Düsseldorf
  • The Mannesmann brothers (* 1856 and * 1857 in Remscheid) built one of the largest steel processing companies in Europe
  • Hugo Junkers (* 1859 in Rheydt ), entrepreneur and aircraft designer
  • August Oetker (* 1862 in Obernkirchen, Lower Saxony) founded one of the largest food companies in Europe in Bielefeld
  • Carl Miele (* 1869 in Herzebrock) founded a large household appliance company
  • Hans Riegel (* 1893 in Friesdorf) founded the Haribo confectionery company
  • Karl (* 1920 in Essen) and Theo Albrecht (* 1922 in Essen), created the ALDI retail group and were the richest Germans
  • Reinhard Mohn (* 1921 in Gütersloh) built one of the world's largest media companies, a founder and entrepreneur with a socio-ethical claim
  • Heinz Nixdorf (* 1925 in Paderborn), computer pioneer
  • Heinz-Horst Deichmann (* 1926 in Essen) entrepreneur, under whose direction the largest European shoe retail chain Heinrich Deichmann-Schuh was established

See also

For further biographies of relevant people, see also:

In Wikipedia, it is also customary to name well-known people (including honorary citizens) at the end of the respective article on the municipality.

Web links

Commons : Personalities of North Rhine-Westphalia  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Westdeutscher Rundfunk (Ed.): At home & on the way. NRW's best. April 2010.
  2. ^ State government of North Rhine-Westphalia: Great response to the poster campaign "We in North Rhine-Westphalia"
  3. ^ Nina-Maria Haupt NRW campaign. Famous personalities from NRW wanted . In: WAZ (ed.): The West. July 17, 2009.
  4. ^ State government of North Rhine-Westphalia (Hrsg.): People - State portal North Rhine-Westphalia

Coordinates: 51 ° 29 '  N , 7 ° 33'  E