List of personalities of the city of Gotha

The list of personalities of the city of Gotha includes important personalities of the city of Gotha who were born, worked or died here.

See also

• List of cultural monuments in Gotha

Personalities born in Gotha

The following overview contains a list of personalities who were born in Gotha, regardless of whether they lived and worked in the city.

aristocracy

image	Surname	*	†	title	Remarks
	Friedrich II. Von Meissen , called the Serious (1324-1349), also Friedrich the Bitten (1307-1324) and Friedrich the Strict (1349-1381)	1310	1349	Landgrave of Thuringia , Margrave of Meissen	The picture shows him in the Fürstenzug, Dresden
	Johann Casimir (also Johann Casimir) of Saxe-Coburg	1564	1633	Duke of Saxe-Coburg	The picture is from 1597, oil on wood, Callenberg Castle , Coburg
	Johann Ernst of Saxony-Eisenach	1566	1638	Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Eisenach
	Friedrich I of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg	1646	1691	Second Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
	Albrecht of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg	1648	1699	Duke of Saxe-Coburg
	Bernhard of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg	1649	1706	As Bernhard I first Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
	Heinrich of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg	1650	1710	Sole Duke of Saxony-Römhild	The picture shows the Duke as a half-right portrait in armor with an allonge wig , lace scarf and shoulder sash in oval with his motto Si deus pro nobis, quis contra nos? (Eng. "If God is for us, who can then be against us?") and a large coat of arms with a princely hat, on a console with ornaments; Copper engraving by Peter Schenk the Elder Ä. , today in the Dresden Kupferstichkabinett , Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden , Dresden
	Christian of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg	1653	1707	Sole Duke of Saxony-Eisenberg
	Ernst of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg	1655	1715	First Duke of Saxony-Hildburghausen
	Johann Ernst of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg	1658	1729	First Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
	Ernst Ludwig I of Saxe-Meiningen	1672	1724	Second Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
	Friedrich II of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg	1676	1732	Third Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
	Johann Wilhelm of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg	1677	1707	Imperial general
	Friedrich III. of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg	1699	1772	Fourth Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg	The picture shows a painting by Christian Schilbach , 1720
	Wilhelm of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg	1701	1771	Imperial General Feldzeugmeister
	Johann August of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg	1704	1767	Reich Field Marshal General
	Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg	1719	1772	Princess of Wales, mother of King George III. of Great Britain	The picture shows Augusta in an oil painting by Charles Philips , 1736
	Ernst II of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg	1745	1804	Fifth Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
	August of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg	1747	1806	Brother of Ernst II	The painting is by Ernst Christian Specht , 1795
	August of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg	1772	1822	Sixth Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
	Friedrich IV of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg	1774	1825	Seventh and last Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg	The picture shows a painting by Christian Gottlieb Schick of Friedrich IV of Saxe-Gotha in Rome, oil on canvas, 1806, art collections of the Veste Coburg
	Luise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg	1800	1831	Duchess of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and mother of the British Prince Consort Albert The picture shows a painting by William Corden : Luise von Sachsen-Gotha-Altenburg 1844, Greinburg Castle

Fine arts

image	Surname	*	†	Profession / activity	Remarks
	Friedrich Leopold Döll	1791	1856	sculptor	Son of Friedrich Wilhelm Eugen Döll
Duchess Anna Amalia Library , Weimar	Nikolaus Gromann	around 1500	1566	Court architect of the Wettins, a. a. the Grimmenstein Castle
City church "Zur Gotteshilfe" in Waltershausen	Wolf Christoph Zorn from Plobsheim	1665	1721	Builder u. a. of Friedrichsthal Castle in Gotha
	Johann Leonhard Prey	around 1700	1757	Architect and stonemason
Self-Portrait (1789)	Johann Friedrich Anthing	1753	1805	Silhouetteur
Portrait photo 1863	Albert Geutebrueck	1801	1868	architect
Portrait of Jacobs on a stele in Bergallee in Gotha	Paul Emil Jacobs	1802	1866	last Gotha court painter
Johannes Niessen painted his friend Richard Freytag, Düsseldorf 1841	Richard Freytag	1820	1894	painter
Behrens' most prominent work: Monumental figure of the Archangel Michael with flanking reliefs at the entrance to the Monument to the Battle of the Nations	Christian Behrens	1852	1905	sculptor
Church of the Redeemer in Fröttstädt	Alfred Cramer	1872	1938	Architect and ducal building councilor
Chris Lebeau : Portrait of Hanna Höch (1933)	Hannah Höch	1889	1978	Dadaist collage artist
	Hans Winkler	1919	2000	painter
	Paul Woenne	1880	1952	Arts and crafts teacher
	Bruno Voigt	1912	1988	Painter, graphic artist, museum director

Movie

image	Surname	*	†	Profession / activity	Remarks
	Andreas Kieling	1959		Documentary filmmaker, film producer (animal films), adventurer and author

Church and Education

image	Surname	*	†	Profession / activity	Remarks
	Cyriacus Lindemann	1516	1568	Pedagogue
	Georg Hess	1613	1694	Rector of the illustrious grammar school and philologist
	Johann Andreas Danz	1654	1727	Lutheran theologian and orientalist
	Martin Christian Goeldelius	1665	after 1719	Lutheran theologian, educator and author
	Johann Elias Reichardt	1668	1731	Teacher and inspector
	Albrecht Meno Verpoorten	1672	1752	Educator and Lutheran theologian
	Johann Michael Heusinger	1690	1751	Theologian, pedagogue and local history researcher
	Johann Ernst Wenigk	1702	1745	Clergyman, theologian and hymn poet
	Johann Friedrich Salomon cold water	1752	1813	Classical philologist, illustrious professor at grammar school
	Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer	1800	1873	Theologian and clergyman
	Christian Gotthold Neudecker	1807	1866	Church historian, private scholar and educator
	Adolf Moritz Schulze	1808	1881	Pastor, author and teacher
	August Trostbach	1811	1877	Pastor, writer and politician
	Hermann Gebhardt	1824	1899	theologian
	Walter Ernst	1857	1928	Lawyer and Consistorial President of the Evangelical Church in Hesse and Nassau
	Léon Wespy	1858	1933	City school council, author and editor
	Carl Rohrbach	1861	1932	Pedagogue and amateur astronomer
	Wolfgang Ipolt	1954		Roman Catholic Bishop of Görlitz

literature

image	Surname	*	†	Profession / activity	Remarks
	Juliane Magdalene Cyprian , b. Hunter	1697	1721	Poet and wife of Ernst Salomon Cyprian
	Friedrich Wilhelm Gotter	1746	1797	Writer and poet	Father of Pauline Gotter
	Johann Kaspar Steube	1747	1795	Shoemaker, soldier, language teacher and writer
	Heinrich August Ottokar Reichard	1751	1828	Writer and journalist, author of the world's first travel guide
	Emilie von Berlepsch	1755	1830	Writer
	Friedrich Jacobs	1764	1847	Philologist, librarian and educator, honorary citizen of Gotha	Father of the doctor and writer Friedrich Wilhelm Josias Jacobs
	Ludwig Wachler	1767	1838	Literary historian, librarian and university professor
	Friedrich Wilhelm Josias Jacobs	1793	1833	Doctor and writer	Son of the philologist Friedrich Jacobs , brother of Paul Emil Jacobs
	Wolf-Dieter from Tippelskirch	1920	1991	writer
	Siegfried Schmidt-Joos	1936		Music and culture journalist and author of books from jazz, pop and rock music culture
	Sigrid dam	1940		Literary scholar and author	First honorary citizen of Gotha
	Olaf R. Spittel	1953		Editor, writer, translator, media scholar and publisher
	Kathrin Schmidt	1958		Writer
	Matthias Wenzel	1962		Non-fiction author and publicist
	Katrin McClean , b. mandrel	1963		Writer and theater pedagogue
	Miku Sophie Kühmel	1992		Writer

military

• Heinrich Ernst von Hoff (1782–1851), captain in the coalition wars and in the Tyrolean uprising
• Gustav von Henning auf Schönhoff (1830–1905), Prussian lieutenant general
• Curt von Wangenheim (1862–1937), commander in World War I and knight of the Pour le Mérite order, most recently a colonel
• Ernst Meusel (1881–1933), naval officer of the Imperial German Navy and the Reichsmarine , most recently rear admiral
• Hermann von Hanneken (1890–1981), general of the infantry and Wehrmacht commander in Denmark
• Werner Stichling (1895–1979), naval officer, most recently Rear Admiral of the Navy, naval commander of Normandy in World War II
• Karl Hans Walther (1895–1965), General Physician of the Wehrmacht, Major General of the NVA
• Heinrich Liebe (1908–1997), naval officer and submarine commander in World War II
• Jürgen Möller (* 1959), military historian, author, research on the end of the war in 1945 in Central Germany

Music and Performing Arts

• Emanuel Kegel (1655–1724), composer
• Ludwig Andreas Gotter (1661–1735), hymn poet and lawyer
• Johann Ludwig Backhaus (1715–1771), organist
• Johann Frischmuth (actor) (1741–1790), 1775 ff. Actor and composer
• Johann "Hans" Beck (1754 - unknown), actor, brother of Heinrich Beck
• Heinrich Beck (1760–1803), actor and playwright, brother of Hans Beck
• Friederike Bethmann-Unzelmann (1760–1815), actress and singer
• Dorette Spohr (1787–1834), pianist and harpist
• Friederike Bognár (1840–1914), actress
• Alfred Thienemann (1858–1923), conductor and composer
• Max Wagner (1865–1944), composer
• Joachim Hackethal (1924–2003), actor and cabaret artist
• Brigitte Renner (* 1925), stage actress and television actress
• Günther Leib (* 1927), opera singer
• Manfred Lindner (* 1937), jazz musician
• Peter Bause (* 1941), actor and lecturer at the Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts in Berlin
• Rolf Junghanns (1945–1993), pianist and musicologist
• Peter Zintner (1951–2018), actor

politics

• Johann Friedrich Bachoff von Echt (1643–1726), Chancellor, Government Director and Reichshofrat
• Gustav Adolf Reichsgraf von Gotter (1692–1762), diplomat
• Karl August von Wangenheim (1773–1850), lawyer and politician, briefly Minister of Culture of the Kingdom of Württemberg
• Friedrich Gottlieb Becker (1792–1865), publisher and politician, President of the Landtag of Gotha
• Ernst von Wangenheim (1797–1860), District President of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
• Karl August Heß (1800–1871), First Mayor of Gotha
• Gustav Zimmermann (1808–1874), politician and publicist
• Wilhelm Adolph von Trützschler (1818–1849), politician
• Hans von Thümmel (1824–1895), lawyer and politician in the Kingdom of Saxony
• Adolf Stölzel (1831–1919), secret councilor, member of the manor house
• Julius Hopf (1839–1886), member of the Reichstag
• Hans Barthold von Bassewitz (1867–1949), Minister of State
• Agnes Schmidt (1875 – unknown), politician
• Gustav Adolf von Wulffen (1878–1945), major general and SS brigad leader
• Ernst Meusel (1881–1933), naval officer, most recently rear admiral
• Otto Krauss (1884–1971), party functionary of the LDPD bloc party , member of the People's Chamber
• Walter Ortlepp (1900–1971), SS brigade leader, Weimar police president, Thuringian interior minister, member of the Reichstag
• Georg Appell (1901–1970), politician ( DDP / SPD / SED ) and lawyer
• Paul Sterzing (1901 - unknown), politician ( NSDAP )
• Maria Krüger (1907–1987), politician ( KPD )
• Detlev Karsten Rohwedder (1932–1991), manager and politician (SPD), murdered by the RAF
• Marie-Luise Kuhn (1945–1999), politician (SPD), member of the Saarland state parliament
• Daniel Rausch (* 1963 ), politician ( AfD ), from April to June 2016 Vice President of the State Parliament of Saxony-Anhalt

Sports

• Gotthilf Albert Sterzing (1822–1889), founder of the German Rifle Federation
• Walter Hollstein (1899–1977), football coach
• Siegfried Woitzat (1933–2008), football player
• Stefan Schreyer (* 1946), track and field athlete
• Melitta Sollmann (* 1958), luge and Olympic champion
• Yves Mankel (* 1970), luge rider
• Sebastian Helbig (* 1977), soccer player
• Sandra Rübesam (* 1988), cyclist
• Juliane Frühwirt (* 1998), biathlete

economy

• Wilhelm von Rotberg (1718–1795), founder of Thuringia's first porcelain factory in Gotha (1757)
• Ernst-Wilhelm Arnoldi (1778–1841), businessman, "father of the German insurance industry"
• Rudolf André (1792–1825), farmer, systematized sheep breeding
• Joseph Meyer (1796–1856), founder of the Bibliographical Institute , editor of Meyer's Konversationslexikon
• Theodor Krause (1819–1906), councilor, founder of the pewter toy factory Theodor Krause
• Herrmann Julius Meyer (1826–1909), publisher in Leipzig ( Bibliographisches Institut ), son of Joseph Meyer
• Carl Bechstein (1826–1900), piano maker
• Fritz Bothmann (1858–1928), entrepreneur, founder of Gothaer Waggonfabrik AG
• Karl August Friedrich Samwer (1861–1946), General Director of Gothaer Insurance and an honorary citizen of Gotha
• Hugo Woenne (1863–1930), master butcher and councilor of state
• Adolf Rohrbach (1889–1939), aircraft designer and entrepreneur
• Friedrich Dorn (1906–1970), manager in the paper and pulp industry
• Edgar Jannott (* 1934), lawyer, honorary citizen of Gotha

science

• Johannes Stigel (1515–1562), philologist and poet
• Wolfgang Hirschbach (1570–1620), legal scholar
• Caspar Hofmann (1572–1648), professor of medicine at the University of Altdorf in Nuremberg
• Thomas Reinesius (1587–1667), physician and philologist
• Johann Caspar Heimburg (1702–1773), legal scholar
• Johann Justin Schierschmid (1707–1778), legal scholar and philosopher
• Johann August von Hellfeld (1717–1782), legal scholar
• Heinrich Gottfried Scheidemantel (1739–1788), lawyer and university professor
• Johann Heinrich Voigt (1751–1823), mathematician, astronomer and physicist
• Johann Friedrich Blumenbach (1752–1840), zoologist and anthropologist
• Karl Ernst Adolf von Hoff (1771–1837), geologist, natural scientist, explorer
• Adolf Stieler (1775–1836), cartographer
• Johann Georg Dittrich (1783–1842), court chef and pomologist
• August Kellner (1794-1883), entomologist
• Karl Ernst Georges (1806–1895), classical philologist and lexicographer
• Emil Braun (1809–1856), classical archaeologist
• August Beck (1812–1874), historian and educator
• Eduard von Regel (1815–1892), gardener and botanist
• Hermann Credner (1841–1913), geoscientist
• Rudolf Credner (1850–1908), geographer and geologist
• Joseph Kürschner (1853–1902), lexicographer and writer
• Karl Tuempel (1855–1940), high school teacher, classical philologist and historian
• Emil Jacobs (1868–1940), director of the Freiburg im Breisgau University Library and the Berlin State Library
• August Thienemann (1882–1960), biologist and limnologist
• Hermann Lautensach (1886–1971), geographer, university professor
• Wilhelm Goetsch (1887–1960), zoologist
• Hilde Mangold (1898–1924), zoologist
• Reinhold Rabich (1902–1974), civil engineer
• Martin Schmeißer (1912–1981), chemist and rector of the RWTH Aachen and the University of Dortmund
• Peter Haasen (1927–1993), metal physicist and professor at the University of Göttingen
• Dietrich Grille (1935–2011), political scientist and historian
• Gerrit Winter (* 1935), insurance lawyer, advisory board member of the Gotha Cultural Foundation
• Joachim Dingel (* 1938), classical philologist
• Bernt Krebs (* 1938), chemist and professor at the University of Münster
• Herbert Hömig (1941–2020), historian and university professor
• Rainer Marr (* 1942), economist
• Tilo Schabert (* 1942), university professor for political science
• Franz Quarthal (* 1943), historian
• Michael Niedermeier (* 1954), literary and art historian
• Hans-Joachim Herrmann (* 1958), biologist, zoologist, author and journalist
• Dominique Görlitz (* 1966), amateur experimental archaeologist and author

Temporary celebrities

• Johann Friedrich Joel (1792–1852), legendary decorator, to whom Herbert Roth set a musical monument
• Marie Magdalene Charlotte Baroness von Stoltzenberg (1763–1838), actress, mistress, lord of the castle and ancestor of the von Stoltzenberg and Lauer von Münchhofen families

Personalities who worked in Gotha

The following overview contains personalities who lived and worked in Gotha, but were not born in the city.

aristocracy

Ernst the Pious, memorial in front of Friedenstein Castle

• Elisabeth , Countess of Lobdeburg - Arnshaugk (* 1286 - † August 22, 1359 in Gotha)
• Wilhelm von Grumbach (1503–1567), knight and adventurer
• Johann Friedrich II., The Middle (1529–1595), Duke of Saxony
• Ernst I, the Pious, of Saxe-Gotha (-Altenburg) (1601–1675), first Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
• Luise Dorothea of ​​Saxe-Meiningen (1710–1767), Duchess of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
• Karoline Amalie of Hessen-Kassel (1771–1848), Duchess of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
• Ernst I of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1784–1844)
• Ernst II of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1818–1893)
• Alfred von Sachsen-Coburg and Gotha (1844–1900)
• Auguste Viktoria von Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg (1858–1921), last German empress, spent part of her youth in Gotha
• Ernst II, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (1863–1950), Regent of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
• Carl Eduard von Sachsen-Coburg and Gotha (1884–1954), last Duke of Gotha

Fine arts

• Lucas Cranach the Elder Ä. (1472–1553), painter
• Casper Vogell (around 1600–1663), architect a. a. of Friedenstein Castle
• Andreas Rudolph (1601–1679), master builder a. a. of Friedenstein Castle
• Johann Erhard Straßburger (1675–1754), Gothaischer Oberlandbaumeister
• Friedrich Joachim Stengel (1694–1787), master builder
• Gottfried Heinrich Krohne (1703–1756), master builder a. a. the orangery
• Johann David Weidner (1721–1784), Gotha master builder
• Carl Christoph Besser (1724–1800), master builder a. a. the Seeberg observatory and the tea castle
• Caroline Louise Seidler (1786–1866), painter
• Heinrich Justus Schneider (1811–1884), painter
• Raden Saleh (1811–1880), romantic painter ("father of Javanese painting")
• Ludwig Bohnstedt (1822–1885), architect, Gotha city architect
• Julius Krusewitz (1850–1923), architect
• Wilhelm Goette (1873–1927), architect, Gotha City Planning Officer
• Fritz Koch-Gotha (1877–1956), draftsman, caricaturist, illustrator and writer

Church and Education

• Mutianus Rufus (1470–1526), ​​theologian and humanist
• Friedrich Myconius (1490–1546), Protestant theologian and church reformer
• Johannes Dinckel (1545–1601), Protestant theologian
• Salomo Glassius (1593–1656), Protestant theologian
• Andreas Reyher (1601–1673), educator
• Adam Tribbechov (1641–1687), Protestant theologian, historian and ethnologist
• August Hermann Francke (1663–1727), Protestant theologian and educator
• Johann Heinrich Feustking (1672–1713), professor of theology and prorector of the University of Leucorea in Wittenberg, senior preacher, senior consistorial councilor and church councilor at Friedenstein Palace, author of numerous theological writings
• Ernst Salomon Cyprian (1673–1745), theologian, librarian, Reformation historian
• Johann Heinrich Stuß (1686–1775), educator, rector at the grammar school illustrious
• Johann Adam Löw (1710–1775), general superintendent
• Just Christian Stuß (1725–1788), classical philologist, writer and clergyman, pupil at the illustrious grammar school, page steward and garrison preacher in Gotha
• Wilhelm Friedrich Schäffer (1750–1831), court preacher and consistorial councilor in Gotha
• Friedrich Andreas Stroth (1750–1785), classical philologist and theologian, church councilor in Gotha and rector of the Illustre grammar school
• Friedrich Wilhelm Döring (1756–1837), classical philologist, senior consistorial advisor in Gotha and rector of the Illustre grammar school
• Friedrich Christian Kries (1768–1849), mathematician, physicist and educator
• Christian Ferdinand Schulze (1774–1850), classical philologist and historian, councilor and teacher at the grammar school, editor of the Gotha calendar and the Gotha national newspaper
• Karl Gottlieb Bretschneider (1776–1848), Protestant theologian
• Eduard Adolf Jacobi (1796–1865), court preacher, teacher and Ministerialrat in Gotha
• Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer (1800–1873), Lutheran clergyman and theologian
• Friedrich Ernst Feller (1802-1859), director of the public commercial school in Gotha (1848-1859)
• August Köhler (1821–1879), kindergarten teacher ( kindergarten ), successor to Friedrich Wilhelm August Fröbel
• Otto Dreyer (1837–1900), theologian and Gotha superintendent, honorary citizen of the city
• Eckardt Hoffmann (* 1934), theologian and Gotha superintendent, honorary citizen of the city

literature

• Friedrich Melchior Baron von Grimm (1723–1807), writer and diplomat
• Johann Georg August Galletti (1750–1828), historian and father of the "catheter blossom"
• Rudolph Zacharias Becker (1752–1822), writer, journalist and bookseller
• Wilhelm Hey (1789–1854), fable and hymn poet, pastor, attended the Illustre grammar school in Gotha
• Joachim Marquardt (1812–1882), historian and successor to Galletti regarding "catheter blossoms"
• Gustav Freytag (1816–1895), historian and writer
• Friedrich Gerstäcker (1816–1872), writer and adventurer
• Eduard Wilhelm Sievers (1820-1894), Shakespeare researcher
• Kurd Laßwitz (1848–1910), writer
• Oskar Hoffmann (1866–1928), novelist
• Hans Dominik (1872–1945), writer, journalist and engineer, attended the Ernestinum grammar school in Gotha
• Kurt Kauter (1913–2002), writer
• Hanns Cibulka (1920–2004), writer
• Alexander Kluge (* 1932), writer, filmmaker and producer, started school in Gotha in 1938 ( Reyherschule )
• Martin Jankowski (* 1965), writer
• Nancy Hünger (* 1981), writer, has lived in Gotha since 2019

military

• Josef Ritter von Gadolla (1897–1945), last combat commandant of the city, posthumous Gotha honorary citizen

Music and Performing Arts

• Joachim Bartholomäus Meyer (1624–1701), librarian and hymn poet
• Johann Pachelbel (1653–1706), composer, city organist (1692–1695)
• Johann Ludwig Bach (1677–1731), composer
• Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel (1690–1749), composer
• Hans Adam von Studnitz (1711–1788), court marshal and director of the Gotha court theater
• Conrad Ekhof (1720–1778), actor, "father of German acting"
• Georg Anton Benda (1722–1795), composer, Gotha court conductor and conductor
• Ernst Christoph Dressler (1734–1779), tenor, composer, bandmaster, violinist, music documentary, lyricist
• Friedrich Wilhelm Eugen Döll (1750–1816), sculptor
• August Wilhelm Iffland (1759–1814), actor, director and playwright
• Regina Strinasacchi (1761–1839), violinist, probably one of the first female conductors in the world
• Andreas Romberg (1767–1821), violinist and composer, Gotha court conductor
• Heinrich Ofen (1768–1830), clarinetist and composer
• Louis Spohr (1784-1859), violinist and composer, Gothic concertmaster
• Eduard von Winterstein (1871–1961), film and theater actor, spent his childhood in Gotha
• Klaus Hähnel (* 1941), music teacher and founder of the Gotha Children's Choir
• Sylvia Leifheit (* 1975), actress , singer and model agency owner

politics

• Georg Dasch (* around 1510–1578), Gotha Mayor
• Christian Brück (* around 1516–1567), Electoral Saxon Chancellor
• Johannes Francke (1625–1670), Justice and Councilor
• Siegmund Ehrenfried von Oppel (1687–1757), President of the Chamber , Chief Tax Director and President of the Secret Council of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
• Bernhard August von Lindenau (1779–1854), lawyer, minister of state, astronomer, honorary citizen of Gotha
• Franz Adolf von Trützschler (1792–1873), councilor, honorary citizen of Gotha
• Camillo Richard Freiherr von Seebach (1808–1894), lawyer, Gotha State Minister and honorary citizen of the city
• Carl Heinrich Hünersdorf (1817–1897), Lord Mayor and Honorary Citizen of Gotha
• Heinrich Heß (1844–1927), civil servant, local history researcher and politician
• Wilhelm Bock (1846–1931), social democratic trade unionist and politician, member of the Reichstag
• Otto Geithner (1876–1948), politician, 1918 to 1920 head of government of the Free State of Saxony-Gotha
• Otto Liebetrau (1855–1928), Lord Mayor and Honorary Citizen of Gotha
• Wilhelm Busch (1892–1968), MdR , from 1932 to 1945 NSDAP district leader in Gotha
• Josef Duchač ( CDU ) (* 1938), first Minister-President of Thuringia after reunification (1990-1992)
• Werner Kukulenz ( CDU ) (* 1948), Mayor and Lord Mayor of Gothas
• Konrad Gießmann ( CDU ) (* 1951), District Administrator of the Gotha district
• Knut Kreuch ( SPD ) (* 1966), Mayor of Gotha
• Matthias Hey ( SPD ) (* 1970), member of the state parliament

economy

• Johann Christian Dieterich (1722–1800), bookseller and publisher
• Carl Wilhelm Ettinger (1741–1804), bookseller and publisher
• Justus Perthes (1749-1816), publisher
• Friedrich Christoph Perthes (1772–1843), bookseller and publisher
• Arwed Emminghaus (1831–1916), lawyer, general director of Gothaer Lebensversicherungsbank and honorary citizen of the city
• Johannes Doebel (1835–1908), director of the Gothaer fire insurance bank and honorary citizen of Gotha
• Christian Gottfried Moßler (1844–1927), factory owner , local politician and honorary citizen of Gotha
• Dirk Kollmar (1963–2014), manager and sports official

science

• Christian Schlegel (1667–1722), numismatist, librarian, writer and member of the Royal Prussian Academy of Sciences
• Johann Gottfried Geißler (1726–1800), librarian
• Adam Weishaupt (1748–1830), legal scholar and philosopher, founder of the Illuminati Order
• Franz Xaver von Zach (1754–1832), astronomer, first director of the Gotha observatory
• Ernst Friedrich von Schlotheim (1764–1832), paleontologist and geologist, founder of palaeobotany
• Friedrich von Schlichtegroll (1765–1822), philologist and numismatist
• Friedrich August Ukert (1780–1851), philologist and historian
• Christian Ludwig Brehm (1787–1864), pastor and ornithologist ("bird pastor"), attended the Illustre grammar school in Gotha
• Johann Franz Encke (1791–1865), astronomer
• Peter Andreas Hansen (1795–1874), astronomer and geodesist
• Carl Anton Bretschneider (1808–1878), mathematician and lawyer
• Karl Friedrich Heinrich Credner (1809–1876), geologist
• August Heinrich Petermann (1822–1878), geographer and cartographer
• Ernst Dannenberg (1831–1904), pharmacist, medical advisor, chairman of the Gothaer Kunstverein, board commissioner of the fire insurance bank
• Ernst Anding (1860–1945), astronomer, last head of the Gotha observatory
• Paul Langhans (1867–1952), geographer and cartographer
• Hermann Haack (1872–1966), cartographer, honorary citizen of Gotha
• Adolf Schmidt (1860–1944), geophysicist

Individual evidence

1. ↑ https://m.thueringer-allgemeine.de/web/mobil/kultur/detail/-/specific/Buchstaben-des-Lebens-Kindheitserlebnisse-in-Thueringen-von-Buechner-Preistraeg-1335348145