List of personalities of the city of Rudolstadt
The list of personalities of the city of Rudolstadt contains people who have played a lasting role in the history of the Thuringian city of Rudolstadt . These are personalities who were honorary citizens of Rudolstadt or who were born here or who worked here.
For the personalities from the localities incorporated into Rudolstadt, see also the corresponding local articles.
Honorary citizen
- 2016: Horst Fleischer, museum director
sons and daughters of the town
- Count Ludwig Günther von Schwarzburg (1581–1646), ruling Count von Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt from 1612 to 1646
- Count Albrecht Günther von Schwarzburg (1582–1634), ruling Count of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt from 1612 to 1634
- Samuel Mosbach (1584–1649), legal scholar
- Countess Aemilie Juliane von Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, b. Countess von Barby and Mühlingen (1637–1706), poet of sacred songs
- Count Albert Anton von Schwarzburg (1641–1710), from 1646 to 1710 Count von Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
- Prince Ludwig Friedrich von Schwarzburg (1667–1718), ruling Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt from 1710 to 1718
- Prince Friedrich Anton von Schwarzburg (1692–1744), ruling Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt from 1718 to 1744
- Prince Ludwig Günther von Schwarzburg (1708–1790), ruling Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt from 1767 to 1790
- Prince Johann Friedrich von Schwarzburg (1721–1767), ruling Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt from 1744 to 1767
- Johann Peter Schwartz (1721–1781), theologian
- Christian Ernst Graf (1723–1804), composer
- Friedrich Hartmann Graf (1727–1795), composer
- Prince Friedrich Carl von Schwarzburg (1736–1793), ruling Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt from 1790 to 1793 and collector of natural objects
- Karl August von Beulwitz (1736–1799), Prussian major general and head of the cadet corps
- Carl Gerd von Ketelhodt (1738–1814), lawyer and chancellor
- Johann Ludwig Ernst Morgenstern (1738–1819), painter
- Martin Gottlieb Klauer (1742–1801), sculptor
- Ludwig Friedrich Cellarius (1745-1818), theologian
- Johann August Heinrich Ulrich (1746–1813), philosopher
- Heinrich Christoph Koch (1749–1816), music theorist
- Justus Perthes (1749–1816), bookseller and publisher
- Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig von Beulwitz (1755–1829), lawyer and chancellor of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
- Christoph Ludwig Kämmerer (1755–1797), natural scientist
- Johann Heinrich Abicht (1762–1816), philosopher
- Caroline von Wolzog (1763–1847), author and Schiller's sister-in-law
- Friedrich Wilhelm von Ketelhodt (1766–1836), lawyer, diplomat and Chancellor of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
- Charlotte von Lengefeld (1766–1826), wife of the poet Friedrich Schiller
- Prince Ludwig Friedrich von Schwarzburg (1767–1807), ruling Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt from 1793 to 1807
- Friedrich Christoph Perthes (1772–1843), bookseller and publisher during the Goethe era
- Ludwig Ernst Christian von Kyckpusch (1774–1827), Prussian major general and commandant of the Silberberg fortress
- Ludwig Friedrich Hesse (1783–1867), historian
- Heinrich von Holleben (1784–1864), Prussian general
- Caroline Wilhelmine Johanna Riemer (1790–1855), Privy Councilor of Weimar, at times Goethe's secretary and partner of Christiane von Goethe
- Prince Friedrich Günther von Schwarzburg (1793–1867), from 1814 to 1867 Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
- Christian Lorenz Sommer (1796–1846), classical philologist
- Albert Seerig (1797–1862), surgeon and university professor
- Prince Albert von Schwarzburg (1798–1869), from 1867 to 1869 Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
- Julius von Röder (1798–1881), judge and chancellor and minister of state in Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
- Heinrich Leo (1799–1878), historian
- Julius Eberwein (1802–1870), lawyer and President of Parliament in the Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt state parliament
- Johann Ernst Falke (1805–1880), veterinarian
- Theodor Schwartz (1810–1876), lawyer, court official and parliamentarian of the Principality of Schwarzburg Rudolstadt
- Friedrich Carl Hönniger (1812–1874), civil servant, lawyer and democratic politician
- Anton Sommer (1816–1888), dialect poet
- Rudolf Hercher (1821–1878), classical philologist and high school teacher
- Albert von Holleben (1825–1898), State Councilor and Chamberlain
- Susanna Benda (1827–1912), actress
- Ludwig Heinrich Graf von Holleben (1832–1894), engineer and commissioner for the development of the railroad and road network in southern Brazil
- Baron Robert Oskar Vredeber von Ketelhodt (1836–1908), Prussian politician and district administrator
- Prince Georg Albert von Schwarzburg (1838–1890), from 1869 to 1890 Prince von Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Prussian general of the cavalry
- Maximilian Freiherr von Ketelhodt (1843–1907), manor owner and administrative lawyer
- Albert von Bamberg (1844–1910), classical philologist and grammar school director
- Georg Boettger (1847–1915), architect
- Grand Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg (1850–1922), wife of Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II of Mecklenburg
- Gustav Fischer (1850–1939), manufacturer
- Prince Günther Victor von Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1852–1925), from 1890 to 1918 Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and from 1909 to 1918 Prince von Schwarzburg-Sondershausen
- Carl Alfred Müller (1855–1907), botanist
- Josef von Humbracht (1859–1932), diplomat
- Ernst Anemüller (1859–1943), philologist, high school professor and librarian
- Adolf Maennchen (1860–1920), genre and landscape painter
- Prince Sizzo von Schwarzburg (1860–1926), designated Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
- Max Quarck (1860–1930), politician (SPD), MdR
- Richard Güntsche (1861–1913), mathematician
- Gustav Bach (1871–1954), painter and sculptor
- Albert Maennchen (1873–1935), painter
- Wilhelm Wagner (1875–1953), architect, construction clerk and technical college teacher
- Karl Lösche (1878–1964), sculptor
- Emma Cotta (1880–1957), actress, fashion designer and sculptor
- Max Hoene (1884–1965), sculptor
- Arthur Möller (1886–1972), visual artist
- Erich Lehmann (1890–1917), athlete
- Max Thalmann (1890–1944), graphic artist, illustrator and book artist
- Walther Sommer (1893–1946), lawyer, SS-Oberführer in the NSDAP chancellery
- Franz Beyer (1894–1983), medalist
- Alfred Schlemm (1894–1986), officer, most recently general of the parachute troops during the Second World War
- Walter Chemnitz (1901–1947), politician (KPD), member of the Reichstag
- Horst von Necker (1903–1979), major general in World War II
- Fritz Möller (1906–1983), pioneer of radiation and satellite research
- Hartmut Erbse (1915-2004), classical philologist
- Erich Franz (* 1919), politician (NDPD), member of the People's Chamber of the GDR
- Dietrich Andernacht (1921–1996), archivist, born in Keilhau
- Heimo Erbse (1924–2005), composer and opera director
- Wolfgang Herger (* 1935), politician (SED / PDS)
- Bärbel Mayer (* 1935), track and field athlete and Olympic participant
- Wolfgang Werth (* 1937), literary critic
- Jürgen C. Frölich (* 1939), clinical pharmacologist
- Peter Greiner (1939–2019), stage and radio play author
- Peter Rock (* 1941), football player
- Hartmut Engels (1942–2014), politician (CDU)
- Wolf Wondratschek (* 1943), writer
- Lothar Lambert (* 1944), director
- Ingrid Schmidt (* 1945), swimmer
- Peter-Jürgen Paschold (1946–2013), crop scientist
- Adelheid Eichhorn (* 1947), artist
- Elvira Grudzielski (* 1950), local history researcher
- Marita Krüger (* 1950), theologian and regional bishop i. R.
- Herbert Wirkner (* 1950), politician (CDU), member of the Thuringian state parliament
- Gerhard Botz (* 1955), politician (SPD)
- Heike Thiem-Schneider (* 1960), actress
- Götz Schweighöfer (* 1960), actor
- Rainer Kräuter (* 1964), politician (Die Linke) and member of the state parliament in Thuringia
- Dieter Scheidig (* 1965), museologist and author
- Steffen Dittmann (* 1967), long-distance runs
- Mario Ruben (* 1968), chemist and university professor
- Kathrin Tillmanns (* 1968), media and cultural scientist, photographer and designer
- Katja Koch (* 1970), teacher
- Marco Kampf (* 1971), soccer coach and player
- Jens Weißgärber (* 1971), soccer player
- Timo Meynhardt (* 1972), psychologist and business economist
- Alexander Metzger (* 1973), bobsledder
- Christian Erdmann (* 1975), actor
- Nicole Herschmann (* 1975), bobsledder
- Veit (* 1975), right-wing extremist and songwriter
- Simone Lange (* 1976), politician
- Susanne Wendland (* 1977), politician (Bündnis 90 / Die Grünen), member of the Bremen citizenship
- Annett Renneberg (* 1978), actress and singer
- Christoph Stephan (* 1986), biathlete
- Sören Eismann (* 1988), soccer player
- Ermen Rejes-Napoles (* 1989), basketball player
- Robin Krauße (* 1994), soccer player
Personalities associated with the city
- Wolfgang Ratke (also Ratichius) (1571–1635), educator and school reformer, as persecuted person, accommodated by Anna-Sophia von Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
- Georg Achatz Heher (1601–1667), lawyer and diplomat, from 1659 to 1667 Chancellor of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
- Johann Rothmaler (1601–1650), theologian and clergyman, from 1635 to 1650 general superintendent of Rudolstadt
- Ahasverus Fritsch (1629–1701), composer and lawyer, active in Rudolstadt from 1657
- Friedrich Barthol von Bielen (1653–1708), mining captain, councilor and bailiff of Leutenberg, chamber director in Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
- Philipp Heinrich Erlebach (1657–1714), composer, was court musician in Rudolstadt for 35 years
- Johann Heinrich Buttstedt (1666–1727), composer, from 1691 court organist in Rudolstadt
- Nicolaus Vetter (1666–1734), composer, from 1690 court organist in Rudolstadt
- Johann Georg Abicht (1672–1740), theologian, attended grammar school in Rudolstadt
- Johann Graf (1684–1750), composer, active in Rudolstadt from 1723
- Johann Christoph Morgenstern (1697–1767), painter in Rudolstadt
- Johann Nikolaus Tischer (1707–1774), composer, received his training in Rudolstadt
- Georg Gebel (1709–1753), composer, active in Rudolstadt from 1746
- Karl Adolph Kellers († 1762), wood sculptor and court sculptor in Rudolstadt.
- Georg Christian Füchsel (1722–1773), geologist, lived and died in Rudolstadt
- Christian Gotthelf Scheinpflug (1722–1770), composer, in Rudolstadt from 1745
- Carl Christoph Eckner (1743–1807), 1773–1807 physician in Rudolstadt
- Friedrich Schiller (1759–1805), poet, often visited Rudolstadt because his wife Charlotte von Lengefeld comes from Rudolstadt; Schiller also met Johann Wolfgang von Goethe for the first time in Rudolstadt
- Johann Gottlieb Fichte (1762–1814), philosopher, from 1794 member of a Masonic lodge in Rudolstadt
- Traugott Maximilian Eberwein (1775–1831), composer, has worked at the Rudolstädter Hof since 1797 with interruptions
- Karl Christian Friedrich Krause (1781–1832), philosopher, lived in Rudolstadt in 1804/05
- Friedrich Fröbel (1782–1852), educator, worked for a long time in the Keilhau district
- Albert Methfessel (1785–1869), composer, attended grammar school in Rudolstadt
- Franz Junot (1785–1846), Mining Minister in Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
- Carl Poppo Fröbel (1786–1824), teacher at the grammar school in Rudolstadt and owner of the court book printer
- Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860), philosopher, was a guest at the “Zum Ritter” inn in 1813, where he completed his dissertation
- Richard Wagner (1813–1883), as a young music director, made guest appearances in Rudolstadt for six weeks
- Friedrich Adolf Richter (1846–1910), entrepreneur, founder of the anchor factory and manufacturer of the anchor stone building sets
- Louis Müller-Unkel (1853–1938), glass technician, spent the evening of his life in Rudolstadt
- Berthold Sigismund (1819–1864), doctor, pedagogue, writer, poet and politician, from 1850 teacher and professor at the grammar school in Rudolstadt, where he taught natural sciences, mathematics and English
- Theodor Quentin (1851–1905), important church builder
- Eduard Müller (1855–1912), entrepreneur and member of the Reichstag (National Liberal Party)
- Max Güntz (1861–1931), agricultural historian, graduated from high school in Rudolstadt
- Rudolf Herzer (1878–1914), composer, lived in Rudolstadt
- Franz Fürth (1880–1961), hotelier and politician
- Karl Dietz (1890–1964), publisher, managing director of Greifenverlag in Rudolstadt
- Alfred Unartikel (1890–1978), electrical engineer and entrepreneur, founder of the X-ray tube factory in Rudolstadt, inventor of the high-temperature-cooled rotating anode X-ray tube
- Hans Fallada (1893–1947), writer, attended high school in Rudolstadt
- Wilhelm Geißler (1895–1977), painter, lived in Rudolstadt between 1922 and 1929
- Erich Hertzsch (1902–1995), theologian, graduated from high school in Rudolstadt
- Walther Müller (1905–1979), physicist, worked for Siemens in Rudolstadt before the Second World War
- Alexander Golling (1905–1989), actor, made his debut in Rudolstadt in 1924
- Inge von Wangenheim (1912–1993), actress and writer, lived in Rudolstadt from 1961 to 1974
- Johannes Wieke (1913–1982), actor, made his debut in Rudolstadt in 1937
- Fritz Göhler (1926–2007), actor, worked at the Rudolstädter Theater
- Bernhard Ilschner (1928–2006), physicist, attended high school in Rudolstadt
- Peter Gülke (* 1934), musicologist, worked at the Rudolstadt Theater from 1959 to 1964
- Matthias Biskupek (* 1950), writer, has lived and worked in Rudolstadt since 1973
- Konstanze Lauterbach (* 1954), theater director, worked in Rudolstadt between 1987 and 1990
- Martina Eitner-Acheampong (* 1960), actress, worked for a time at the Rudolstädter Theater
- Olaf Rahardt (* 1965), painter, has been working in Rudolstadt since 1997
- Beatrice Kaps-Zurmahr (* 1977), actress, has been with the Rudolstädter Theater since 2002