List of personalities of the city of Esslingen
This list contains personalities who were born in Esslingen am Neckar or who worked there. They are listed chronologically according to the year of birth. It is irrelevant whether or not the people later had their sphere of activity in Esslingen. Many moved away from Esslingen in the course of their lives and became known elsewhere.
Honorary citizen
The city of Esslingen am Neckar has so far granted nine people honorary citizenship, including:
- 1841: Karl Pfaff , historian, teacher and rector at the Esslingen pedagogy
- 1907: Oskar Merkel , manufacturer
- 1926: Max von Mülberger , Lord Mayor from 1892 to 1929
- 1952: Georg Deuschle (1877–1973), mayor and city caretaker
- 1996: Eberhard Klapproth , retired Lord Mayor D.
Personalities born in Esslingen
The list contains well-known people who were born in Esslingen, regardless of whether they later had their sphere of activity in Esslingen.
Until 1800
- Matthäus Böblinger (1450–1505), master builder
- Pantlion Sydler (around 1460 - 1521), bell founder and arms manufacturer
- Johann Böschenstein (1472–1540), hymn poet, Hebraist and mathematician
- Michael Stifel (also Styfel or Stieffel) (1487–1567), theologian and mathematician
- Utz Eckstein (around 1490 - 1558), reformed clergyman and pamphleteer, active in Switzerland
- Dionysius Dreytwein (1498–1576), furrier and chronicler
- Dionysius Grav (16th century), professor of philosophy and the Latin language as well as dean and rector of Heidelberg University
- Georg Wagner (1605–1661), Mayor of Esslingen during the Thirty Years' War
- Johann David von Palm (1657–1721), banker and imperial chamber councilor, ancestor of the aristocratic Palm family. Within three generations, the Palm managed to rise from the Esslingen bourgeoisie to the imperial prince class, but the male line died out as early as 1851.
- Johann Ulrich von König (1688–1744), writer, opera librettist and court poet
- Johann Glocker (around 1690 - 1763), painter
- Stanislaus Wülberz (1695–1755), Benedictine, provost, historian and archivist in the monastery of St. Blaise
- Benedikt Wülberz (1697–1749), Benedictine, theologian and abbot in the monastery of St. Peter in the Black Forest
- Johann Eberhard Ihle (1727–1814), painter and director of the Nuremberg Painting Academy
- Albert Philipp Frick (1733–1798), lawyer and professor at the University of Helmstedt
- Ernst Gottlob Köstlin (1780–1824), Protestant theologian and professor at the Johanneum in Hamburg
- Ernst Gottlieb von Steudel (1783–1856); Doctor, botanist and co-founder of the Württemberg natural history travel association
- Louise von Sturmfeder (1789–1866), lady-in-waiting and tutor to Emperors Franz Joseph of Austria and Maximilian I of Mexico
- Philipp Nagel (1799–1870), city caretaker and member of the state parliament
19th century
1801 to 1850
- Sophie Herwig (1810–1836), Protestant song poet
- Franz von Weber (1812–1874), politician, member of the state parliament, president of the state parliament
- Karl Deffner (1817–1877), manufacturer, member of the state parliament
- Karl Mayer (1819–1889), politician, member of the Landtag and Reichstag
- Valentin Salzmann (1821–1890), founder and first chairman of the Swabian Alb Association
- Ernst von Ege (1823–1905), theologian, general superintendent of Schwäbisch Hall and Ludwigsburg, member of the state parliament
- Immanuel Faißt (1823–1894), composer, co-founder of the Stuttgart music school
- Wilhelm Christian Hochstetter (1825–1881), botanist, university gardener and inspector of the Botanical Garden in Tübingen
- Theodor Georgii (1826-1892), lawyer and pioneer of the German gymnastics movement, publisher of the Turnblatt for and from Swabia (later Eßlinger Turnzeitung )
- Adolf Otto (1827–1898), lawyer in Heilbronn
- Adolf Bacmeister (1827–1873), Germanist and writer
- Ferdinand von Hochstetter (1829–1884), geographer, geologist, natural scientist and explorer
- Albert Günther (1830–1914), zoologist
- Carl von Häberlin (1832–1911), born in Oberesslingen, painter and illustrator
- Emil Ege (1833–1893), farmer, member of the Landtag 1877–1882 and 1889–1895
- Ernst von Herzog (1834–1911), classical philologist, ancient historian, epigraphist and Roman provincial archaeologist
- Theodor Schott (1835–1899), theologian, librarian and writer
- Oskar Merkel (1836–1912), under his leadership the Merkel & Wolf company became a large company
- Karl von Ege (1837–1899), Reich judge
- Ernst Johann Eitel (1838–1908), Protestant missionary
- Julius Motteler (1838–1907), leading member of the early German labor movement, member of the Reichstag
- Karl von Zeyer (1839–1920), Württemberg civil servant, Minister of State
- Kuno von Falkenstein (1840–1899), Württemberg general of the infantry
- Carl von Schott (1845–1913), General of the Württemberg Army
- Albert Regelmann (1846–1912), City Planning Officer of Oberhausen
1851 to 1900
- Heinrich von Planck (1851–1932), prelate and general superintendent of Ulm
- Karl Geiger (1855–1924), theologian and librarian, head of the Tübingen University Library
- Carl Schroeter (1855–1939), biologist and alpine botanist
- Eugenie von Soden (1858–1930), writer and member of the women's movement
- Karl von Gemmingen (1861–1953), chamberlain and real councilor of state
- Max von Gemmingen (1862–1924), Württemberg colonel
- Eugen Merkel (1862–1929), head of Merkel & Wolf and founder of Esslinger Aktienbank
- Eugen Zimmermann (1862–1911), Oberamtmann in Württemberg
- Karl Schickhardt (1866–1933), painter and lecturer at the Stuttgart Art School
- Anna Schieber (1867–1945), writer
- Richard Calwer (1868–1927), journalist, economist and statistician
- Wilhelm Bazille (1874–1934), politician, member of the Landtag and Reichstag
- Ernst Wilhelm Widmann (1876–1955), member of the Hessian state parliament
- Albert Benz (1877 – around 1944), architect, archivist for the city of Esslingen, university professor in Beijing
- Friedrich Hartmann (1878 – after 1945), German civil engineer
- Albert Stuber (1880–1929), member of the state parliament (state constituent assembly)
- Max Sailer (1882–1964), automobile racing driver and engineer
- Adolf Gustav Schneck (1883–1971), Bauhaus architect and furniture maker
- Rudolf Lempp (1887–1981), shaped the cityscape of Esslingen am Neckar in the 1920s as an architect and town planning officer
- Wilhelm Murr (1888–1945), National Socialist politician and SS-Obergruppenführer
- Otto Ottenbacher (1888–1975), Lieutenant General
- Otto Merz (1889–1933), automobile racing driver
- Richard Schmidt (1889–1973), art historian and monument conservator
- Hermann Friedrich (1891–1945), politician and victim of National Socialism
- Adolf Fleischmann (1892–1968), painter; one of the main representatives of geometric constructivism and op art
- Theo Aeckerle (1892–1966), painter
- Gustav Strohm (1893–1957), diplomat
- Walter Albert Koch (1895–1970), teacher, astrologer and author
- Hermann Sohn (1895–1971), born in Esslingen-Mettingen, art educator and artist
- Eugen Schönhaar (1898–1934), communist resistance fighter against war and fascism
20th century
1901 to 1950
- Eugen Hund (1901–1975), party functionary of the NSDAP
- Hans Rueß (1901–1974), politician (KPD / DKP), resistance fighter against war and fascism
- Richard Baum (1902–2000), musicologist and music historian
- Oskar Baur (1902–?), Political prisoner in Buchenwald concentration camp, guide through the memorial after the liberation in 1945
- Johannes Knecht (1904–1990), agricultural economist, founding director of the Nürtingen Higher Agricultural School
- Alfons Klein (1905–1983), painter, sculptor and state politician
- Hermann Tüchle (1905–1986), church historian
- Heinrich Körner (1908–1993), sculptor and medalist
- Werner Ansel (1909–1988), administrative officer, from 1948 to 1972 district administrator in the Crailsheim district
- Hugo Moser (1909–1989), philologist and Germanist
- Heinz Maier-Leibnitz (1911–2000), physicist
- Dieter Roser (1911–1975), politician (SPD), Lord Mayor of Esslingen
- Gerhard Schumann (1911–1995), writer
- Volker Böhringer (1912–1961), painter and graphic artist
- Alfons Frick (1913–2002), politician, member of the state parliament
- Paul Ernst Ruppel (1913-2006), composer
- Louis Wintergerst (1913–1977), civil engineer
- Wolfgang Köstlin (1914–1997), major general in the Federal Ministry of Defense
- Reinhart Lempp (1923–2012), child and youth psychiatrist, professor at the University of Tübingen
- Theo Balle (1925–2015), politician (CDU), member of the state parliament, state secretary
- Hans-Otto Schwarz (1929–2011), politician (SPD) and former Minister of Economics in Baden-Württemberg
- Kurt Egger (1932–2012), biologist and university professor
- Albert G. Burkhardt (1934–2019), chemographer and university lecturer
- Horst Wörner (1934–2014), dentist and professor
- Rosemarie Bisinger (* 1936), canoeist
- Dieter Blum (* 1936), photographer
- Wolfgang Fritz Haug (* 1936), philosopher
- Karl-Friedrich Binder (1937–2012), Mayor of Schwäbisch Hall from 1974 to 1996
- Dieter Hundt (* 1938), entrepreneur, chairman of the supervisory board of VfB Stuttgart
- Reimut Reiche (* 1941), sociologist, psychoanalyst and sex researcher
- Elmar Müller (* 1942), politician (CDU), former member of the German Bundestag
- Christel Köhle-Hezinger (* 1945), folklorist, professor in Marburg and Jena
- Werner E. Klatten (* 1945), manager, ex-managing director of EM.TV AG, chairman of the supervisory board of Deutsche Sporthilfe
- Wolfgang Drexler (* 1946), politician (SPD), member of the state parliament and deputy state parliament president Baden-Württemberg. District councilor and local council of Esslingen
- Ernst Sigmund (1946–2015), physicist
- Eva Heller (1948–2008), writer
- Elmārs Ernsts Rozītis (* 1948), Archbishop of the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church abroad
- Albrecht Grözinger (* 1949), Protestant theologian, professor of practical theology in Mainz, Wuppertal and Basel.
- Gert Kollmer-von Oheimb-Loup (* 1949), economic and social historian
- Hans-Jörg Albrecht (* 1950), legal scholar
1951 to 2000
- Hans-Martin Schönherr-Mann (* 1952), political scientist and philosopher
- Jürgen Stiefel (* 1953), water polo player at SSV Esslingen ; 229 international matches, European champion 1981
- Thommie Bayer (* 1953), writer, musician and painter
- Andreas Lonardoni (1956–2018), bassist, lecturer, film composer and book author
- Nikolai von Koslowski (* 1958), radio director
- Michael Zürn (* 1959), political scientist, director at the Berlin Science Center for Social Research
- Ulrich Veit (* 1960), prehistoric
- Eberhard Budziat (* 1961), jazz musician
- Martin Luik (* 1961), prehistorian, archaeologist and university lecturer
- Axel Müller (* 1963), politician (CDU), member of the Bundestag
- Andreas Hesky (* 1964), Lord Mayor of Waiblingen since 2006
- Andreas Brand (* 1964), Lord Mayor of Friedrichshafen since 2009
- Helmut Krausser (* 1964), writer
- Volker M. Haug (* 1965), lawyer and university professor
- Georg Restle (* 1965), journalist and television presenter
- Ralf Scheepers (* 1965), singer
- Christoph Stark (* 1965), film and television director and screenwriter
- Tobias Rehberger (* 1966), sculptor
- Jochen Haußmann (* 1966), politician (FDP), member of the Baden-Württemberg state parliament
- Jørn Precht (* 1967), lecturer
- Sabine Heinrich (* 1969), triathlete
- Thomas Letsch (* 1968), football coach
- Ralf Krauter , radio and science journalist, moderator and editor
- Uwe Billerbeck (* 1970), Turner
- Marvin Chlada (* 1970), social scientist, author and musician
- Marcus Schuler (* 1971), moderator, radio journalist and correspondent
- Claudio Urru (* 1971), cook
- Isabelle Faust (* 1972), violinist and university professor
- Roger Shah (* 1972), trance DJ
- Mark Römer (* 1975), soccer player
- Rüdiger Kauf (* 1975), soccer player
- Steffen Dierolf (* 1976), water polo player
- Robert Vujević (* 1980), football player
- Cristian Fiél (* 1980), football player
- Johannes Kreidler (* 1980), composer and action artist
- Felix Luz (* 1982), soccer player
- Heiko Nossek (* 1982), water polo player
- Manuel Hartmann (* 1984), soccer player
- Sebastian Steudtner (* 1985), German-Austrian big wave surfer
- Ahmet Kulabas (* 1987), football player
- Serdar Taşçı (* 1987), football player
- Philipp Gras (* 1989), composer, arranger and jazz pianist
- Ronja Kemmer (* 1989), politician (CDU), member of the Bundestag
- Simon Brandstetter (* 1990), soccer player
- Sami Slimani (* 1990), Youtuber
- David Müller (* 1991), soccer player
- Yasin Ozan (* 1991), soccer player
- Lena Gschwendtner (* 1992), volleyball player
- Ruben Reisig (* 1996), soccer player
Personalities who work or have worked in the city
- Jörg Amann (15th / 16th century), city doctor and author of a little plague book
- Johann Ludwig Andreae (1667–1725), Protestant pastor, cartographer, globe maker and author
- Eberhard Bauer (1914–1984), entrepreneur
- Solvejg Bauer (* 1976), director and general manager
- Ambrosius Blarer (1492–1564), Protestant pastor and hymn poet, reformer in Esslingen 1531
- Christoph Bossert (* 1957), organist and university professor
- Karoline Breitinger (1851–1932), first female doctor in Württemberg
- Otto Borst (1924–2001), historian
- Ernst Camerer (1836–1919), lawyer, co-founder and president of the Swabian Alb Association
- Dina Cymbalist (1900 or 1907–1989), artist
- Carl Deffner (1789–1846), factory owner, building up the metal goods industry in Esslingen, member of the state parliament
- Albert Dulk (1819–1884), free thinker, who repeatedly withdrew to the Dulkhäuschen in Esslingen, which was later named after him
- Konrad Feyner (15th century), first printer in Esslingen
- Nicolas Fink (* 1967), member of the state parliament and councilor in Esslingen
- Karl Fuchs (1872–1968), lithographer, graphic artist and painter
- Georg Geist (1895–1974) was district administrator for the Esslingen district from 1946 to 1966
- Daniel Hauff (1629–1665), Esslingen councilor at the time of the Essling witch trials
- Volker Hauff (* 1940), politician, former member of the Bundestag D., Federal Minister a. D., former Lord Mayor of Frankfurt am Main
- Frigga Haug (* 1937), sociologist and feminist
- Otto Hauser (* 1952), politician (CDU), Member of the Bundestag a. D., Government Spokesman and Parliamentary State Secretary a. D.
- Elise Henle (1832-1892), writer
- Walter Hirrlinger (1926–2018), politician (SPD), member of the state parliament, minister of economics, 1990–2008 president of the social association VdK Germany, 1953–1968 local council in Esslingen
- Werner Illing (1895–1979), writer, screenwriter and director
- Emil von Keßler (1813–1867), founder of the Esslingen machine factory
- Friedrich Ludwig von Geß (1828–1905), lawyer and politician, Reich judge, member of the Reichstag and Landtag
- Emil von Keßler jun. (1841–1895), director of the Esslingen engineering works around 1885, son of Emil von Keßler
- Georg Christian von Kessler (1787–1842), founder of the sparkling wine cellar of the same name
- Philipp Knipschild (also Knipschildt; 1595–1657), lawyer and legal historian
- Cosmann Friedrich Köstlin (1711–1790), "Senior Ministerii" (Oberpfarrer) of the imperial city of Esslingen, Scholarcha ("Head of School") and marriage judge
- Johann Konrad Kreidenmann (1577–1655), City General Counsel
- Hermann Kurz (1813–1873), poet, writer and translator
- Alfred Leikam (1915–1992), notary, politician and Righteous Among the Nations
- Tobias Mayer (1723–1762), cartographer, mathematician and astronomer
- Johannes Merkel (1798–1879), founder of the Merkel & Wolf company , later Merkel & Kienlin (woolen knitting yarns, worsted yarn spinning)
- Hans Meyer (1867–1949), architect of the Merkel swimming pool
- Karl Oppel (1816–1903), writer, attended the teachers' college in Esslingen am Neckar from 1833 to 1835
- Paula Rueß (1902–1980), resistance fighter and women's rights activist
- Thomas Ruf (1911–1996), politician, Member of the Bundestag for the Esslingen constituency
- Giovanni Salucci (1769–1845), Italian architect, designed the pavilion in Weil
- Agnes Sapper (1852–1929), writer
- Heinrich Schickhardt (1558–1635), builder of the Duchy of Württemberg
- Louis Schlegel (1858–1929), politician, member of the Reichstag and Landtag
- Jakob Ferdinand Schreiber (1809–1867), founder of the J.-F.-Schreiber-Verlag, known among other things for children's books and model making from paper
- Rudolf Schwarz (1904–1963), writer and parapsychologist, spent his youth in Esslingen and used motifs from the city in his novels
- Hans Erich Slany (1926–2013), designer and university professor
- Alexander Christian Friedrich von Württemberg (1801–1844), poet and lieutenant colonel in the 3rd Württemberg cavalry regiment stationed in Esslingen
- Niklas von Wyle (around 1410–1479), early humanistic writer and translator , from 1447/9 to 1469 town clerk of Esslingen
Web links
Commons : Personalities of Esslingen - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files