List of personalities of the city of Bochum
The following lists deal with personalities from the city of Bochum .
Personalities born in Bochum
Chronological listing by year of birth
17th and 18th centuries
- Heinrich Johann Friedrich Ostermann (1687–1747), Russian diplomat and statesman
- Heinrich Dietrich von Grolman (1740–1840), lawyer
- Adalbert von der Recke-Volmerstein (1791–1878), founder of the Diakonie
19th century
Until 1880
- Friedrich Wilhelm Müser (1812–1874), Chairman of the Board of Directors of Harpener Bergbau AG
- Friedrich Wilhelm Böcker (1818–1861), doctor and coroner
- Wilhelm Seippel (1832–1906), mine lamp manufacturer
- Heinrich Grimberg (1833–1907), mining entrepreneur
- Henriette von Noël (1833–1903), teacher and founder of the Hildegardis School in Bochum
- Wilhelm Munscheid (1839–1913), industrialist in Gelsenkirchen, councilor in Kray
- Friedrich Heinrich Flottmann (1844–1899), engineer, entrepreneur and industrial pioneer
- Fritz Brinkhoff (1848–1927), master brewer
- Ludwig Schröder (1848–1914), miner leader and trade unionist
- Max Seippel (1850–1913), writer
- Eduard zur Nedden (1854–1924), district administrator and district president
- Fritz Baare (1855–1917), industrialist
- August Siegel (1856–1936), miner leader and trade unionist
- Wilhelm Baare (1857–1938), General Director of the Bochum Association
- Gustav Altegoer (1859–?), Politician
- Gottfried Kleinschmidt (1860–1931), entrepreneur
- Bernhard Schulz (1861–1933), politician, architect, teacher and lawyer
- Gustav Beckmann (1865–1939), music director of the Essen Bach Society, founder of the Association of Protestant Church Musicians in Prussia
- Wenceslaus Straussfeld (1867–1933), theologian
- Johann Wilhelm Welker (1870–1962), manager
- Bernhard Clostermann (1874–1919), Mayor of Mülheim, Lord Mayor of Koblenz
- Friedrich Herbst (1874–1937), mining engineer, university professor and mining official
- Robert Koppel (1874–1966), singer and lecturer
- Otto Heinrich Flottmann (1875–1944), entrepreneur
- August Weber (1875–1963), politician
- Lore Agnes (1876–1953), politician and women's rights activist
- Georg Breuker (1876–1964), novelist and poet
- Paul Frangenheim (1876–1930), surgeon
- Josef Franke (1876–1944), architect
- Friedrich Albert Groeteken (1878–1961), priest, teacher, author and local history researcher
- Fernando Baare (1879–1952), major in the General Staff and entrepreneur
- Romanus Bange (1880–1941), Catholic pastor
- Albrecht Giersch (1880–1946), writer
- Heinrich Schmiedeknecht (1880–1962), architect
1881-1900
- Alfred Keller (1882–1974), General
- Hugo Pütter (1883–1963), Hessian politician
- Ottilie Schoenewald (1883–1961), politician and women's rights activist
- Karl Surkamp (1883–1952), trade unionist and politician
- Heinrich König (1886–1943), politician and resistance fighter
- Felix Wilhelm Beielstein (1887–1964), writer
- Albert Bollmann (1889–1959), football player
- Mathilde Gantenberg (1889–1975), politician
- Heinrich Günnewig (1889–1981), lawyer and politician
- August Halbfell (1889–1965), politician
- August Heinrichsbauer (1890–1977), business journalist and lobbyist
- Richard Kahn (1890–?), Entrepreneur
- Friedrich August Pinkerneil (1890–1967), economic functionary and politician
- Bernhard Düwell (1891–?), Politician
- Friedrich Gnaß (1892–1958), actor
- Paul Nieder-Westermann (1892–1957), politician
- Karl Viëtor (1892–1951), Germanist and university professor
- Maria Backenecker (1893–1931), politician
- Wilhelm Droll (1893–1967), politician
- Lory Maier-Smits (1893–1971), teacher and actress
- Emilie Boer (1894–1980), classical philologist and astronomy historian
- Hans Ehrenberg (1894–1977), mineralogist
- Hulda Pankok (1895–1985), journalist and publisher
- Hermann Stopperich (1895–1952), politician
- Emil Hartmann (1896–1963), politician
- August Oppenberg (1896–1971), painter
- Nora Platiel (1896–1979), politician, lawyer and resistance fighter against National Socialism
- Franz Land (1896–1974), politician
- Elisabeth Boer (1896–1991), archivist and historian
- Alfred Bockemühl (1896–1992), transport scientist and engineer
- Emil Hartmann (1896–1963), politician
- Luise Rehling (1896–1964), politician
- Bernhard Wielers (1897–1957), architect
- Siegfried Schug (1898–?), Politician
- Josef Schmidt-Diemel (1898–1960), politician
- Walter Sethe (1898–1955), district administrator and city manager
- Elisabeth Treskow (1898–1992), goldsmith and art professor
- Kurt Winkhaus (1898–1970), General Judge of the German Air Force
- Friedrich Alfred Beck (1899–1985), politician, philosopher and educator
- Wilhelmine Kaiser (1899–1988), politician
- Walther Gottfried Klucke (1899–1951), writer
- Otto Leopold Piclum (1899–1966), politician
- Walter Weber (1899–1979), diplomat
- Hans Fritzsche (1900–1953), journalist
- Lorenz Loewer (1900–1992), politician
- Ernst Riemenschneider (1900–1960), politician
20th century
1901-1910
- Paul Dierichs (1901–1996), newspaper publisher and art patron
- Martha Gillessen (1901–1945), resistance fighter against National Socialism
- Johannes Laumann (1901–1979), politician
- Paul Sethe (1901–1967), publicist and humanities scholar
- Siegfried Balke (1902–1984), politician
- Erna Herchenröder (1903–1977), politician
- Walter Küper (1903–1986), Lord Mayor of Düren
- Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1903–1975), conductor and university professor
- Julius Merz (1903–?), Politician
- Lotte Palfi-Andor (1903–1991), actress and author
- Heinrich Wullenhaupt (1903–1985), politician
- Arnold Bender (1904–1978), German-British writer
- Albert Günther (1904–1980), politician
- Albert Ludwig Juncker (1904–1987), politician
- Werner Lehmann (1904–1941), resistance fighter against National Socialism
- Josef Becker (1905–1996), politician
- Fritz Claus (1905–1985), politician
- Herbert Eklöh (1905–1978), entrepreneur
- Gerhard Günnewig (1905–1994), hotelier and restaurateur
- Wilhelm Herbert Koch (1905–1983), journalist and writer
- Emil Sander (1905–1985), politician
- Erich Schönewolf (1905–1990), trade unionist and politician
- Ernst Käsemann (1906–1998), Lutheran theologian and university professor
- Fritz Katzmann (1906–1957), SS functionary
- Karl Heinrich Knappstein (1906–1989), journalist and diplomat
- Ernst Stein (1906–1943), politician
- Paul Wipper (1906–1992), politician
- Anton Becker (1907–1963), politician
- Heinrich Dietrich (1907–1966), politician
- Heinrich Kaiser (1907–1976), physicist and chemist
- Josef Kappius (1907–1967), resistance fighter against National Socialism and politician
- Kurt Kötzsch (1907–1982), politician
- Walter Neusel (1907–1964), heavyweight boxer
- Werner Schröder (1907–1985), zoologist and paleontologist
- Georg Brauer (1908–2001), chemist and university professor
- Karl Hell (1908–1999), architect
- Ernst Schlensker (1908–1978), trade unionist and politician
- Wilhelm Dege (1910–1979), geographer, geologist and university professor
- Karl Kottenhahn (1910–1981), politician
- Heinrich Pardon (1910–1968), politician
- Fritz Riwotzki (1910–1978), police chief of Dortmund
- Maria Rowohlt (1910–2005), actress
- Hans Strube (1910–1945), politician
- Hans Thiemann (1910–1977), painter
- Hans Werdehausen (1910–1977), painter
1911-1920
- Wilhelm Feige (1911–1969), politician
- Walter Lohmann (1911–1993), racing cyclist
- Franz Schaap (1911–1983), politician
- Wilhelm Schlueter (1912–1993), politician
- Hans Bornemann (1913–1966), football player
- Ignatius Geitel (1913–1985), painter
- Heinrich Hogrebe (1913–1998), forester and officer
- Hans Kirchhoff (1913–1994), politician
- August Knippert (1913–1978), politician
- Erich Schmidtbochum (1913–1999), sculptor
- Friedhelm Halfmeier (1914–1977), educator and politician
- Heinz Hasselberg (1914–1989), racing cyclist
- Herbert Hauffe (1914–1997), politician
- Hans Kaiser (1914–1982), artist
- Friedrich Rische (1914–2007), politician
- Karl-Heinz Sonne (1915–1997), manager
- Johannes Heinrich Emminghaus (1916–1989), Catholic theologian
- Frans Griesenbrock (1916–2010), glass painter
- Eckhard Hess (1916–1986), American psychologist and ethnologist
- Siegfried Reda (1916–1968), composer and organist
- Hans Joachim Sewering (1916–2010), internist and medical professional politician
- Ulrich Sahm (1917–2005), diplomat
- Gerhard Trubel (1917–2004), church musician and composer
- Heinz Oskar Vetter (1917–1990), trade unionist and politician
- Thilo Bode (1918–2014), journalist
- Claus Holm (1918–1996), actor
- Hans Albrecht (1919–2008), politician
- Eduard Klinik (1919–1942), Polish resistance fighter and martyr
- Karl-Heinz Lünenstrasse (1919–1963), politician
- Edith Schneider (1919–2012), actress and voice actress
- Helmut Valentin (1919–2008), occupational physician
- Theo Aaldering (1920–1979), weightlifter from Wattenscheid
- Anneliese Brost (1920–2010), publisher (WAZ media group) and patron
1921-1930
- Heinz Kaminski (1921–2002), chemical engineer and space researcher
- Fritz Gratzki (1922–1987), painter and conceptual artist
- Gershon Kingsley (1922-2019), German-American composer
- Karl Partsch (1922–2009), biologist and environmentalist
- Hermann Josef Russe (1922–2008), economist and politician
- Peter Scholl-Latour (1924–2014), Franco-German journalist and publicist
- Karl-Heinrich Jakob (1924–2012), functionary in the mining industry
- Heinz Budde (1925–1991), economist and politician
- Gert Dieckmann (1925-2007), neurosurgeon
- Karl Liedtke (1925–2008), educator and politician
- Hans Matthöfer (1925–2009), politician
- Rudolf Stephan (1925–2019), musicologist
- Bernhard Vossebein (* 1925), table tennis player
- Margret Birkenfeld (1926–2019), musician and composer
- Wolfgang Brüggemann (1926–2014), educator
- Alfred Müller-Felsenburg (1926–2007), teacher, poet and writer
- Günter Nehm (1926–2009), poet and wordplayer
- Rolf Nolting (1926–1995), architect and politician
- Karl-Heinz Pelser (* 1926), actor
- Günter Urban (1926–2017), building historian and university professor
- Roland H. Wiegenstein (* 1926), freelance journalist and radio play director
- Sybil Countess Schönfeldt (* 1927), Austrian-German writer and journalist
- Manfred Eigen (1927–2019), bio- and physical chemist, Nobel Prize winner
- Karl Garbe (1927–2019), journalist, writer and political manager
- Friedrich Gräsel (1927–2013), sculptor
- Hubert Abel (1927–2018), physician
- Günter Rohrmoser (1927–2008), social philosopher
- Wilhelm Dreier (1928–1993), Catholic social ethicist and economist
- Karlheinz Edelbrock (1928–1998), politician
- Gerhard Harpers (1928–2016), soccer player and coach
- Klaus Rose (* 1928), economist
- Hubert Schaffmeister (1928–2012), glass painter and art professor
- Hans Georg Zambona (* 1928), composer, pianist and writer
- Norbert Borgolte (1929–2012), lawyer
- Friedhelm Busse (1929–2008), supporter of the militant neo-Nazi scene in Germany
- Philipp Eggers (1929–2016), educationalist
- Theo Herrmann (1929–2013), professor
- Hans Korte (1929–2016), theater and film actor as well as radio play, audio book and voice actor
- Ingrid Mittenzwei (1929–2012), historian
- Herbert Schwirtz (* 1929), politician
- Friedrich Witt (1930–2015), double bass player
- Marianne Kesting (* 1930), literary scholar and comparativeist
- Elisabeth Rechlin (* 1930), athlete
- Friedhelm Deis (1930–2008), musician and composer
- Walter J. Schütz (1930–2013), communication scientist
- Jürgen Ruhfus (1930–2018), lawyer
- Hans Schulze (* 1930), actor
1931-1940
- Dietrich Bartels (1931–1983), geographer
- Gerhard Bellinger (1931–2020), theologian and professor
- Günter Brakelmann (* 1931), Protestant theologian
- Arno Klönne (1931–2015), sociologist and political scientist
- Heinz Kriwet (1931–2017), manager of the steel industry
- Charly Neumann (1931–2008), restaurateur
- Heinz Papenhoff (1931–2000), classical philologist and high school teacher
- Hans Martin Pawlowski (1931–2016), legal scholar
- Karl Heinz Luckhardt (1932–2019), politician
- Franz-Josef Nocke (* 1932), Roman Catholic theologian
- Theodor Josef Seifert (1932–2007), architect
- Otto Schily (* 1932), politician
- Friedhelm Simelka (1932–2008), politician
- Hans Watzke (1932–2014), politician
- Wilhelm Kurz (1933–2002), medieval historian
- Werner Lüthgen (1933–2017), veterinarian
- Günther Maritschnigg (1933–2013), wrestler
- Helmut Marmulla (1933–1997), politician
- Georg Aigner (* 1934), engineer and politician (SPD)
- Randy Braumann (* 1934), journalist
- Reinhard Döhl (1934–2004), literary and media scholar
- Günter Feix (* 1934), biologist
- Helmut Jagielski (1934–2002), football player
- Gisbert Schneider (1934-2018), professor
- Paul Gerhard Schoenborn (* 1934), Protestant pastor
- Helmut Wieczorek (1934–2010), engineer, manager and politician
- Werner Altegoer (1935–2013), football functionary
- Elmar Budde (* 1935), musicologist
- Horst A. Fechner (1935–1996), actor
- Diethelm Hoffmann (* 1935), architect
- Jürgen Sudhoff (* 1935), lawyer and diplomat
- Jürgen Wedeking (* 1935), long-distance runner
- Roland Hermann (* 1936), opera singer
- Dieter Hussing (1936–2015), politician
- Peter-Jürgen Rau (* 1936), politician
- Erwin Siekmann (* 1936), politician
- Heinz-Alfred Steiner (* 1936), officer and politician
- Werner Stengel (* 1936), engineer
- Gerhard Allroggen (* 1936), musicologist
- Ilse Brusis (* 1937), politician
- Alfred Czarnetzki (1937–2013), anthropologist
- Werner Koch (* 1937), painter and draftsman
- Konrad Schily (* 1937), doctor and politician
- Uli Maslo (* 1938), soccer player and coach
- Jürgen Schmidt (1938–2004), actor
- Willi Schulz (* 1938), soccer player
- Heinrich Volkmann (1938–2014), social historian
- Ulrich Fehl (1939–2019), economist
- Ulrich Irmer (* 1939), politician
- Klaus Rinke (* 1939), artist
- Jürgen Strube (* 1939), manager
- Wolfgang Clement (* 1940), politician, manager and lobbyist
- Heinz Giesen (1940–2016), Roman Catholic religious priest and theologian
- Heinz Jansen (1940–2018), politician
- Martin Kayenburg (* 1940), politician
- Jürgen Schwarz (* 1940), high school teacher and textbook author
- Wilhelm Sturm (1940–1996), football player
- AD Trantenroth (1940–2019), sculptor, object artist and draftsman
1941-1950
- Friedhelm Prayon (* 1941), etrusologist
- Gerhard Tulodziecki (* 1941), university professor
- Monika Unferferth (* 1942), television presenter, director and fashion designer
- Diethelm Koch (1943–2008), sculptor and university professor
- Klaus Lippold (* 1943), politician
- Heinz Wirtz (* 1943), politician
- Klaus Hilpert (1944–2014), soccer coach and manager
- Klaus-Jürgen Tillmann (* 1944), educational scientist
- Elke Talhorst (* 1945), politician
- Dieter Versen (* 1945), football player
- Frank Wunsch (* 1945), jazz pianist
- Klaus Hasenfratz (* 1946), politician
- Falk-Ingo Klee (* 1946), writer
- Eberhard Figgemeier (1947–2020), sports editor
- Michael Gerdts (* 1947), diplomat
- Gerhard Charles Rump (* 1947), art historian, curator and gallery owner
- Reinhard Bottländer (* 1948), writer
- Hans-Jürgen Bradler (* 1948), football player
- Manfred Günther (* 1948), social work scientist
- Otto Happel (* 1948), entrepreneur
- Norbert Lammert (* 1948), politician
- Reiner Lehberger (* 1948), educational scientist
- Horst Schiereck (* 1948), politician
- Werner Schmitz (* 1948), journalist and writer
- Hans-Ludwig Günther (* 1949), lawyer and university professor
- Elmar Weiler (* 1949), professor and rector
- Manfred Behrendt (* 1950), soccer goalkeeper
- Matthias Brandes (* 1950), painter
- Ute Dreckmann (* 1950), politician
- Hubert Koch (* 1950), traffic educator and management consultant
- Ruth Lamsbach (* 1950), disabled athlete
- Wolf-Dieter Langheld (* 1950), Bundeswehr general
- Dieter Salzmann (* 1950), classical archaeologist
1951-1960
- Lieselore Cyrus (* 1951), diplomat
- Michael Glasmeier (* 1951), university professor, publicist and curator
- Michael Jansen (* 1951), artist and composer
- Helmut Pabst (* 1951), soccer goalkeeper and coach
- Heinz-Josef Koitka (* 1952), soccer goalkeeper
- Annegret Kroniger (* 1952), athlete
- Peter Weckmann (* 1952), politician
- Wolfgang Welt (1952–2016), writer
- Andreas Bee (* 1953), art historian, curator and professor
- Birgit Fischer (* 1953), politician
- Siegfried Martsch (* 1953), politician
- Peter-Paul Manzel (* 1953), natural scientist and book author
- Jürgen Pomorin (* 1953), journalist and screenwriter
- Micheline Rampe (* 1953), author and alternative practitioner
- Uwe Vorkötter (* 1953), editor-in-chief of the Berliner Zeitung
- Peter Pieper (* 1953), forensic archaeologist
- Hermann Gerland (* 1954), soccer player and coach
- Dieter Naskrent (* 1954), Lieutenant General of the Air Force in the German Armed Forces
- Lothar Nikolaiczuk (* 1954), chess player and author
- Jochen Schroeder (* 1954), actor, singer and director
- Peter Seewald (* 1954), journalist and author
- Christian Wulffen (* 1954), artist
- Thomas Wulffen (* 1954), art critic, journalist and curator
- Fritz Eckenga (* 1955), cabaret artist
- Sabine Funke (* 1955), painter
- Eberhard von Hodenberg (* 1955), physician
- Frank Gerhard Königs (1955–2019), Romance studies and university professor
- Annegret Krischok (* 1955), politician
- Stefan Micheel (* 1955), artist
- Hans Werner Olm (* 1955), cabaret artist
- Gabriele Potthast (* 1955), politician
- Ulrike Schanko (* 1955), theater director, dramaturge, translator and author
- Frank Döhmann (* 1956), film producer and filmmaker
- Georg Graewe (* 1956), composer
- Jürgen Schmidt (* 1956), Roman Catholic priest
- Axel Vogel (* 1956), politician
- Gerhard Bolaender (* 1957), writer
- Peer Boysen (* 1957), director and set designer
- Christoph Konrad (* 1957), politician
- Annemarie Sylvia Meier (* 1957), actress
- Dietrich Monstadt (* 1957), politician
- Harald Rein (* 1957), theologian
- Johannes Brachtendorf (* 1958), philosopher
- Dirk Glaser (* 1958), journalist
- Christiane Gohl (* 1958), author
- Bernd Schmidt (* 1958), stage and media publisher and translator
- Klaus Simmering (1958–2004), science journalist and film producer
- Renate Sommer (* 1958), politician
- Ute Thimm (* 1958), track and field athlete
- Matthias Anthuber (* 1959), handball player; Surgeon and professor
- Gerd Brachmann (* 1959), entrepreneur
- Gabriele Dönig-Poppensieker (* 1959), politician
- Christian Maria Goebel (* 1959), actor
- Katrin Trost (* 1959), politician
- Uli Auffermann (* 1960), writer, photographer and journalist
- Mechtild Böger (* 1960), visual artist
- Martin Endreß (* 1960), sociologist
- Michael Hagner (* 1960), physician and science historian
- Axel Rudi Pell (* 1960), musician
- Birgit Sippel (* 1960), politician
- Dirk Sondermann (* 1960), author and theologian
1961-1970
- Wolf Codera (* 1961), saxophonist and clarinetist
- Frank Benatelli (* 1962), football player
- Florian Gothe (* 1962), soccer player and official
- Carmen Kaminsky (* 1962), professor, philosopher and author
- Lars Konieczny (* 1962), cognitive scientist
- Ingo Naujoks (* 1962), actor
- Milena Preradovic (* 1962), journalist and presenter
- Andy Woerz (* 1962), Austrian singer and actor
- Anja Brünglinghaus (* 1963), actress
- Thomas Hermanns (* 1963), presenter, comedian and director
- Werner Karle (1963–2002), actor
- Michael Kühn (* 1963), soccer player
- Sabine Nötzel (* 1963), actress and director
- Gundula Rapsch (1963–2011), theater and film actress
- Alexandra Thein (* 1963), lawyer and politician
- Theo Pointner (* 1964), writer
- Stefan Willeke (* 1964), journalist
- Boris Zernikow (* 1964), pediatrician and university professor
- Dirk Bremser (* 1965), soccer player and coach
- Peter Burtz (* 1965), music producer, author and journalist
- Frank Heinemann (* 1965), soccer player and coach
- Thomas Köner (* 1965), musician and multimedia artist
- Detlef Lins (* 1965), Mayor of Sundern
- Thomas "Harry" Weinkauf (* 1965), Chief Police Officer
- Frank Goosen (* 1966), cabaret artist and novelist
- Frank Wickermann (1966–2020), actor and director
- Axel Wieandt (* 1966), bank manager
- Michael Fietz (* 1967), long-distance runner
- Martin Husmann (* 1967), TV and film producer
- Matthias Konradt (* 1967), theologian and university professor
- Martin Schwab (* 1967), lawyer and politician
- Hennes Bender (* 1968), comedian
- Jeff Cascaro (* 1968), jazz and soul singer and trumpeter
- Wieland Harms (* 1968), guitarist, composer and guitar teacher, student of Michael Sagmeister
- Michael Härle (* 1968), actor
- Michael Laricchia (* 1968), actor
- Kai Laufen (* 1968), editor and feature writer
- Thorsten Legat (* 1968), soccer player
- Anne Röthel (* 1968), legal scholar
- Henrik Schaefer (* 1968), conductor
- Fabian Scheidler (* 1968), author and dramaturge
- Nicole Glocke (* 1969), writer
- Thorsten Klüner (* 1969), chemist
- Monika Lüke (* 1969), international lawyer
- Christoph Möllers (* 1969), legal scholar
- Gregor Schnittker (* 1969), television presenter and author
- Dirk Bastert (* 1970), professional dancer
- Juliane Caspar (* 1970), gastronomy journalist
- Michael Hoffmann (* 1970), chess player
- Per-Anders Kurenbach (* 1970), keyboardist and composer
- Sebastian Orlac (* 1970), director, author and concept artist
- Malte Schaefer (* 1970), solo violist and singer
- Mark Warnecke (* 1970), swimmer
1971-1980
- Jens Koch (* 1971), lawyer and university professor
- Kai Schürholt (* 1971), hotel manager
- Canan Büyrü (* 1972), journalist and presenter
- Michael Galla (1972-2011), rapper
- Gérard Guse (* 1972), jazz musician
- Ygal Gleim (* 1972), actor and filmmaker
- Kai Niggemann (* 1972), composer, producer and sound designer
- Bastian Pastewka (* 1972), actor and comedian
- Henning Sußebach (* 1972), journalist
- Henning Vogt (* 1972), actor
- Mark Waschke (* 1972), actor
- Marc Weber (* 1972), rower
- Martin Clauss (* 1973), medieval historian
- Christian Göbel (* 1973), philosopher and university professor
- Olaf Kühne (* 1973), geographer and university professor
- Daniel Friedrich Sturm (* 1973), journalist
- Jana Becker (* 1975), actress
- Roberta Bieling (* 1975), journalist and television presenter
- Martin Brand (* 1975), visual artist
- Patrick Joswig (* 1975), actor and author
- Christian Maly (* 1975), soccer goalkeeper
- Ben Redelings (* 1975), author and filmmaker
- Tanja Schulte (* 1975), soccer player and trainer
- Martin Buchholz (* 1976), German champion in the science slam
- Michael Wurst (* 1975), singer
- Nina Englich (* 1976), wrestler
- Michael Helber (* 1970), badminton player
- Fabian Kondziolka (* 1978), actor and presenter
- Christoph Kühnemund (* 1976), baseball player
- Kai Michalke (* 1976), soccer player
- Eva Mona Rodekirchen (* 1976), singer and actress
- Mike Terranova (* 1976), soccer player and coach
- Dominik Susteck (* 1977), organist and composer
- Jana Scheerer (* 1978), journalist and writer
- Claus Cremer (* 1979), politician and right-wing extremist activist
- Tobias Nath (* 1979), actor and voice actor
- Michael Stuckmann (* 1979), soccer player
- Sebastian Stielke (* 1980), actor
- Jill Vernekohl (* 1980), figure skater
1981-1990
- Tommy Finke (* 1981), singer and songwriter
- Sina-Maria Gerhardt (* 1981), theater and film actress
- Katrin Taylor (* 1981), musical actress
- Hannes Wolf (* 1981), soccer coach
- Tobias Güttner (* 1982), ice hockey goalkeeper
- Kathy Krause (* 1982), German-American musical performer
- Laura Marie Schons (* 1982), economist, university professor
- René Dawn-Claude (* 1983), voice actor and actor
- Anne Müller (* 1983), handball player
- Boris Konrad (* 1984), neuroscientist, physicist and author
- Yuki Stalph (* 1984), soccer player
- Stephan Breuing (* 1985), canoeist
- Konstanze von Gutzeit (* 1985), cellist
- Mirja Kothe (* 1985), soccer player
- Annike Krahn (* 1985), soccer player
- Marvin Matip (born 1985), football player
- Ersan Tekkan (* 1985), football player
- Niko Bungert (* 1986), soccer player
- Lukas Kampa (* 1986), volleyball player
- Malte Mohr (* 1986), athlete
- Marc Philipp (* 1986), actor, voice actor and presenter
- Ines Marie Westernströer (* 1986), actress
- Mara Minjoli (* 1987), singer
- Tim Sandtler (* 1987), racing car driver
- Felix Bastians (* 1988), football player
- Dominik Buch (* 1988), actor and musician
- Christopher Czech (* 1989), canoeist
- Matthias Ostrzolek (* 1990), football player
- Marc Rzatkowski (* 1990), football player
- Nora Quest (* 1990), actress
1991-2000
- Joel Matip (* 1991), soccer player
- Benjamin Proyer (* 1991), ice hockey player
- Daniel Heuer Fernandes (* 1992), football player
- Cebio Soukou (* 1992), football player
- Kyra Malinowski (* 1993), soccer player
- AriBeatz (* 1995), music producer
- Valentin Baus (* 1995), para table tennis player
- Leon Goretzka (* 1995), football player
- Gino Fechner (* 1997), soccer player
Well-known residents of Bochum
Overview of people who lived and worked in Bochum, but were not born there:
- Carl Arnold Kortum (1745-1824), doctor and writer
- Johann Joachim Schlegel (1821–1880), beer brewer, founder of Schlegel Brewery AG
- Richard Prüfer (1836–1878), mayor of Bochum from 1874 to 1876
- Carlos Otto (1838–1897), chemist (Liebig's student) and company founder
- Franz Darpe (1842–1911), high school prof. Ostring high school, historian in Bochum
- Heinrich Kämchen (1847–1912), miner and working-class poet
- Karl Elkart (1880–1959), architect / city planner, 1912–1918 city architect
- Aloys Heuvers (1888–1967), mechanical engineer, long-time operations director of the Bochum Association
- Else Hirsch (1889–1943), Jewish teacher, organized transports for children to England during the Nazi era
- Richard Sprick (1901–1968), artist, from 1927 to 1943 art teacher at the Goethe School
- Ferdinand Keilmann (1907–1979), from 1950 to 1972 architect in the building construction department
- Erich Domaschk (1908–1974), Wehrmacht officer in World War II and co-founder of the Association of German Officers (BDO); lived and died in Bochum
- Josef Hermann Dufhues (1908–1971), CDU interior minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, lawyer in Bochum
- Liselotte Rauner (1920–2005), writer, co-founder of the Rauner Foundation
- Hans-Jürgen Schlieker (1924–2004), university professor, painter and graphic artist
- Max Imdahl (1925–1988), art historian
- Tana Schanzara (1925–2008), actress at the Bochumer Schauspielhaus
- Klaus Steilmann (1929–2009), textile entrepreneur in Wattenscheid
- Kurt Biedenkopf (* 1930), politician, 1967–1969 Rector of the Ruhr University
- Kuno Gonschior (1935–2010), painter and university professor
- Knut Ipsen (* 1935), President of the DRK, Rector of the Ruhr University
- Friedrich Grotjahn (* 1935), writer
- Hansjürgen Bulkowski (* 1938), writer, spent his youth in Bochum from 1953 to 1964
- Jochen Borchert (* 1940), Federal Minister for Food, Agriculture and Forests from 1993 to 1998
- Joachim Hermann Luger (* 1943), actor
- Leonardo Bauer (* 1945), major restaurateur
- Wolfgang André alias "Anton Klopotek" (* 1948), cabaret artist, singer and television presenter
- Werner Streletz (* 1949), writer / journalist, since 1985 culture editor of the WAZ
- Harry Fechner (* 1950), soccer player
- Ethem Yilmaz (* 1952), Turkish-German publisher of phrasebooks
- Wolfgang Berke (* 1954), journalist and book author
- Uwe Fellensiek (* 1955), actor
- Armin Rohde (* 1955), actor
- Herbert Grönemeyer (* 1956), actor and singer, grew up in Bochum
- Claude-Oliver Rudolph (* 1956), actor
- Jochem Ahmann (* 1957), artist and designer
- Ralf Richter (* 1957), actor
- Hansa Czypionka (* 1958), actor, grew up in Bochum
- Carina Gödecke (* 1958), President of the State Parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia
- Stefan Heucke (* 1959), composer
- Karl-Heinz von Liebezeit (* 1960), actor, attended high school a. Drama school in Bochum
- Jochen Malmsheimer (* 1961), cabaret artist; grew up in Bochum
- Wolfgang Wendland (* 1962), singer in the punk rock band Die Kassierer
- Toto & Harry (* 1963 and * 1965), alias Die Zwei vom Police Station
- Mambo Kurt (bourgeois Rainer Limpinsel, * 1967), musician and solo entertainer
- Thorsten Schmugge (* 1971), soccer player
- Omid Pouryousefi (* 1972), musician, entrepreneur, politician and author
- André Tanneberger (* 1973), DJ and producer
- Philipp Evenburg (* 1974), politician
- Christian Hirdes (* 1974), music cabaret artist
- Sebastian Schindzielorz (* 1979), soccer player
- Alex Hofmann (* 1980), motorcycle racer
- Jan-Martin Bröer (* 1982), rower
- Florian Hartlieb (* 1982), composer and media artist
- Marius Sowislo (* 1982), football player
- Niels Stein (* 1991), athlete
- Kevin Vogt (* 1991), soccer player
- Rico Benatelli (* 1992), football player
- Stephen Sama (* 1993), football player
- Emmanuel Mbende (* 1996), football player
- Leroy Sané (* 1996), football player
- Görkem Sağlam (* 1998), football player