List of personalities of the city of Winterthur
- Johann Caspar Weidenmann (1805–1850), painter, draftsman and copyist
This list contains personalities born in Winterthur as well as those who had their sphere of activity in Winterthur without having been born there. Both sections are sorted chronologically according to the year of birth. The list does not claim to be complete.
Personalities born in Winterthur
Until 1800
- Johannes von Winterthur (around 1300 - 1348/49), Franciscan brother and chronicler
- Hans Haggenberg (around 1450 - around 1515), painter
- Laurentius Liechti (around 1489 - 1545), founder of the Liechti watchmaking dynasty
- Alban Thorer (around 1489 - 1550), doctor, philologist, rector, translator and editor
- Laurentius Bosshart (around 1490 - 1532), chronicler
- Johannes Letter (1499–1528), author of the Counter Reformation
- Erhard Liechti (around 1530 - 1591), watchmaker
- Johann Wilhelm Stucki (1542–1607), Protestant theologian, philologist and historian
- Ludwig Pfau I (around 1547 - 1597), founder of the Pfau stove-making dynasty
- Melchior Steiner (1630–1690), merchant
- Felix Meyer (1653–1713), painter
- Hans Georg Steiner (1654–1734), cotton manufacturer and mayor of the city of Winterthur
- Johann Ulrich Schellenberg (1709–1795), painter
- Johann Georg Sulzer (1720–1779), philosopher
- Johann Ludwig Aberli (1723–1786), painter
- Anna Barbara Reinhart (1730–1796), mathematician
- Anton Graff (1736–1813), portrait painter
- Johann Heinrich Ziegler (1738–1818), doctor, chemist and entrepreneur
- Johann Conrad Sulzer (1745–1819), 1st Protestant pastor
- Christoph Kaufmann (1753–1795), namesake of the term " Sturm und Drang "
- Johann Heinrich Troll (1756–1824), painter and graphic artist
- Ulrich Hegner (1759–1840), writer
- Johann Jakob Biedermann (1763–1830), painter, graphic artist and etcher
- Hans Jacob Rieter (1766–1811), textile entrepreneur, murdered on the way back from the Frankfurt trade fair
- Salomon Hegner (1789–1869), engineer
1801 to 1850
- Jonas Furrer (1805–1861), politician, first Federal President of Switzerland
- Johann Caspar Weidenmann (1805–1850), painter, draftsman and copyist
- Johann Georg Deller (1808–1879), Winterthur building contractor
- David Eduard Steiner (1811–1860), painter, etcher and lithographer
- Heinrich Rieter (1814–1889), industrialist and politician
- August Weckesser (1821–1899), history painter
- Konrad Grob (1828–1904), lithographer and painter
- Friedrich Imhoof-Blumer (1838–1920), numismatist
- Rudolf Morf (1839–1925), trade unionist and politician
- Robert Bindschedler (1844–1901), chemist and industrialist
- Albert Jucker (1844–1885), entrepreneur
- Emil Kaspar Studer (1844–1927), architect and professor
1851 to 1900
- Robert Keller (1854–1939), teacher, rector and botanist
- Jakob Christoph Heer (1859–1925), writer 1
- Charles EL Brown (1863-1924), machine designer ( Brown, Boveri & Cie )
- Heinrich Wölfflin (1864–1945), art historian
- Sidney Brown (1865–1941), machine designer and art collector
- Karl Paul Täuber (1867–1948), precision mechanic and electrical engineer
- Walter Furrer (1870–1949), architect and local politician
- Arnold Corti (1873–1932), chemist and entomologist
- Max Niedermann (1874–1954), classical philologist
- Alfred Ernst (1875–1968), botanist
- Richard Krzymowski (1875–1960), agricultural scientist
- Joan Gamper (1877–1930), athlete and founder of FC Barcelona
- Georg Reinhart (1877–1955), merchant and patron
- Emil Klöti (1877–1963), Mayor of Zurich and a cantonal, national and council of states
- Ernst Wetter (1877–1963), politician 1
- Ernst Bachmann (1879–1955), doctor
- Heinrich Brockmann-Jerosch (1879–1939), botanist
- Alfred Büchi (1879–1959), inventor of the exhaust gas turbocharger
- Johannes Huber (1879–1948), lawyer and politician
- Lebrecht Völki (1879–1937), architect
- Hans Reinhart (1880–1963), poet, translator and patron
- Albert Thellt (1881–1928), botanist
- Emma Sulzer-Forrer (1882–1963), sculptor
- Werner Reinhart (1884–1951), businessman and patron
- Oskar Reinhart (1885–1965), art collector and patron
- Walther Reinhart (1886–1975), musician, composer and author
- Walter Baumgartner (1887–1970), theologian
- Emil Brunner (1889–1966), Reformed theologian
- Fritz Ernst (1889–1958), literary scholar and essayist
- Hans Kägi (1889–1971), editor, theater correspondent and author
- Ambrosius von Albertini (1894–1971), pathologist and professor
- Jakob Flach (1894–1982), writer, puppeteer and painter
- Fritz Bernhard (1895–1966), painter
- Hans Morf (1896–1990), lawyer and federal civil servant
- Willy Bretscher (1897–1992), journalist
- Max Weiler (1900–1969), football player
- Gustav Morf (1900–1978), doctor, psychologist, journalist and politician
1901 to 1925
- Werner Ganz (1902–1995), historian, secondary school teacher and politician
- Walter Weiler (1903–1945), football player
- Hans Barth (1904–1965), journalist and philosopher
- Karl Bernhard (1904–1993), biochemist and university professor
- Georges Miez (1904-1999), Turner 1
- Willy Hess (1906–1997), musicologist and composer
- Heinz Keller (1906–1984), curator
- Albert Büchi (1907–1988), racing cyclist
- Max Bill (1908–1994), architect, artist and designer
- Erwin Hofer (1912–1995), politician
- Hans Hutter (1913–2006), member of the International Brigades
- Warja Lavater (1913–2007), graphic artist and illustrator
- Voli Geiler (1915–1992), theater and film actress
- Max Caflisch (1916-2004), typographer
- Elisabeth Meyer-Marthaler (1916–2001), historian
- Hans Affeltranger (1919–2002), painter and graphic artist
- Robert Lienhard (1919–1989), sculptor and metal sculptor
- Werner Weber (1919–2005), literary critic, writer and translator
- Armin Hofmann (* 1920), graphic artist, set designer, sculptor and lecturer
- Rudolf Ernst Keller (1920–2014), Germanist
- Luigi Bühler (1921–2004), chess player and chess composer
- Gottfried Egg (1921–2010), Jass expert, inventor of prize-winning
- Erich A. Kägi (1921–2014), journalist and publicist
- Arthur Bachmann (1922–1983), politician
- Hans Heinrich Egger (1922–2011), film editor
- Ulrich Gaudenz Müller (1922–2005), pioneer of computational linguistics
- Rudolf Friedrich (1923–2013), lawyer and politician
- Heiner Gross (1923–1993), youth writer
- Fritz Bachmann (1924–2009), entomologist
- Walter Gross (1924–1999), poet
- Henri Schmid (1924–2009), painter and graphic artist
- Bruno Stefanini (1924–2018), property owner and art collector
- Peter Frei (1925–2010), ancient historian
1926 to 1950
- Ernst Gebendinger (1926-2017), Turner
- Hans Ruedi Sieber (1926–2002), painter and graphic artist
- Georg Gerster (1928–2019), journalist, pioneer of aerial photography
- Silvio Mattioli (1929–2011), painter, sculptor, iron and steel sculptor
- Paul Späni (1929–1993), tenor and music teacher
- Bruno Hunziker (1930–2000), politician, parliamentarian and business lawyer
- Peter Spälti (1930–2010), politician and manager
- Max Dünki (1932–2011), politician
- Werner Hurter (* 1932), architect and artist
- Heiner Gross (1923–1993), author of children's books
- Richard R. Ernst (* 1933), chemist (Nobel Prize winner 1991)
- Ursula Bagdasarjanz (* 1934), violinist
- Hannes Keller (* 1934), computer pioneer, entrepreneur, diving pioneer and amateur pianist
- Niklaus Wirth (* 1934), computer scientist
- Serge Ehrensperger (1935–2013), writer
- Hans Georg Kägi (1935–1966), painter and draftsman
- Peter Arbenz (* 1937), development worker, politician (FDP) and civil servant
- Karl Meli (1938–2012), wrestler
- Rolf Bänninger (1938–2017), jazz drummer and businessman
- Lisbeth Fehr (* 1938), politician
- Marcel Rüedi (1938–1986), mountaineer
- Leonhard Scheuch (* 1938), music publisher
- Oscar Fritschi (1939–2016), politician
- Peter Schellenbaum (1939–2018), psychoanalyst and non-fiction author
- Hanspeter Danuser (1940–2000), historian and screenwriter
- Willi Dolder (* 1941), photographer, nature photographer and travel writer
- Michael Gempart (born 1941), actor
- Markus Imhoof (* 1941), film director and screenwriter
- Jean-Claude Zehnder (* 1941), organist and musicologist
- Peter Baumberger (1942–2019), politician
- Elsbeth Sigmund (* 1942), actress and teacher
- Peter Bernhard (* 1943), racing car driver
- Hans-Ulrich Brunner (1943–2006), painter
- Peter Eicher (* 1943), Catholic theologian
- Andreas Kappeler (* 1943), historian
- Remo H. Largo (* 1943), pediatrician and specialist book author
- Curt Treier (* 1944), jazz musician
- Roger Girod (* 1945), lawyer and musician
- Max Meili (* 1946), football player
- Beat Raaflaub (* 1946), conductor
- Martin Schwarz (* 1946), artist, author and publisher
- Jürg Amann (1947–2013), writer
- Ernst Wohlwend (* 1947), mayor
- Peter Fässler-Weibel (1948–2011), couple and family therapist
- Maja Ingold (* 1948), politician
- Ernst Rutschmann (* 1948), football player
- Markus Griesser (* 1949), astronomer and publicist
- Werner Seifert (* 1949), CEO of Deutsche Börse AG 1993–2005
- Bernard Thurnheer (* 1949), entertainer and sports presenter
1951 to 1975
- Rolf Erb (1951–2017), entrepreneur
- Jürg Häusermann (* 1951), professor for media analysis and production
- Hans Peter Künzle (* 1951), jazz musician and university professor
- Carl Kupferschmid (* 1951), triathlete
- Hansjörg Aemisegger (* 1952), racing cyclist
- Regine Aeppli (* 1952), politician
- Peter Bieri (* 1952), politician
- Franz Böni (* 1952), author
- Viktor Giacobbo (* 1952), author, cabaret artist, presenter and actor
- Reto Parolari (1952–2019), conductor
- Rudolf Wachter (* 1954), classical philologist
- Hans-Jakob Mosimann (* 1956), lawyer
- Stefan Gubser (* 1957), actor
- Katharina Henking (* 1957), visual artist
- Markus Hutter (* 1957), entrepreneur and politician
- Martin Buser (* 1958), sled dog athlete
- Jean-Pierre Dürig (* 1958), architect
- Christian Erb (* 1959), track and field athlete
- Heinz Karrer (* 1959), manager and handball player
- Mark Kuhn (* 1959), actor
- Marlies Bänziger (* 1960), politician
- Marco Rima (* 1961), actor and cabaret artist
- Urs Engeler (* 1962), writer and publisher
- Thomas Gottschall (* 1962), theologian
- Janette Rauch (* 1962), actress
- Reto Brennwald (* 1963), television presenter
- Klodin Erb (* 1963), painter
- Roger Bader (* 1964), ice hockey coach, national coach for Austria
- Helen Keller (* 1964), lawyer
- Maurice Pedergnana (* 1964), economist
- Leta Peer (1964–2012), painter and photo artist
- Dario Zuffi (* 1964), football player and coach
- Thomas Steger (* 1966), business economist
- Thomas Keller (* 1967), Professor of Information Systems
- Corrado Filipponi (* 1968), extreme paddler, world record holder and travel photojournalist
- Jürg Stahl (* 1968), politician
- Hans-Ueli Vogt (* 1969), legal scholar and politician
- Patrik Ramsauer (* 1970), soccer player
- Haymo Empl (* 1971), writer and presenter
- Ivan Engler (* 1971), director
- Jeronim Perović (* 1971), historian and political scientist
- Maurice Steger (* 1971), recorder player and conductor
- Urs Villiger (* 1971), actor
- Chantal Galladé (* 1972), politician
- Michael Stauffer (* 1972), writer
- René Weiler (* 1973), football player
- Marc Zellweger (* 1973), football player
- Giorgio Contini (* 1974), football player
- Jürg Fleischer (* 1974), Germanist
- Lorenzo Manta (* 1974), tennis player
- Sébastien Singer (* 1974), cellist
- Patrick Bettoni (* 1975), Italian-Swiss football player
- Patric Della Rossa (* 1975), ice hockey player
From 1976
- Simone Eisenring (* 1976), theater director
- Patrick Meier (* 1976), figure skater
- Natalie Rickli (* 1976), politician
- Christoph Bottoni (* 1977), sailor
- Oliver Roth (* 1977), musician
- Michael Witness (* 1977), politician
- Roman Graf (* 1978), writer
- Simon Schoch (* 1978), snowboarder
- Philipp Schoch (* 1979), snowboarder
- Ruben Drole (* 1980), opera singer
- Marcel Herzog (* 1980), soccer goalkeeper
- Lea Saskia Laasner (* 1980), author
- Adrian Wichser (* 1980), ice hockey player
- Roger Rinderknecht (* 1981), BMX and mountain bike rider
- Manuel Liniger (* 1981), handball player
- Sven Helfenstein (* 1982), ice hockey player
- Matthias Schoder (* 1982), ice hockey goalkeeper
- Davide Callà (* 1984), football player
- Alexandra Meyer (* 1984), artist and performer
- Oliver Scheuner (* 1985), handball player
- Louisa Lamour (* 1986), erotic and porn actress
- Sebastian Bohren (* 1987), violinist
- Carol Schuler (* 1987), actress and singer
- Aurel Bringolf (* 1987), handball player
- Michel Avanzini (* 1989), football player
- Nicolas Müller (* 1989), squash player
- Luca Zuffi (* 1990), soccer player
- Steven Zuber (born 1991), football player
- Moritz Bauer (* 1992), football player
- Matthias Minder (* 1993), football player
- Samir Leuppi (* 1993), wrestler
- Mirco Müller (* 1995), ice hockey player
Well-known residents of Winterthur
- Elsbeth Stagel (around 1300 - around 1360), Dominican, mystic
- Elisabeth of Hungary (around 1300), Hungarian countess, daughter of the Hungarian king Andreas III
- Hugo von Hegi (around 1410 - 1493), last representative of the family «von Hegi»
- Ambrosius Blarer , also Abrosius Blauerer (1492–1564), German reformer and hymn poet, died in Winterthur
- Jos Murer , also Jodocus Maurer (1530–1580), Swiss glass painter, draftsman, cartographer, writer
- Christoph Murer , also Christoph Maurer (1558–1614), Swiss glass painter
- Johann Rudolf Schellenberg (1740–1806), Swiss painter, engraver
- Johann Sebastian Clais (1742–1809), Swiss-German technician, entrepreneur
- Joseph Philippe de Clairville (1742–1830), French botanist and entomologist
- Jakob Michael Reinhold Lenz (1751–1792), writer
- Johannes Aberli (1774–1851), medalist (Reformation medals on Zwingli (1819), lion monument in Lucerne (1821), carnelian of the Swiss Confederation (1815))
- Johann-Conrad Appenzeller (1775–1850), reformed pastor and folk writer, 1799–1809 teacher at the city school of Winterthur
- Johann Conrad Troll (1783–1858), Swiss educator and historian
- Gottfried Semper (1803–1879), German architect, built the Winterthur town hall from 1865–1869
- Ernst Methfessel (1811–1886), German composer
- Carl Adams (1811–1849), German mathematician
- Salomon Volkart (1816–1893), Swiss merchant
- Heinrich Morf (1818–1899), educator, was orphanage director in Winterthur and taught at the grammar school and at the teachers' seminar
- Theodor Kirchner (1823–1903), German composer, city organist in Winterthur from 1843 to 1862
- Salomon Bleuler (1829–1886), Swiss politician, journalist
- Johann Georg Schoellhorn (1837–1890), Swiss brewery owner
- Hermann Goetz (1840–1876), German composer, worked as the city organist in Winterthur
- Felix Paul Weingartner, Edler von Münzberg (1863–1942), Austrian conductor, composer, writer
- Fritz Schoellhorn (1863–1933), Swiss brewery owner
- Johannes Ninck (1863–1939), German Protestant theologian, writer
- Ernst Radecke (1866–1920), German musicologist, composer
- Alfred Mombert (1872–1942), German writer (liberated from the Gurs concentration camp by Hans Reinhart in 1941)
- Jakob Buchli (1876–1945), Swiss engineer
- Albert Einstein (1879–1955), physicist and Nobel Prize winner
- Heinrich Fehlmann (1880–1952), Swiss insurance company
- Simon Ratnowsky , also Semjon Ratnowsky (1884–1945), Russian physicist
- Carl Haensel (1889–1968), German writer, playwright and lawyer
- Peter Meyer (1894–1984), German architect and art historian, professor for the systematics and aesthetics of modern architecture at the ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich
- Karl Matthaei (1897–1960), Swiss organ teacher and organ expert
- Bernhard Henking (1897–1988), Swiss musician, composer
- Emilie Bosshart (1897–1979), Swiss educator, politician
- Emil Frei (1897–1987), national councilor and educator
- Lothar Kempter (1900–2001), Swiss writer
- Antonio Tusa (1900–1982), Swiss composer
- Rudolf Zender (1901–1988), Swiss painter, graphic artist and draftsman
- Markus Breitner (1902–1988), Swiss actor and theater director
- Franz Bäschlin (1906–1975), Swiss editor, critic and translator
- Walter Robert Corti (1910–1990), Swiss philosopher and publicist
- Ernst Egli (1912–1999), Swiss visual artist
- Andri Peer (1921–1985), Swiss writer
- Aida Piraccini-Stucki (1921–2011), Swiss violinist and teacher
- Hans Rudolf Christen (1924–2011), chemist
- Willi Gohl (1925–2010), Swiss conductor, choir director and composer
- Lilly Ronchetti (1928–1997), Swiss writer
- Heinrich Bruppacher (1930–2010), Swiss visual artist
- Alfred Auer (1937–2012), Swiss painter
- Bendicht Fivian (1940–2019), Swiss painter
- Rudolf Meyer (* 1943), Swiss composer, worked as an organist at the city church
- Max E. Keller (* 1947), Swiss composer
- Theres Wey (* 1954), Swiss painter
- Christopher T. Hunziker (* 1956), Swiss architect and artist
- Dominik Landwehr (* 1958), journalist, author, media and cultural worker
- Britta Huttenlocher (* 1962), Swiss artist, grew up in Winterthur
- Peter Stamm (* 1963), Swiss writer
- Ralph Kunz (* 1964), Swiss Protestant Reformed pastor and since 2004 professor of practical theology at the University of Zurich
- Anne-Sophie Mutter (* 1963), German violinist, came to Winterthur at the age of 11 to study with Aida Stucki (Winterthur Conservatory)
- Azem Maksutaj (* 1975), Kosovar Thai boxer, 14-time world champion
- Daniela Janjic (* 1984), Swiss author
- Adrian Ramsauer (* 1959), Swiss lawyer, politician and author