List of bearers of the Federal Cross of Merit
Lists of the bearers of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
This list includes holders of the Federal Cross of Merit (Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany) with brief personal information.
So far, the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany has been awarded around 257,000 times (as of the end of 2017).
Note: Due to the high number of carriers, a complete list of carriers is not aimed for in the levels of Merit Cross 1st Class , Merit Cross on Ribbon and Merit Medal , only carriers with Wikipedia articles are entered here.
contents
Grand Crosses
Special level of the Grand Cross
1953/1954
- Getúlio Vargas , Brazil on May 20, 1953
- Manuel A. Odria , Peru on July 20, 1953
- Juan Perón , Argentina on August 25, 1953
- Gustavo Rojas Pinilla , Colombia on October 30, 1953
- Carlos Ibáñez del Campo , Chile on November 21, 1953
- Luigi Einaudi , Italy January 2, 1954
- Paul I of Greece , Greece on March 8, 1954
- Marcos Pérez Jiménez , Venezuela on April 15, 1954
- Adolfo Ruiz Cortines , Mexico on June 11, 1954
- Celâl Bayar , Turkey on June 12, 1954
- Haile Selassie , Ethiopia on November 6, 1954
- José María Velasco Ibarra , Ecuador on November 11, 1954
- Andrés Martínez Trueba , Uruguay on November 13, 1954
- Oscar Osorio , El Salvador on December 29, 1954
- Víctor Paz Estenssoro , Bolivia on December 30, 1954
1955-1959
- Ásgeir Ásgeirsson , Iceland on January 3, 1955
- Seán Ó Ceallaigh , Ireland on February 25, 1955
- Mohammad Reza Pahlavi , Iran on February 27, 1955
- Soraya Esfandiary Bakhtiari , Iran on February 27, 1955
- Hector B. Trujillo Molina , Dominican Republic on March 22, 1955
- Paul Eugène Magloire , Haiti on December 10, 1955
- Juscelino Kubitschek , Brazil on April 10, 1956
- Friederike of Greece on May 8, 1956
- Giovanni Gronchi , Italy July 18, 1956
- William S. Tubman , Liberia October 5, 1956
- Antoinette Tubman , Liberia October 5, 1956
- Theodor Körner , Austria on October 17, 1956
- Carla Gronchi , Italy December 3, 1956
- Fulgencio Batista , Cuba on May 28, 1957
- Adolf Schärf , Austria on June 11, 1957
- Manuel Prado y Ugarteche , Peru on July 29, 1957
- Camilo Ponce Enríquez , Ecuador 1958
- Elizabeth II , United Kingdom on September 29, 1958
- Philip, Duke of Edinburgh , United Kingdom on September 29, 1958
- Luis Somoza Debayle , Nicaragua 1959
- Ahmed Sékou Touré , Guinea 1959
- Andrée Touré , Guinea 1959
1960-1979
- Bhumibol Adulyadej , Thailand 1960
- Sirikit , Thailand 1960
- Arturo Frondizi , Argentina 1960
- Elena Faggionato de Frondizi , Argentina 1960
- José María Lemus López , El Salvador 1960
- Clorinda Málaga de Prado , Peru 1960
- Charles de Gaulle , France 1961
- Mohammed Sahir Shah , Afghanistan on August 7, 1963
- Diosdado Macapagal , Philippines in November 1963
- Evangelina Macapagal , Philippines in November 1963
- Mahendra , Nepal 1964
- Ratna of Nepal , 1964
- Farah Pahlavi , 1967
- Ismail Nasiruddin Shah , Malaysia on March 9, 1967
- Juliana of the Netherlands , Netherlands on November 24, 1969
- Bernhard of the Netherlands on November 24, 1969
- Nicolae Ceaușescu , Romania on May 17, 1971
- Josip Broz Tito , Yugoslavia on June 24th 1974
- Valery Giscard d'Estaing , France on April 21, 1975
- Juan Carlos I and Sophia of Greece , Spain on April 19, 1977
- Taufaʻahau Tupou IV. , Tonga on December 2nd, 1977
- Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe , Tonga on December 2, 1977
- Silvia of Sweden , Sweden on March 20, 1979
1980-1999
- António Ramalho Eanes , Portugal 1980
- Beatrix of the Netherlands on March 1, 1983
- Claus of the Netherlands on March 1, 1983
- Birendra , Nepal in October 1986
- Vigdís Finnbogadóttir , Iceland 1988
- Mário Soares , Portugal 1991
- Azlan Shah , Malaysia on September 7, 1992
- Andrew Bertie , Rome 1992
- George HW Bush , United States of America on December 20, 1993
- Harald V. , Norway on April 18, 1994
- Fernando Henrique Cardoso , Brazil 1995
- Tuanku Jaafar , Malaysia 1996
- Hassanal Bolkiah , Brunei on March 30, 1998
- Hamad bin Chalifa Al Thani , Qatar on May 27, 1999
- Mikhail Gorbachev , Russia on November 7, 1999
- Eduard Shevardnadze , Georgia 1999
- Jorge Sampaio , Portugal 1999
Since 2000
- Suleyman Demirel , Turkey on April 6, 2000
- Václav Havel , Czech Republic 2000
- Árpád Göncz , Hungary 2000
- Guido de Marco , Malta 2001
- Tarja Halonen , Finland on September 10, 2001
- Aleksander Kwaśniewski , Poland 2002
- Abdullah II bin al-Hussein , Jordan on October 21, 2002
- Rania of Jordan on October 21, 2002
- Marc Ravalomanana , Madagascar on April 7, 2006
- John Agyekum Kufuor , Ghana 2008
- Aníbal Cavaco Silva , Portugal on May 26, 2009
- Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah , Kuwait on April 27, 2010
- François Hollande , France on September 3, 2013
- Toomas Hendrik Ilves , Estonia 2013
- Miloš Zeman , Czech Republic 2014
- Borut Pahor , Slovenia on November 25, 2014
- Marie Louise Coleiro Preca , Malta on April 29, 2015
- Philippe of Belgium
- Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz , Belgium on March 8, 2016
- Rossen Plevneliev , Bulgaria 2016
- Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, 2017
- Máxima of the Netherlands , 2017
- Andrej Kiska , Slovakia on November 17, 2017
- Sauli Niinistö , Finland on September 17, 2018
- Raimonds Vējonis , Latvia on February 22, 2019
- Guðni Th. Jóhannesson , Iceland on June 12, 2019
- Sergio Mattarella , Italy on September 19, 2019
- Giacomo Dalla Torre del Tempio di Sanguinetto , Rome on October 21, 2019
- Daniel Oduber Quirós , Costa Rica
- Qaboos ibn Said , Oman
- Lech Wałęsa , Poland
Federal President
All Federal Presidents of the Federal Republic of Germany who receive the Grand Cross without an award certificate as an insignia upon taking office are also bearers .
- Theodor Heuss (only 1952 with the Foundation of the Order of Merit)
- Heinrich Lübke (1959)
- Gustav Heinemann (1969)
- Walter Scheel (1974)
- Karl Carstens (1979)
- Richard von Weizsäcker (1984)
- Roman Herzog (1994)
- Johannes Rau (1999)
- Horst Koehler (2004)
- Christian Wulff (2010)
- Joachim Gauck (2012)
- Frank-Walter Steinmeier (2017)
Grand cross in a special design
- Konrad Adenauer , Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany (January 31, 1954)
- Helmut Kohl , Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany (October 26, 1998)
Grand Cross
- Hermann Josef Abs , banker (1988)
- Andrus Ansip , Estonian politician (2013)
- Augustin Bea , Cardinal (1960)
- Kurt Beck , politician (2004)
- Berthold Beitz , industrialist (1987)
- Ernst Benda , President of the Federal Constitutional Court (1983)
- Anton Benya , Austrian politician (1975)
- Karl Bernard , Chairman of the Central Bank Council of the Bank of German States (1957)
- Karl Blessing , Chairman of the Deutsche Bundesbank (1965)
- Holger Börner , politician (1987)
- Willy Brandt , politician (1959)
- Heinrich von Brentano , politician (1955)
- Fritz Catta , politician (FDP) (1956)
- Wesley Clark , American general
- Cornelius Christopher Cremin , Irish diplomat (1960)
- Lucius D. Clay , American General of the Berlin Airlift (1965)
- Dipendra , Nepalese politician and Crown Prince (1997)
- Mario Draghi , Italian Economist, President of the ECB (2020)
- Wim Duisenberg , President of the European Central Bank (2002)
- Ludwig Erhard , politician (1953)
- Theodor Rudolf Georg Eschenburg , political scientist (1986)
- Patricia Espinosa Cantellano , Mexican diplomat (2013)
- Hans Filbinger , politician
- Hans-Georg Gadamer , philosopher (1993)
- Karl Geiler , politician (1952)
- Hans Globke , State Secretary (1963)
- Gyanendra , Nepalese politician and Crown Prince (1996)
- Otto Hahn , nuclear chemist (1959)
- Mehdi Jomaâ , Tunisian politician (2015)
- Jean-Claude Juncker , Luxembourg politician (2013)
- John Kerry , American politician (2016)
- Kurt Georg Kiesinger , politician (1960)
- Ban Ki-moon , South Korean diplomat, UN Secretary General (2016)
- Roland Koch , politician (2011)
- Hinrich Wilhelm Kopf , politician (1953)
- Norbert Lammert , politician (2007)
- Georg Leber , politician (1976)
- Richard Lehners , politician (1966)
- Johannes Lilje , regional bishop
- Jutta Limbach , President of the Federal Constitutional Court (2002)
- Paul Löbe , politician (1951)
- Yehudi Menuhin , violinist and conductor (1997)
- Pedro José Ribeiro de Menezes , Portuguese diplomat (1999)
- Angela Merkel , Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany (2008)
- Peter Milliken , Canadian lawyer and politician (2012)
- Wolfgang Mischnick , politician (1973)
- Joseph Muscat , Maltese politician (2015)
- Martin Niemöller , theologian
- Karl Olfers , politician (1954)
- Werner Otto , entrepreneur (2001)
- Hans-Jürgen Papier , President of the Federal Constitutional Court (2010)
- Hippolyt Poschinger von Frauenau , entrepreneur, forest manager and politician (1982)
- Joseph Ratzinger , Cardinal (1994)
- Annemarie Renger , politician (1974)
- Helmut Schlesinger , President of the Deutsche Bundesbank (1993)
- Carlo Schmid , politician (1955)
- Gerhard Schröder , Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany (1999)
- Karel Schwarzenberg , Czech-Swiss politician (2008)
- Elisabeth Schwarzhaupt , politician (1965)
- Lothar Späth , politician (1989)
- Dolf Sternberger , political scientist (1989)
- Edmund Stoiber , politician (2004)
- Franz Josef Strauss , politician (1958)
- Erwin Teufel , politician (2004)
- Wolfgang Thierse , politician (1999)
- Franz Thoma , Austrian politician (1959)
- Bernhard Vogel , politician (1976)
- Hermann Volk , Bishop of Mainz (1975)
- Andreas Voßkuhle , President of the Federal Constitutional Court (2020)
- Herbert Wehner , politician (1973)
- Pierre Werner , Luxembourg politician (1959)
- Otto Wolff von Amerongen , industrialist (2000)
- Franz-Josef Wuermeling , politician (1958)
Great Crosses of Merit
Large cross of merit with star and shoulder ribbon
A.
- Wolfgang Altenburg , General (1989)
- Karl Joseph Alter , Archbishop of Cincinnati, Chairman of the American Bishops' Conference (1953)
- Bernard Andreae , archaeologist (2008)
B.
- Francesco Babuscio Rizzo , Ambassador (1954)
- Daniel Barenboim , pianist and conductor (2013)
- Wolf Graf von Baudissin , General and Peace Researcher (1967)
- Rudolf Beckmann , entrepreneur and politician (1973)
- Johannes Georg Bednorz , physicist, Nobel Prize winner (1988)
- Berthold Beitz , entrepreneur and sports official (1979)
- Lennart Bernadotte , President of the German Horticultural Society, owner of the Mainau Flower Island (1958)
- Philipp von Bismarck , politician, chairman of the CDU Economic Council (1991)
- Ernst-Wolfgang Böckenförde , judge (2016)
- Wolfgang Böhmer , Prime Minister of Saxony-Anhalt (2007)
- Volker Bouffier , Prime Minister of Hesse (2018)
- Karl Branner , Lord Mayor (1990)
- Hans Brox , judge at the Federal Constitutional Court (1975)
- Brun-Otto Bryde , judge at the Federal Constitutional Court (2011)
C.
- Peter Harry Carstensen , politician (2013)
- Mathias Cormann , Belgian-Australian politician (2018)
D.
- Max Danz , Chairman of the German Athletics Association (1989)
- Karl Josef Denzer , President of the State Parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia (1989)
- Udo Di Fabio , judge at the Federal Constitutional Court (2011)
- Günter Diehl , diplomat (1986)
E.
- Erwin Josef Ender , Nuncio in Germany (2007)
- Mohammed el-Baradei , Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate (2010)
F.
- Josef Felder , politician (1990)
- Artur Fischer , entrepreneur and inventor (2006)
- Adolf Flecken , politician (1957)
- Friedrich Flick , entrepreneur (1963)
- Manuel Fraga Iribarne , Spanish politician (1969)
- Wolfgang Frühwald , literary scholar (2010)
- Jockel Fuchs , politician, Lord Mayor of Mainz (1987)
G
- Reinhard Gaier , judge at the Federal Constitutional Court (2016)
- Reinhard Gehlen , Major General, first President of the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) (1968)
- Hans-Dietrich Genscher , politician (1975)
- Johannes Gerster , politician, head of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Israel (1999)
- Valéry Giscard d'Estaing , politician (1965)
- Leonhard Gleske , economist (1989)
- Günther Granser , President of the International Council of OIER (1998)
- Dieter Grimm , judge at the Federal Constitutional Court (1999)
- Martin Grüner , German politician (1983)
H
- Karl Haager , Judge at the Federal Constitutional Court (1979)
- Evelyn Haas , judge at the Federal Constitutional Court (2006)
- Hanns Haberer , politician (1955)
- Otto Hahn , nuclear chemist, Nobel Prize winner 1944 (1954)
- Hamengkubuwono IX. , Sultan (1963)
- Hildegard Hamm-Brücher , politician (1993)
- Wilhelm Hausenstein , diplomat (1952)
- Karl Heck , Judge at the Federal Constitutional Court (1965)
- Werner Heisenberg , physicist, Nobel Prize winner (1964)
- Anton Henneka , Judge at the Federal Constitutional Court (1968)
- Franz Hengsbach , Cardinal, Bishop of Essen (1973)
- Karl Herz , State Secretary (1963)
- Adolf Heusinger , General, Inspector General of the Bundeswehr (1963)
- Christine Hohmann-Dennhardt , judge (2011)
- Wolfgang Hoffmann-Riem , Judge at the Federal Constitutional Court (2008)
- Wildor Hollmann , sports medicine specialist (2000)
- Gerhart Holzinger , Austrian constitutional judge (2017)
- Wolfgang Huber , Bishop (2007)
- Dieter Hundt , entrepreneur and BDA President (2007)
- Rudolf Hüttebräuker , politician and State Secretary (1966)
J
- Gerhard Jahn , Federal Minister of Justice (1984)
- Hans-Joachim Jentsch , Judge of the Federal Constitutional Court (2006)
- Jean-Claude Juncker , Luxembourg politician (1988)
- Ernst Jünger , author (1985)
K
- Hugo Karpf , politician (1991)
- Walter Kasper , Cardinal (2004)
- Hans Katzer , politician (CDU) (1973)
- Wolfgang Ketterle , physicist (2001)
- Johann Adolf Graf von Kielmansegg , General (1968)
- Paul Kirchhof , lawyer, university lecturer and judge (1999)
- Kurt Koch , Cardinal (2016)
- Roland Koch , politician (CDU) (2007)
- Erich Köhler , politician (CDU) (1957)
- Hannelore Kraft , Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia (2018)
- Heinz Kühn , politician (SPD) (1967)
L.
- Giovanni Lajolo , Apostolic Nuncio in Germany (2003)
- Julius von Lautz , Minister of the Interior and Justice of the Saarland (1967)
- Georg Leber , Federal Minister (1973)
- Hans Ledwinka , Austrian automobile designer (1965)
- Eugen Leibfried , Baden-Württemberg Minister for Food, Agriculture, Viticulture and Forests (1962)
- Karl Lehmann , Cardinal and Bishop of Mainz, Chairman of the German Bishops' Conference (2001)
- Gertrude Lübbe-Wolff , legal scholar (2014)
- Irene Ludwig , art patron (2007)
- Peter Ludwig , industrialist, art patron (1992)
- Günter Luther , Admiral (1982)
M.
- Heinz Maier-Leibnitz , nuclear physicist, President of the German Research Foundation (1991)
- Kurt Masur , conductor and orchestra leader (2007)
- David D. McKiernan , American General, Commander US Army Europe (2008)
- Joachim Meisner , Cardinal and Archbishop of Cologne (2003)
- Georg Meistermann , painter, draftsman and graphic artist (1990)
- Rudolf Mellinghoff , Richter (2011)
- Andreas Meyer-Landrut , diplomat (2002)
- Peter Müller , Prime Minister of Saarland (2007)
N
- Tyll Necker , President of the BDI (1990)
- Engelbert Niebler , judge at the Federal Constitutional Court (1987)
- Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard , developmental biologist, Nobel Prize winner (2003)
O
- Walter Odersky , President of the Federal Court of Justice (1996)
- Albert Osswald , Prime Minister of Hesse (1975)
- Lerke Osterloh , judge (2010)
P
- Wolfgang Paul , physicist, Nobel Laureate (1989)
- Matthias Platzeck , politician (2011)
- Hippolyt Poschinger von Frauenau , entrepreneur, forest manager and politician (1978)
- Hans-Gert Pöttering , President of the European Parliament (2010)
- Avi Primor , Israeli diplomat and publicist (2003)
- Martin Purtscher , Austrian politician, Governor of Vorarlberg (1996)
R.
- Konrad Raiser , Protestant theologian (2004)
- Joseph Ratzinger , Cardinal (1985)
- Kurt Rebmann , Attorney General (1990)
- Janusz Reiter , Polish diplomat (1995)
- Harald Ringstorff , Prime Minister of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (2007)
- Manfred Rommel , Lord Mayor of Stuttgart (1996)
- Joachim Rottmann , Honorary Professor, Judge of the Federal Constitutional Court (1983)
- Heinz Rühmann , actor (1972)
- Friedrich Ruge , Inspector of the German Navy and military writer (1961)
S.
- Grete Schickedanz , entrepreneur (1991)
- Karl Schiller , economist and politician (1991)
- Wilhelm Schluckebier , judge (2017)
- Peter Schmidhuber , politician, EU commissioner (1995)
- Erich Schneider , politician (1992)
- Ernst Schneider , entrepreneur and association official (1969)
- Josef Schneider , Archbishop of Bamberg (1960)
- Nikolaus Schneider , Chairman of the Council of the EKD (2015)
- Oscar Schneider , politician (2002)
- Ottomar Schreiber , politician (1954)
- Martin Schulz , politician (2016)
- Otto Seidl , lawyer (1998)
- Erwin Sellering , Prime Minister of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (2018)
- Hermann Otto Solms , politician (FDP) (2019)
- Hans Speidel , General (1963)
- Rudolf Seiters , politician and DRK President (2018)
- Friedrich Spennrath , government official and industry manager (1956)
- Helmut Steinberger , Judge, Vice-President of the OSCE Court of Arbitration (1987)
- Udo Steiner , lawyer (2007)
- Hans Stempel , Church President of the Evangelical Church of the Palatinate (1956)
- Fritz Stern , German-American historian (2006)
- Georg Sterzinsky , Archbishop of Berlin and Cardinal (2000)
T
- Christine Teusch , Minister of Education in North Rhine-Westphalia (1956)
- Stanislaw Tillich , Prime Minister of Saxony (2018)
- Rudolf Titzck , Minister of the Interior and Finance in Schleswig-Holstein (1984)
V
- Heinrich Vockel , economic politician (1957)
- Wilhelm Vorwerk , entrepreneur and President of the IHK Wuppertal (1959)
W.
- Friedrich Wilhelm Wagner , Member of the Reichstag and Bundestag (SPD), Vice President of the Federal Constitutional Court (1964)
- Wolfgang Wagner , opera director (2009)
- Helene Weber , politician (center, CDU) (1961)
- Gerhard Weiser , Baden-Württemberg Minister of Agriculture (1997)
- Hans Weiß , politician (CSU), President of the Bavarian Senate from 1982 to 1993 (1984)
- Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker , physicist, philosopher and peace researcher (1973)
- Dieter Wellershoff , Admiral (1993)
- Heinrich Welsch , politician
- Friedrich Wetter , Cardinal and Archbishop of Munich and Freising, Chairman of the Bavarian Bishops' Conference (1993)
- Bernhard Worms , politician (CDU), former State Secretary D. (1995)
- Klaus Wowereit , politician (2011)
Z
- Konrad Zuse , civil engineer and entrepreneur, designer of the first freely programmable computer (1995)
Great Cross of Merit with a star
A.
- Claudio Abbado , Italian conductor (2002)
- Horst Abt , entrepreneur (1994)
- Eduard Adorno , politician (CDU) (1980)
- Kurt Aland , theologian (1983)
- Horst Albach , economist (2001)
- Hans Albrecht , forester and politician (FDP) (1989)
- Wilhelm Albrecht , medical officer (1967)
- Hans Arp , Franco-German painter, sculptor and poet (1966)
B.
- Max Bach , publisher
- Wilhelm Backhaus , pianist (1969)
- Paul B. Baltes , gerontologist (2001)
- Władysław Bartoszewski , Polish politician, historian and publicist (1997)
- Walther Bauersfeld , engineer and physicist, designer of the first planetarium (1953)
- Pina Bausch , dancer and choreographer (1997)
- Bagnou Beido , Nigerien Officer and Politician (1983)
- Rudolf Belling , sculptor (1972)
- Shalom Ben-Chorin , journalist and writer (1993)
- Theodor Berchem , linguist and President of the German Academic Exchange Service (2007)
- Ludwig Berger , director (1966)
- Karl Bernard , Chairman of the Central Bank Council of the Bank of German States (1955)
- Heinz Bethge , physicist, President of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina (1992)
- Josef Beyerle , politician (1951)
- Marianne Birthler , politician (Bündnis 90 / Die Grünen), Federal Commissioner for the Records of the State Security Service of the GDR (2011)
- Leo Blech , composer and conductor (1956)
- Karlheinz Böhm , Austrian actor (2001)
- Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Borgward , entrepreneur (1960)
- Gerhard Brandt , President of the Evangelical Church in the Rhineland (1989)
- Wernher von Braun , rocket engineer, pioneer of rocket weapons and space travel (1970)
- Egidius Braun , football official (1997)
- Otto Braun , entrepreneur and politician (1974)
- Horst Bredekamp , art historian and university professor (2015)
- Hans Bredow , radio frequency engineer and radio pioneer (1954)
- Otto Bredt , auditor (1968)
- Walter Bruch , electrical engineer (1968)
- Rainer Brüderle , politician (FDP) (2013)
- Friedrich Brünner , politician (CDU)
- Vicco von Bülow (Loriot) , humorist (1999)
- Aenne Burda , publisher (1974)
- Hubert Burda , publisher (2008)
- Walter Burkert , Classical Philologist (2008)
- Theodor Busse , General (1966)
- Peter von Butler , General
C.
- August Claas , entrepreneur (1962)
- Ludwig Curtius , archaeologist (1952)
D.
- Eberhard Daerr , Inspector of the Medical and Health Services of the Bundeswehr (1972)
- Carl Dahlhaus , musicologist and university lecturer (1985)
- Hanns Dahn , lawyer (1968)
- Lorraine Daston , economic historian and university lecturer (2010)
- Johannes Joachim Degenhardt , Archbishop of Paderborn (1993)
- Heinz-Horst Deichmann , entrepreneur (2006)
- Günter Diehl , diplomat (1975)
- Hermann Dietrich , politician (DDP) (1952)
- Fritz Dietz , businessman (1968)
- Lothar Domröse , Lieutenant General (1981)
- Claude Dornier , aircraft designer and entrepreneur (1964)
- Herbert Dröse , Lord Mayor (1978)
- Luis Durnwalder , Italian politician (SVP) (2000)
E.
- Gerhard Erdmann , General Manager of the BDA (1967)
- Gerhard Ertl , physicist and surface chemist (2008)
- Josef van Ess , Islamic scholar (2010)
- Heinrich Ewers , judge at the Roman Rota (1983)
F.
- Georg Fahrbach , Chairman of the Swabian Alb Association (1973)
- Walther Florian , economist and State Secretary (1987)
- Wolfgang Fortner , composer (1977)
- Göke Frerichs , politician (CDU), President of the European Economic and Social Committee
- Joseph Freundorfer , Bishop of Augsburg (1960)
- Ingeborg Friebe , politician (2011)
- Wolfgang Frühwald , literary historian (2005)
- Horst Fuhrmann , historian (1986)
- Wilhelm Furtwängler , conductor and composer (1952)
G
- Lothar Gall , historian, President of the Historical Commission at the Bavarian Academy of Sciences (1998)
- Carlos Galvão de Melo , Portuguese officer (1989)
- John R. Galvin , American general
- Joachim Gauck , civil rights activist, Federal Commissioner for the Stasi files (2000)
- Walter Gehring , Swiss molecular and developmental biologist (2010)
- Georg Geiger , trade unionist, haulage contractor, politician and association official (1969)
- Ingeborg Geisendörfer , politician (CSU) (1987)
- Wolfgang von Geldern , politician (CDU), parliamentary state secretary and lawyer (2000)
- Heinrich Gerlach , Admiral (1966)
- Walther Gerlach , physicist, co-discoverer of the Stern-Gerlach effect (1970)
- Johannes Gerster , politician (CDU) (1999)
- Leonhard Gleske , economist (1986)
- Heinrich Gottron , dermatologist and university professor (1966)
- Alois Glück , politician (2008)
- Adolf Grimme , educator and cultural politician (1954)
- Durs Grünbein , poet, essayist and translator (2009)
- Peter Grünberg , physicist (2008)
- Hubertus Grunhofer , Inspector of the Medical and Health Services of the Bundeswehr (1982)
- Romano Guardini , theologian and religious philosopher (1965)
H
- Richard Hammer , medic and politician (FDP) (1956)
- Walter Hailer , administrative lawyer
- Karl Ritter von Halt , sports official (1956)
- Carter F. Ham , American General (2012)
- Theodor W. Hänsch , physicist (2006)
- Hans Hansen , President of the German Sports Confederation (1993)
- Hans CW Hartmuth , entrepreneur (1972)
- Harald zur Hausen , physician (2009)
- Günter Heidecke , lawyer and administrative officer (1985)
- Fritz Heine , politician (SPD), publisher (1990)
- Rudolf Hell , inventor (1980)
- Herbert Helmrich , lawyer and politician (CDU) (2013)
- Walter Henkels , journalist (1984)
- Susanne Hermans , social worker and politician (1981)
- Hans Heyne , Manager (1964)
- Friedrich Hirzebruch , mathematician (1993)
- Anton Hockelmann , trade functionary (1969)
- Hilmar Hoffmann , cultural politician, President of the Goethe Institute (1990)
- Herbert van Hüllen , Lord Mayor of Krefeld and Chairman of the employers' association Gesamtmetall (1975)
- Georg Hüssler , President of the German Caritas Association (1989)
I.
- Erich Iltgen , politician (CDU) (2009)
J
- Rudolf Jaenisch , molecular biologist (2010)
- Eberhard Jüngel , Protestant theologian
K
- Hans Katzer , politician (CDU), Federal Minister of Labor (1969)
- Eugen Keidel , Lord Mayor of Freiburg / Breisgau
- Walter Kempowski , writer (2006)
- Jochen Kirchhoff , entrepreneur and employer functionary (2008)
- Theodor Klauser , Catholic theologian, science organizer (1974)
- Carlos Kleiber , conductor (1980)
- Albert Klein , Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church AB in Transylvania / Romania (1988)
- Hans Kleinschmidt , pediatrician (1967)
- Charlotte Knobloch , President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany (2010)
- Carl Knott , engineer, director of the Siemens Schuckert works
- Hannelore Kohl , wife of Federal Chancellor Helmut Kohl (1999)
- Claus Köhler , economist (1990)
- Bernhard Kötting , Catholic theologian, science officer (1984)
- Otto Konz , hydraulic engineer (1958)
- Herbert Kraus , lawyer (1964)
- Alfred Krause , Federal Chairman of the German Association of Civil Servants (1987)
- Heinrich Kron , Protestant theologian, Church President (1988)
- Helmut R. Külz , lawyer, judge and university lecturer (1968)
- Anton Kurz , administrative officer (1976)
L.
- Gerhard Lapp , Ministerial Director in the Federal Post Office
- Georg Leber , politician (1969)
- Gertrud von Le Fort , writer (1966)
- Berthold Leibinger , inventor, entrepreneur and patron (2007)
- Herbert Lewin , Chairman of the Central Council of Jews
- Richard Löwenthal , political scientist and journalist (1983)
- Irene Ludwig , art patron (1998)
M.
- Claudio Magris , Italian cultural journalist (2015)
- Yuri Manin , university professor (2008)
- Max Mannheimer , author and painter (2012)
- Kurt Mantel , forest scientist (1975)
- Helmut Maucher , Manager (1997)
- Josef Clemens Maurer , Catholic theologian and Archbishop of Bolivia (1955)
- Boris Meissner , German-Baltic jurist (1996)
- Heinrich G. Merkel , newspaper and book publisher (1980)
- Alex Meyer , lawyer (1969)
- Lilo Milchsack , founder of the Society for Cultural Exchange with England (1985)
- Philipp Möhring , lawyer (1970)
- Klaus Peter Möller , politician (CDU) (2003)
- Herta Müller , writer (2010)
- Armin Mueller-Stahl , actor (2008)
- Karl Münchinger , conductor (1970)
- Klaus Murmann , entrepreneur and employer functionary (1992)
N
- Heinz Nehrling , economist and politician (SPD)
- Kurt Neuwald , Jewish functionary (1999)
- Maria Niggemeyer , politician (CDU) (1956)
- Alfons Nossol , Archbishop, Roman Catholic theologian and Bishop of Opole (2009)
- Robert Nünlist , Commander of the Pontifical Swiss Guard (1969)
- Wilhelm Nieswandt , politician (SPD) (1966)
O
- Johannes Oppenheimer , Vice President of the Federal Administrative Court
- Michael Otto , entrepreneur (2006)
P
- David Petraeus , American general and director of the CIA secret service (2012)
- Filippos Petsalnikos , Greek politician (2009)
- Robert Pferdmenges , banker and politician (1954)
- Reinfried Pohl , CEO of Deutsche Vermögensberatung (2007)
- Hippolyt Poschinger von Frauenau , entrepreneur, forest manager and politician (1973)
- Albert Pürsten , politician (CDU) (1980)
R.
- Paul Raabe , librarian (1997)
- Günther Rall , Bundeswehr General (1973)
- Kurt Rebmann , Attorney General (1984)
- Marcel Reich-Ranicki , publicist and literary critic (2003)
- Wilhelm Reissmüller , publisher, editor of Donaukurier (1987)
- Aribert Reimann , composer (1995)
- Hans Reschke , Lord Mayor of Mannheim (1972)
- Hermann Reusch , industrialist (1956)
- Horst Ludwig Riemer , politician (FDP)
- Fritz Ries , industrialist (1972)
- Helmuth Rilling , church musician and conductor (2014)
- Burkhard Ritz , politician (CDU) (1984)
S.
- Franz Sackmann , politician (CSU) (1978)
- Günther Saßmannshausen , geologist and manager
- Walter Erich Schäfer , dramaturge and theater director (1971)
- Alois Schlögl , agricultural functionary and politician
- Peter Schmidhuber , politician (CSU), EU commissioner (1986)
- Gerhard Schorsch , neurologist and psychiatrist (1967)
- Hanns Christian Schroeder-Hohenwarth , banker (1994)
- Louise Schroeder , politician (1952)
- Bruno H. Schubert , patron (1990)
- Karl Schubert , administrative lawyer (1969)
- Emil Schumacher , painter (1983)
- Klaus Schwab , economist (2012)
- Rolf Schwarz-Schütte , entrepreneur and patron (2011)
- Hans Schweitzer , politician (1987)
- Ernst Schröder , garden architect and politician (DVP, FDP) (1959)
- Richard Schröder , theologian and politician (2015)
- Josef Seifried , politician (SPD), Minister of the Interior of Bavaria (1956)
- Rudolf Seiters , politician (CDU), Federal Minister of the Interior (1995)
- Heinz Sielmann , behavioral scientist, animal filmmaker and publicist (1997)
- Hermann Otto Solms , politician (FDP) (1998)
- László Sólyom , constitutional lawyer, President of Hungary (1998)
- Julius Speer , forest scientist and science organizer (1973)
- Werner Spies , art historian (2009)
- Steven Spielberg , film director and founder of the Shoah Foundation (1998)
- Hermann Josef Spital , Bishop of Trier (2003)
- Eduard Spranger , philosopher, educator and psychologist (1952)
- Friede Springer , publisher (2008)
- Wilhelm Steinlein , administrative lawyer and politician (CDU) (1958)
- Ernst C. Stiefel , German-American lawyer (1995)
- Hans Peter Stihl , entrepreneur (2002)
- Michael Stolleis , lawyer and university professor (2015)
- Carl Strehl , co-founder and director of the German Institute for the Blind (1966)
- Robert Strobel , journalist and legal scholar (1988)
- Peter Struck , politician (2010)
- Thomas Südhof , biochemist (2016)
- Fritz Sureth , politician (1965)
- Hubert Schmitt-Degenhardt , administrative lawyer (1978)
T
- Heidi Tagliavini , Swiss diplomat (2015)
- Max Tau , humanist, editor and writer (1967)
- Gerd Tellenbach , historian (1968)
- Klaus Tellenbach , lawyer (1967)
- Fritz Terhalle , finance scientist (1959)
- Paul Tillich , German-American theologian (1961)
- Rudolf Titzck , politician (1979)
- William H. Tunner , American general, organizer of the Berlin Airlift (1982)
U
- Otto Uechtritz , Lieutenant General of the Bundeswehr (1969)
- Günther Uecker , artist (2001)
- Andreas Urschlechter , Lord Mayor of Nuremberg
V
- Max Vasmer , Slavist (1958)
- Wilhelm Vorndran , politician (CSU)
W.
- Karl Willy Wagner , communications engineer (1953)
- Wolfgang Wagner , opera director (2005)
- Helmut Walcha , organist (1987)
- Wilhelm Ernst Wenders , film director (2006)
- Hermann Wenzel , industrialist (1952)
- Kurt Werner , entrepreneur (1990)
- Rudolf Wild , entrepreneur (1989)
- Hans Wimmer , sculptor (1967)
- Thomas Wimmer , Mayor of Munich (1959)
- Ernst-Ludwig Winnacker , biochemist and research manager (2010)
- Richard Winkels , politician and sports official (1983)
- Hans Günter Winkler , show jumper (2008)
- Wilhelm Winterstein , banker and patron (2004)
- Zhongbi Wu , Chinese pathologist (2002)
Z
- Anton Zeilinger , physicist (2009)
- John van Nes Ziegler , Mayor of Cologne (1991)
- Robert Zollitsch , Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Freiburg and Chairman of the German Bishops' Conference (2014)
- Carl Zuckmayer , poet (1955)
Great Cross of Merit
A.
- Nermin Abadan-Unat , scientist (1979)
- Theodor Acker , railway worker (1964)
- August Adenauer , lawyer (1952)
- Mario Adorf , actor (2001)
- Adolf Ahrens , entrepreneur and politician (1969)
- Hans Albers , actor (1960)
- Hermann Aldinger , General (1966)
- Gerhardt Alleweldt , viticulture expert (1995)
- Axel von Ambesser , author, director, actor (1985)
- Armgard von Alvensleben , Abbess and General Manager of the Evangelical German Railway Mission (1959)
- Alois Ammerschläger , entrepreneur (1990)
- Stefan Andres , writer (1958)
- Matthias Andresen , politician (CDU) (1968)
- Thomas Andresen , politician (CDU) (1968)
- Otto Appel , Phytomedicist (1952)
- Carl-Christian Arfsten , politician (CDU) (1957)
- Gottfried Arnold , politician (CDU) (2008)
- Albrecht Aschoff , politician (FDP) (1971)
- Rudolf Augstein , publisher (1997)
B.
- Egon Bahr , politician (SPD) (1973)
- Arnulf Baring , publicist (2011)
- Heinrich Bartmann , architect and university professor (1965)
- Friedrich von Bassermann-Jordan , viticulture historian (1952)
- Walter Albert Bauer , entrepreneur (1961)
- Reinhold Michael Baumstark , art historian and museum director (2011)
- Augustin Cardinal Bea , Curia Cardinal (1954)
- Hans-Georg Beck , Byzantinist and theologian (1981)
- Franz Beckenbauer , soccer player and sports official (2006)
- Margarita von Boch , founder of Kinderhilfe e. V. Saar (2016)
- Erich Becker , civil engineer and manager (1980)
- Karl Eugen Becker , engineer (1998)
- Otto Beisheim , businessman and entrepreneur (1994)
- Else Beitz , educationalist (2012)
- Richard Benz , Germanist and writer (1959)
- Herbert Berg , chemist (1968)
- Heiner Berger , City Director of Aachen (1996)
- Eduard Bergmann , entrepreneur and honorary consul (1966)
- Karl Bergmann , politician (SPD) (1968)
- Heinrich Berndl , politician (1957)
- Fritz Beske , health politician (2012)
- Hans Beutz , politician (1972)
- Richard Bieling , physician and university professor (1958)
- Wolf Biermann , songwriter and poet (2007)
- Stephan Billinger , politician (Bavarian Party) (1957)
- Hermann Bitter , politician (1969)
- Peter Heinrich von Blanckenhagen , German-American archaeologist and art historian (1981)
- Sepp Blatter , Swiss football official (2006)
- Herbert Blomstedt , conductor (2003)
- Hans Erhard Bock , physician and university professor (1973)
- Peter Boenisch , journalist (2003)
- Philipp Freiherr von Boeselager , resistance fighter, forest association official (1989)
- Rolf Böhme , Lord Mayor of Freiburg im Breisgau (2005)
- Rudolf Bohnstedt , dermatologist (1968)
- Curt Bois , actor (1991)
- Helmut Bonheim English studies and university professor
- Gustav Borgner , member of the consumer cooperative (1954)
- Kurt Boysen , politician and lawyer (2005)
- Rolf Boysen , actor (2009)
- Alexander von Branca , architect and home curator (1999)
- Bruno O. Braun , engineer and manager (2015)
- Leo Brawand , journalist (1988)
- Hellmut Bredereck , chemist and university professor, reformer and founder (1969)
- Theo Breider , writer (1981)
- Andrea Breth , theater director (2015)
- Julius Bretz , painter (1953)
- Joseph Breuer , politician (1951)
- Herbert Britz , medical officer, politician
- Christoph Broelsch , physician (2004)
- Elmar Brok , politician (2009)
- Dietrich Bruckmann , entrepreneur (1955)
- Martin Brüns , politician (1966)
- Margarete Buber-Neumann , publicist (1980)
- Ignatz Bubis , Chairman of the Central Council of Jews in Germany (1996)
- Emil Bücherl , cardiac surgeon (1984)
- Carl-Ernst Büchting , agricultural scientist and entrepreneur (1991)
- Dorothea Buck , author, sculptor and activist of the movement for those with experience in psychiatry (2008)
- Wilhelm Bühler , politician and district administrator (1989)
- Hans-Jörg Bullinger , ergonomist (2006)
- Hubert Burda , art historian and publisher (2002)
- Alfred Burgemeister , politician (1968)
C.
- Raban Freiherr von Canstein , Brigadier General (1966)
- Jose Carreras , opera singer (2004)
- Karl Christoffel , politician (CDU) (1959)
- August Claas , entrepreneur (1957)
- Josef Clemens , Titular Bishop, Secretary of the Pontifical Lay Council (2007)
- Hedwig Conrad-Martius , philosopher (1958)
- Albert Coppenrath , Catholic pastor
- Fritz Corterier , politician (SPD) (1968)
- Johann Cramer , politician (SPD) (1968)
- Alfred Colsman , engineer and manager (1953)
D.
- Heinz Dabelow , politician (1998)
- Heinz Dähnhardt , journalist (1968)
- Gustav Dahrendorf , consumer cooperative and SPD politician (1954)
- Werner Danz , politician (FDP) (1982)
- Carola Dauber , politician (SPD) (1969)
- Karl Otto Dehnert , politician in Wuppertal (1984)
- Heinz-Horst Deichmann , entrepreneur (2000)
- Peter Demetz , literary scholar (1984)
- Johann Josef Demmel , Bishop of the Old Catholic Church (1955)
- Reinhard Demoll , German zoologist (1954)
- Harro Dicks , opera director (1992)
- Erika Dienstl , sports official (1996)
- Carsten Diercks , TV journalist and technician (1985)
- Karl Diller , politician (1987)
- Stefan Dittrich , politician (CSU) (1968)
- Otto Dix , artist (1959)
- Carl Djerassi , chemist and writer (2003)
- Otto Dockhorn , politician (1985)
- Peter Dörfler , priest, children's home director and writer (1953)
- Willi Döring , politician (CDU)
- Günter Dörner , endocrinologist and sexologist (2002)
- Hansjürgen Doss , architect (2007)
- Hans Heinrich Driftmann , Entrepreneur (2013)
- Joachim Dudeck , medical IT specialist (2004)
- Hans-Peter Dürr , atomic physicist, winner of the Alternative Nobel Prize (2004)
E.
- Fritz Eichbauer , building contractor (1993)
- Otto K. Eitel , hotel manager of German descent in Chicago (1953)
- Norbert Elias , German-Jewish sociologist, philosopher and poet (1986)
- José Luis Encarnação , computer scientist (2006)
- Engelbert Engel , Catholic priest (1960)
- Wolf von Engelhardt , geologist and mineralogist (1985)
- Heinz Erhardt , entertainer and comedian (1979)
- Gerhard Ertl , physicist, Nobel laureate in chemistry (1992)
F.
- Georg Fahrbach , Chairman of the Swabian Alb Association (1959)
- Joseph Fassbender , painter and graphic artist (1964)
- Giora Feidman , clarinetist (2001)
- Ludwig E. Feinendegen , radiation medicine specialist (1994)
- Joseph Ferche , Auxiliary Bishop of Breslau and Cologne (1958)
- Benjamin Ferencz , Chief Prosecutor of the Nuremberg Trials (2010)
- Norbert Fischer , lawyer and bank manager (1993)
- Günther Fielmann , entrepreneur (2016)
- Eugen Flegler , electrical engineer and university lecturer (1977)
- August Flender , economist (1968)
- Noah Flug , President International Auschwitz Committee (2006)
- Elisabeth Flickenschildt , actress (1975)
- Friedrich Förster , physicist (1976)
- Albert H. Friedlander , Rabbi (1993)
- Johannes Frömming , trotting athlete (1972)
- Franklin Clark Fry , theologian (1953)
- Wilhelm Fucks , physicist (1985)
G
- Lothar Gaa , President of the State Parliament of Baden-Württemberg (1981)
- Hans Wilhelm Gäb , communications consultant, honorary president of the German Table Tennis Association (2006)
- Georg Gaßmann , Lord Mayor of Marburg (1972)
- Gerhard Gaul , National Socialist judge, politician (1972)
- Karl Geiler , politician and university professor (1952)
- Ingeborg Geisendörfer , politician (CSU) (1968)
- Wolfgang von Geldern , politician (CDU), parliamentary state secretary and lawyer (1990)
- Manfred Gentz , Industry Manager (2002)
- Arthur Georgi , bookseller and co-owner of Paul Parey Verlag (1957)
- Rudolf Georgi , bookseller and co-owner of Paul Parey Verlag (1954)
- Ernst Geprägs , farmer, association official and politician (CDU) (1997)
- Rudolf-Christoph Freiherr von Gersdorff , Major General, Founding President of Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe (1979)
- Alexander Gerst , astronaut (2019)
- Ralph Giordano , author (2009)
- Helmuth von Glasenapp , Indologist and religious scholar, university lecturer (1961)
- Michael Glos , politician (1996)
- Ernst O. Göbel , physicist (2010)
- Reinhard Goerdeler , lawyer and auditor (1994)
- Rose Götte , politician (1987)
- Franz Grave , auxiliary bishop emeritus in Essen (2010)
- Hannelore Greve , entrepreneur (2008)
- Claus Grimm , Vice President of the Federal Fiscal Court (1990)
- Will Grohmann , art historian (1960)
- Siegfried Großmann , physicist, co-founder of chaos theory (1996)
- Wilhelm Groth , chemist, physical chemi (1970)
- Bernhard Grzimek , zoologist and animal filmmaker (1969)
- Erich Gutenberg , economist (1968)
H
- Joseph Haas , composer (1952)
- Karl-Otto Habermehl , doctor and virologist (1996)
- Otto von Habsburg , German-Austrian politician (1987)
- Klaus Hackert , skilled crafts official and local politician (2005)
- Werner Hagedorn , trade unionist (1995)
- Max Hagemann , President of the Federal Criminal Police Office (1952)
- Karl Hahn , politician (CDU) (1968)
- Werner Hahn , politician (CDU) (1982)
- Oron J. Hale , American historian (1969)
- Julius Hallervorden , brain researcher (1956)
- Gail Halvorsen , American Air Force pilot during the Berlin Airlift (1974)
- Heinrich Hamacher , politician (SPD) (1965)
- Oscar Hanke , District Administrator (1970)
- Hans Carl Graf von Hardenberg , diplomat (1969)
- Franz Hartnagel , politician (CDU) and district administrator (1985)
- Otto Eduard Hasse , actor, director and voice actor (1974)
- Friedrich Haux , manufacturer and politician (1952)
- Gustav Haydn , tailor, association official and politician (1966)
- Hermann Hecht , shipping entrepreneur (1956)
- Erich Heckel , painter (1956)
- Johannes Freiherr Heereman , lawyer and Maltese (2008)
- Hans Hege , farmer (1960)
- Lothar Heffter , mathematician (1957)
- Gerhard Heilfurth , folklorist (1959)
- Walter Heinemeyer , historian (1983)
- Herbert Helmrich , lawyer and politician (CDU) (1996)
- Gotthilf Hempel , marine biologist (1993)
- Wilhelm Henke , theologian (1958)
- Werner Hennig , lawyer and judge (1968)
- Dieter Henrich , lawyer (2003)
- Dietrich Henschler , toxicologist (1975)
- Hans Werner Henze , composer (2008)
- Josef Herberger , football coach (1967)
- Reinhard Herbig , classical archaeologist (1958)
- Heinrich Hermelink , church historian (1953)
- Hans Hertlein , architect (1957)
- Karl Maria Hettlage , lawyer and finance scientist, politician, organizer of the so-called Berlin renting of Jews (1967)
- Werner Heuser , painter (1955)
- Regine Hildebrandt , politician (SPD) (2001)
- Hermann Hoepke , doctor (1959)
- Karl Hofer , painter (1953)
- Werner Höfer , journalist (1973)
- Hans Hoffmann , Mayor of Neckarsulm and Lord Mayor of Heilbronn (SPD) (1983)
- Hilmar Hoffmann , Head of Cultural Affairs (1990)
- Antonius Hofmann , 82nd Bishop of Passau (1979)
- Otto Höhne , sports official (2001)
- Thomas Holtzmann , actor (2009)
- Hermann Honnef , civil engineer, inventor, wind power pioneer (1952)
- Dietmar Hopp , entrepreneur (2010)
- Karl Hoppe , Germanist and university lecturer (1968)
- Karl Horn , Lord Mayor of Bad Homburg (CDU) (1958)
- Diether Hummel , President of the Association of German Sektkellereien, Honorary President of the Wiesbaden Chamber of Commerce and Industry (1969)
- Friedrich Hund , physicist (1965)
- Hanns Dieter Hüsch , cabaret artist (1998)
I.
- Joseph Illerhaus , politician (CDU) and association official
- Leo Imhoff , restaurateur and association official (1987)
- Roland Issen , politician (SPD) and trade unionist (1994)
- Otmar Issing , Economist, Member of the Board of Directors of the European Central Bank (2006)
J
- Walter Jacob , President of the Abraham Geiger College at the University of Potsdam (1998)
- Werner Jacobi , politician (1968)
- Alfred Jahn , pediatric surgeon (2009)
- Johann Janßen , Lord Mayor of Wilhelmshaven (1970)
- Hans-Heinrich Jescheck , lawyer (1984)
- Hanns Jess , detective and intelligence service (1955)
- Lennart Johansson , sports official (2005)
- Paul Jostock , President of the State Statistical Office of Baden-Württemberg (1962)
- Peter Junge , Manager (1999)
- Gottfried Jungmichel , politician (1972)
- Erwin Jürgens , politician (CDU) (1967)
K
- Georg Kalkbrenner , politician (1954)
- Hugo Karpf , politician (1965)
- Margot Käßmann , State Bishop (2008)
- Rudolf Kassel , classical philologist (2003)
- Walter Kempowski , writer (1996)
- Gerhard Kessler , economist and social scientist (1953)
- Gottfried Kiesow , Chairman of the Board of the German Foundation for Monument Protection (2000)
- Hans Kindermann , sculptor and university rector (1978)
- Theodor Klauser , Catholic theologian, science organizer (1954)
- Josef Kleffner , politician (CDU) (1963)
- Herbert Kleinherne , mining engineer
- Hans Kleinschmidt , pediatrician (1955)
- Helmut Klotz , opera singer and choir director (2005)
- Alexander Kluge , author and filmmaker (2007)
- Wolfgang Klüpfel , Sparkasse Manager (1984)
- Nikolaus Knauf , Honorary Consul, Managing Partner (2007)
- Arnold Knoblauch , architect (1953)
- Charlotte Knobloch , President of the Israelite Religious Community (2008)
- Karl-Heinz Koch , politician (1989)
- Willi Koch , politician (1965)
- Wilhelm Köhler , entrepreneur
- Teddy Kollek , Israeli politician (1998)
- Willy Könen , politician (SPD) (1968)
- Otto Konz , hydraulic engineer (1951)
- Bernhard Kötting , Catholic theologian, science officer (1980)
- Viktor de Kowa , theater and film actor, chanson singer, director, storyteller and comedy poet (1972)
- Herbert Kraus , legal scholar (1957)
- Albert Krebs , judicial officer (1965)
- Ernst Kretschmer , psychiatrist (1958)
- Anastassios Kriekoukis , diplomat
- Herbert Krimm , theologian (1976)
- Hardy Krüger , film actor and writer (2009)
- Horst Krüger , General (1973)
- Friedrich Kühn , politician (CDU) (1968)
- Elsie Kühn-Leitz , lawyer and patron (1984)
- Walter Künneth , Lutheran theologian (1966)
- Hans-Georg Kuhn , trade unionist (1994)
- Reiner Kunze , writer (1993)
- Georg Kurlbaum , politician (SPD) (1968)
- Karl Kurz , entrepreneur (1967)
L.
- Friedrich Lademann , tram engineer (1955)
- Manfred Lahnstein , politician (2007)
- Wolfram Langer , economist (1969)
- Ilse Langner , writer (1981)
- Ronald Lauder , American entrepreneur, President of the World Jewish Congress (2015)
- Ernst Lechner , politician and "father" of the Franconian Lake District
- Karl Cardinal Lehmann , Bishop of Mainz, Chairman of the German Bishops' Conference (1988)
- Klaus-Dieter Lehmann , President of the Goethe Institute (2011)
- Berthold Leibinger , inventor, entrepreneur and patron (2007)
- Lotte Lemke , welfare worker and chairwoman of the workers' welfare organization (1963)
- Karl Heinz Lemmrich , engineer and politician (CSU) (1983)
- Hans Lenk , philosopher and rower (2005)
- Felix Lesser , judge (1957)
- Karl Magnus Graf Leutrum von Ertingen , farmer and politician (2008)
- Hans Liebherr , master bricklayer, inventor, company founder (1986)
- Gotthilf Link , farmer and politician (1988)
- Hanns-Gero von Lindeiner , forester, hunter, diplomat and politician
- Fritz Lindner , biochemist (1967)
- Maria Lipp , chemist (1962)
- Wilfried Lochte , engineer (2006)
- Steffen Lorenz , manager and IHK chairman (1992)
- Gerhard Löwenstein , doctor (1980)
- Heinrich Lübke , politician (1957)
- Marie-Elisabeth Lüders , politician (1952)
- Irene Ludwig , patroness (1992)
- Karl-Heinz Ludwig , lawyer (1987)
- Werner Ludwig , Lord Mayor of Ludwigshafen (1990)
- Otto Lummitzsch , founder of the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (1955)
- Arno Lustiger , historian (2009)
M.
- Georg Mack , politician (CSU) (1965)
- Albrecht Magen , politician (2004)
- Franz Magnis-Suseno , theologian (2001)
- Karl Maier , judge (1977)
- Karl Mailänder , Welfare Officer (1960)
- Ernst Majonica , politician (CDU) (1968)
- Walter Mallmann , politician (CDU) (2014)
- Siegfried Mampel , lawyer (1983)
- Kurt Mantel , forest scientist (1970)
- Konrad Manthey , Major General (1988)
- Andrei Marga , Romanian politician (2003)
- Eugen Theodor Martin , entrepreneur and founder (2007)
- Siegfried Maruhn , journalist (1975)
- Siegfried Matthus , composer (2015)
- Alexander Matting , engineer and university professor (1968)
- Kurt Mattick , politician (SPD) (1968)
- Helmut Maucher , Manager (1988)
- Agnes Katharina Maxsein , politician (CDU) (1968)
- Otto Meitinger , architect and university professor
- Heinrich G. Merkel , newspaper and book publisher (1964)
- Volker ter Meulen , physician (2008)
- Reinhard Metz , Mayor of Bremen (1999)
- Hans Joachim Meyer , politician (2005)
- Hugo Meyer-Delius , pediatrician (1962)
- Herta Meyer-Riekenberg , trade unionist (1971)
- Klaus Miehlke , internist (1999)
- Robert Minder , French literary scholar (1962)
- Ludger Mintrop , geophysicist (1955)
- Willy Minz , economist (1967)
- Ladislao Mittner , Italian Germanist (1957)
- Liz Mohn , publisher (2010)
- Heinz Mohnen , lawyer and city director of Cologne
- Robert Mohrhoff , Head of the Lower Saxony State Chancellery
- Wolfgang A. Mommsen , historian, President of the Federal Archives Koblenz (1972)
- Hans-Jürgen Moog , local politician (2003)
- Eberhard Müller , Pastor and Managing Director of the Evangelical Academy Bad Boll (1971)
- Friedrich Müller , politician (SPD) (1976)
- Heinrich Müller , politician (SPD)
- Nikolaus Müller , Lord Mayor of the City of Augsburg (1956)
- Werner Müller , politician (2010)
- Maximilian Müller-Jabusch , journalist and writer (1954)
- Karl Münchinger , conductor (1955)
N
- Estrongo Nachama , Chief Cantor of the Jewish Community in Berlin (1995)
- Max Näder , entrepreneur (1970)
- Hartmut Nassauer , politician (2006)
- John Neumeier , choreographer (2011)
- Hedwig Neven DuMont , publisher's wife (2006)
- Ernst Niermann , Military Vicar General of the German Military Ordinary (1995)
- Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann , pollster (1976)
- Leo Nowak , Former Bishop of Magdeburg (2007)
- Friedrich Nowottny , journalist (1986)
- Heinz-Josef Nüchel , politician (2001)
- Robert Nünighoff , Director, President of the Wetzlar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (1968)
O
- Dieter Oberndörfer , political scientist and university lecturer (1994)
- Dietrich Oppenberg , publisher (1977)
- Oscar Orth , doctor (1957)
P
- Rüdiger von Pachelbel , diplomat
- Rudi-Karl Pahnke , theologian (2010)
- Pietro Parolin , Italian Archbishop and Vatican Diplomat (2009)
- Joseph Pascher , Catholic theologian and advisor to the Second Vatican Council
- Friedrich Pauwels , orthopedist and biomechanic (1962)
- Alfred Petersen , Bishop for the Schleswig District (1978)
- Filippos Petsalnikos , Greek politician (2009)
- Herbert Petzold , lawyer (2002)
- Nikolaus Pevsner , art historian (1967)
- Sigrid Peyerimhoff , chemist (2008)
- Kurt Pfeiffer , initiator of the Charlemagne Prize of the City of Aachen (1981)
- Rudolf Pichlmayr , transplant doctor (1995)
- Edmund Piszcz , Old Archbishop of Warmia (2004)
- Wilhelm Pitz , choirmaster and conductor (1967)
- Hippolyt Poschinger von Frauenau , entrepreneur, forest manager and politician (1968)
- Franz Pöggeler , pedagogue and university professor (1986)
- Max Pohlenz , classical philologist (1955)
- Paul-Günter Pötz , Ministerial Director (1988)
- Alfred Prang (1887–1967), Ministerial Officer (1957)
- Marek Prawda , Polish Ambassador (2012)
- Werner Premauer , bank manager (1972)
- Hermann Prey , baritone (1981)
- Marian Przykucki , Archbishop of Szczecin (2006)
- Hans Puvogel , politician (1973)
Q
- Fazu Qiu , Chinese surgeon (1985)
- Johanna Quandt , industrialist's wife (2009)
- Thomas Quasthoff , singer (bass-baritone) (2005)
R.
- Franz Radziwill , painter (1971)
- Elgar von Randow , diplomat (1968)
- Alfred Rauch , engineer and politician (1963)
- Dietrich Rauschning , lawyer and political scientist (2006)
- Georg Ress , university professor (2008)
- Eva Gabriele Reichmann , historian (1983)
- Hans Reinauer , physician (2004)
- Edgar Reitz , film director (2006)
- Stefie Restle , politician (1967)
- Franz Riemer , priest (1953)
- Fritz Rettig , trade unionist (1966)
- Gustav Rheinberger , entrepreneur (1954)
- Wilhelm Rieger , economist (1957)
- Fritz Ries , industrialist (1967)
- Ernst Theodor Rietschel , chemist (2010)
- Günter Rinsche , politician (CDU) (1999)
- Gerhard A. Ritter , historian (2008)
- Rudi Rohlmann , politician (1982)
- Wilhelm Rohwedder , politician (1964)
- Otto Rombach , writer and journalist (1964)
- Wilhelm Rombach , administrative lawyer (1952)
- Walter Rösch , lawyer (1969)
- Josef Rösing , politician (CDU) (1968)
- Eugen Roth , poet (1965)
- Georg Rückert , founder of the Collegium Augustinum (1974)
- Bruno Rühl , politician (1986)
- Josef Rudnick , entrepreneur and politician (1993)
- Heinz Rühmann , actor (1966)
- Reinhard Rürup , historian (2010)
- Jürgen Rüttgers , politician (CDU) (1997)
S.
- Jerzy Samiec , Polish theologian and bishop (2018)
- Horst von Sanden , mathematician and university professor (1957)
- Gerd Sandstede , chemist (2005)
- Fritz singer , journalist and politician (1969)
- Dieter Schäfer , historian (2002)
- Hans Schaefer , doctor (1975)
- Arthur Scharmann , physicist (1993)
- Fritz W. Scharpf , legal and political scientist (2004)
- Josef Schaub , newspaper publisher (1959)
- Wolfgang Schäuble , politician (CDU) (1991)
- Lothar Scheche , lawyer (1955)
- Harald Schering , physicist (1957)
- Otto Schily , lawyer, politician (2004)
- Annemarie Schimmel , Islamic scholar (1989)
- Nora Schimming-Chase , politician (1997)
- Otto Schlenzka , sports official (1984)
- Willy Schleunung , Bavarian Senator (1982)
- Anton Schlueter (Entrepreneur) (1987)
- Max Schmeling , boxer (1971)
- Heinrich Schmidhuber , MdL, President of the Bavarian Savings Banks and Giro Association (2007)
- Peter Schmidhuber , politician (CSU), EU commissioner (1982)
- August Schmid-Lindner , composer and university lecturer (1953)
- Albrecht Schmidt , lawyer and bank manager (2000)
- Gerhard Schmidt , founder (2007)
- Guido Schmidt , Judge at the Federal Court of Justice (1958)
- Konrad Schmidt-Torner , President of Bundesdruckerei (1972)
- Matthias Schmitt , national economist (1974)
- Karl Schmitt-Walter , opera and lieder singer (1960)
- Günter Schmölders , economist (1969)
- Karl Schnabel , politician (2005)
- Hans Karl Schneider , economist (1996)
- Paul Schneider-Esleben , architect (1987)
- Wolfgang Schneiderhan , General Inspector of the Bundeswehr (2009)
- Arno Scholz , publisher (1964)
- Franz Schramm , politician (1952)
- Franz Schriewer , librarian (1959)
- Ernst Schröder , garden architect and politician (DVP, FDP) (1953)
- Manfred Schubert (lawyer) , administrative lawyer (1968)
- Wolfgang Schulhoff , politician (CDU) (2007)
- Rudolf Schulten , nuclear technologist (1989)
- Erich Schulze , board member of GEMA (1978)
- Johannes Schulze , theologian, state superintendent (1968)
- Hubert Schulze-Pellengahr , politician, Member of the Bundestag (CDU) and District Administrator (1969)
- Georg Schumann , pianist, composer, conductor, first recipient of the Great Cross of Merit (1951)
- Annemarie Schuster , politician (CDU)
- Max Schwarz , politician (SPD), Member of the Lower Saxony parliament (1969)
- Fritz Schwerdtfeger , forest scientist and zoologist (1971)
- Wilhelm Graf Schwerin von Schwanenfeld , farmer and forest manager, President of Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe (1998)
- Richard Sedlmaier , art historian and university professor (1958)
- Uwe Seeler , soccer player (1970)
- Kurt Seelmann , entrepreneur (2008)
- Hinrich Seidel , President of the University of Hanover (1990)
- Ludwig Seiterich , District Administrator (1968)
- Elisabeth Selbert , politician and lawyer (1958)
- Christel Sembach-Krone , circus director (1999)
- Josef Siedler , politician (1975)
- Michael Siegel , lawyer (1971)
- Johann Sierks , trade unionist and politician (1980)
- Renée Sintenis , sculptor (1953)
- Kurt Wilhelm Söldner , social association functionary (1999)
- Siegfried Sorge , politician (SPD, FWG) and district administrator (1990)
- Ernst Speer , psychiatrist (1959)
- Karlheinz Spielmann , lawyer and public prosecutor (1979)
- Günter Spielmeyer , Richter (1991)
- Hermann Josef Spital , Bishop of Trier (1991)
- Adolf Spotka , politician (2007)
- Bernhard Sprengel , chocolate manufacturer (1959)
- Klaus Staeck , poster artist (2007)
- Hans-Georg Stemann , Bundeswehr Inspector (1971)
- David Stetter , politician (SPD) and union leader (1952)
- Günter Stock , Physiologist (2012)
- Martin Storz , farmer, administrative officer and politician (1966)
- Gustav Stratil-Sauer , Austrian geographer (1964)
- Georg Strickrodt , politician (1978)
- Hinrich Struve , Fire Brigade Association official (1994)
- Georg Sturmowski , politician (CDU) (1990)
- Michael Succow , biologist and agricultural scientist (2015)
- Herbert Sulzbach , cultural officer in the Featherstone officers' camp
- Ulf Sundberg , Swedish forest scientist (1974)
- Walther Sundermeyer , administrative lawyer (1965)
T
- Gustav Tauber , pharmacist (1968)
- Meinhard Tenné , German-Israeli representative of Judaism (2015)
- Jürgen Thee , politician (1968)
- Josef Thesing , politician (2008)
- Claus Thierschmann , Lieutenant General of the Bundeswehr
- Rudolf Titzck , politician (1976)
- Ernst Toch , composer (1958)
- Klaus Töpfer , politician (1990)
- Erich Topp , naval officer (1969)
- Heinrich Traublinger , President of the Chamber of Crafts for Munich and Upper Bavaria, MdL (2007)
- Thomas Treu , Chief Medical Officer of the Austrian Armed Forces (2009)
- Hellmut Trute , business lawyer
U
- Siegfried Unseld , publisher (1993)
- Peter Ustinov , actor (1998)
V
- Caterina Valente , singer and actress (1986)
- Bruno Valentin , orthopedist and university professor (1965)
- Josephus Joannes Maria van der Ven , Dutch lawyer (1976)
- Miloslav Vlk , Czech clergyman, Archbishop of Prague (1999)
- August Vochtel , engine driver (1953)
- Wolfgang Voelkner , engineer and university lecturer (2005)
- Günter Vogelsang , industry manager and business consultant (1989)
- Antje Vollmer , politician (2005)
- Martin Viessmann , entrepreneur (2017)
W.
- Bernhard Wachowsky , pastor (1966)
- Joseph Wagenbach , politician (CDU) (1963)
- Georg Wagner , geologist and university professor
- Ruth Wagner , politician (FDP) (2006)
- Valentin Wallauer , politician (FDP) (1962)
- Bernhard Walter , founder of the foundation for the reconstruction of the Dresden Frauenkirche (2007)
- Fritz Walter , soccer player (1970)
- Max Wartemann , politician (1971)
- Helene Weber , politician (center, CDU) (1956)
- Wilhelm Weber , Lord Mayor of Hanover (1954)
- Ulrich Wegener , Brigadier General in the Federal Border Guard (1977)
- Ernst Weisenfeld , journalist (2004)
- Richard von Weizsäcker , politician (1975)
- Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker , environmental scientist and politician (2009)
- Herbert Welling , physicist (2010)
- August Wenzel , football official (1982)
- Herbert Werner , politician (CDU) (2007)
- Hilde Westrick , medical doctor (1969)
- Heinrich Wiesen , OLG President Düsseldorf (1993)
- Martin Wiesend , Auxiliary Bishop of Bamberg (1987)
- Klaus Wilkens , economist and honorary president of the Deutsche Lebens-Rettungs-Gesellschaft e. V. (2003)
- Helmut Willmann , Lieutenant General (2001)
- Thomas Wimmer , Mayor of Munich from 1948 to 1960 (1955)
- Adolf Wingler , lawyer (1964)
- Cuno Winkler , nuclear medicine specialist
- Heinrich August Winkler , historian (2018)
- Richard Winkler , entrepreneur (1959)
- Ernst-Ludwig Winnacker , university professor, President of the German Research Foundation (2006)
- August Winnig , writer (1955)
- Friedrich Winter , politician (SPD) and district administrator (1964)
- Albrecht Woeste , entrepreneur and sports official (2001)
- Gabriele Wohmann , writer (1997)
- Heinz Heinrich Anton Wolf , politician (CDU)
- Notker Wolf , Benedictine Abbot (2007)
- Hanns Egon Wörlen , architect (2007)
- Hans-Georg Wormit , President of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation
- Franz Wosnitza , Catholic priest, committed to German-Polish reconciliation (1972)
- Zhongbi Wu , Chinese pathologist (1986)
- Heinrich Wullenhaupt , politician (CDU) (1968)
Y
- Yun I-sang , Korean-German composer (1988)
Z
- Peter Zadek , director (2002)
- Arthur Zitscher , chemist (1954)
- Manfred Zollner , entrepreneur (2010)
- Walter Zuber , politician (2005)
- Georg Zundel , physicist, entrepreneur and philanthropist engaged in peace politics (2003)
Merit Crosses
Cross of Merit 1st Class
A.
- Jürgen Abeler , art collector (1998)
- Hans Abich , film producer and radio journalist (1988)
- Hubert Abreß , State Secretary (2003)
- José Antonio Abreu , Venezuelan musician, economist and legal scholar (2005)
- Karl Heinz Abshagen , Germanist (1958)
- Ernst Achilles , fire department official (1990)
- Ann-Kristin Achleitner , economist and lawyer (2014)
- Lea Ackermann , religious sister (1996)
- Claus von Aderkas , Pastor (1984)
- Götz Adriani , art historian (2008)
- Willi Aengevelt , real estate agent (1988)
- Ernst-Günter Afting , biochemist (2004)
- Friedrich Wilhelm Ahnefeld , anesthetist (1999)
- Adolf Ahrens , entrepreneur and politician (1963)
- Ferry Ahrlé , artist (1985)
- Hans Albert , sociologist (2008)
- Alois Albrecht , Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Bamberg (2006)
- Dieter Albrecht , historian
- Robert Alexy , legal philosopher and constitutional law teacher (2010)
- Géza Alföldy , ancient historian (2002)
- Hans Günther van Allen , Mayor (2004)
- Gerhardt Alleweldt , viticulture expert (1982)
- Carl Allmann , District Administrator (1969)
- Jutta Allmendinger , sociologist (2013)
- Wolfgang Altendorf , writer (1981)
- Curt Altmann , entrepreneur (1953)
- Hanns Altmeier , artist (1971)
- Peter Altmeyer , dermatologist (1998)
- Josef Ambacher , association president
- Axel von Ambesser , author, director, actor (1975)
- Heinrich Ambrosius , politician (1959)
- Carl Amery , writer (1987)
- Gerd Andres , Member of the Bundestag and Parliamentary State Secretary (2007)
- Peter Aniol , politician (1992)
- Wolfgang Apel , animal rights activist (2005)
- Karl Appelmann , politician (SPD) (1978)
- Sigrid Arnade , veterinarian (2010)
- Fritz Arens , monument conservator (1977)
- Dietrich Arndt , physician (2007)
- Heinz Ludwig Arnold , publicist (2011)
- Hermann Arnold , manufacturer (1951)
- Dietmar Artzinger-Bolten , President of 1. FC Köln (2005)
- Jan Assmann , Egyptologist (2006)
- Wolfgang Assmann , politician (CDU) (2010)
- Seyran Ateş , women's rights activist (2014)
- Leonore Auerbach , politician (SPD) and teacher (1995)
- Dietrich Austermann , politician (2006)
- Monika Auweter-Kurtz , physicist and university lecturer (2006)
B.
- Kunigunde Bachl , politician (1993)
- Rudolf Bachmann , politician (1982)
- Berthold Bahnsen , politician (1971)
- Peter Bailly , politician (SPD) (1971)
- Nouhou Bako , Nigerien officer
- Hermann Balle , publisher (2013)
- Franz Ballhorn , resistance fighter
- Friedrich Bär , scientist (1973)
- Miguel Barnet , Cuban writer (2004)
- Werner Bartels , Industry Manager (1997)
- Barbara Bartos-Höppner , children's book author (1999)
- Friedrich L. Bauer , IT pioneer (1982)
- Josef Werner Bauer , District Administrator of the Neumarkt district in the Upper Palatinate
- Mary Bauermeister , visual artist and garden designer (2020)
- Rudolf Bayer , computer scientist (1999)
- Julius Baum , art historian (1952)
- Helmut Baumgarten , scientist (2003)
- Lothar Bäumler , entrepreneur (1988)
- Theodor Baums , lawyer (2007)
- Gilbert Bécaud , French chansonnier (1973)
- Hans Dieter Beck , publisher (1989)
- Franz Becker (politician, 1910) , politician (1976)
- Jurek Becker , writer (1992)
- Karl Becker , politician (SPD) (1972)
- Werner Beierwaltes , philosopher and university lecturer (1998)
- Konrad Beikircher , cabaret artist (2012)
- Elly Beinhorn , aviation pioneer (1991)
- Esther Bejarano , Chair of the International Auschwitz Committee (2008)
- Friedrich Bender , geologist (1984)
- Hans Benirschke , journalist (1991)
- Jack O. Bennett , Airlift Pilot (1964)
- Alain Bensoussan , French mathematician (2003)
- Iris Berben , actress (1998)
- Dietrich Berg , doctor
- Senta Berger , actress (1999)
- Christine Bergmann , politician (2011)
- Burckhard Bergmann , Manager (2008)
- Karl-Friedrich Beringer , conductor (1986)
- Horst Egon Berkowitz , lawyer (1961)
- Johann Philipp von Bethmann , banker (1991)
- Viola von Bethusy-Huc , political scientist (2010)
- Ulrich Bettermann , entrepreneur (2012)
- Friedhelm Julius Beucher , politician (2017)
- Harald Bielfeld , diplomat (1960)
- Hans Bierbrauer (called Oskar ), draftsman, caricaturist and painter (1998)
- Hans Biller , designer and engineer at Bing, toy manufacturer (1962)
- Heinz Billing , physicist and computer scientist (2015)
- Wilhelm Bing , publisher (2004)
- Paul Bispinck , Forstmann (1964)
- Karl Oskar Blase , graphic artist (1998)
- Walter Bleicker , entrepreneur
- Claus Victor Bock , Germanist and poet (1984)
- Arndt Bode , computer scientist (2018)
- Arnold Bode , founder of the documenta Kassel (1974)
- Christian Bode , Science Manager (2013)
- Alfred Boeddeker , American Franciscan (1958)
- Max Hildebert Boehm , politician, sociologist and publicist (1956)
- Horst Bökemeier , MdL Hessen (2007)
- Fritz Böhmer , District Administrator (1970)
- Gerhardt Böhmig , naval officer (1969)
- Reinhold Bohlen , theologian (2010)
- Michael Bohnet , economist (2002)
- Otto Friedrich Bollnow , philosopher and educator (1983)
- Emmi Bonhoeffer , resistance assistant (1954)
- Karl Gerhard Bornmann , Chief Police Officer (1977)
- Stefan R. Bornstein , physician (2018)
- Ulrich Borsdorf , historian (2010)
- Knut Borchardt , economic historian
- Helene Freifrau von Bothmer , museum curator (1989)
- Constantin von Brandenstein-Zeppelin , honorary president of the Malteser Aid Service (2005)
- Uwe Brandl , politician (CSU), mayor and President of the Bavarian Municipal Association (2007)
- Horst Brandstätter , entrepreneur (2008)
- Henry G. Brandt , Rabbis Augsburg and Bielefeld, Jewish President of the German Coordination Council (2008)
- Egidius Braun , President of the German Football Association (1985)
- Franz Braun , politician (CDU) and district administrator (1965)
- Ludwig Georg Braun , entrepreneur (1990)
- Artur Brauner , film producer (1993)
- Rudi Brehm , union official (1985)
- Pierre Brice , French actor (1992)
- Fritz Brickwedde , General Secretary DBU (2004)
- Fritz Bringmann , Honorary President of the International Camp Community of Neuengamme Concentration Camp (2000)
- Anneliese Brost , publisher (2008)
- Hinrich Brunckhorst , District Administrator and Member of Parliament
- Dominik Brunner , businessman (posthumously 2009)
- Manfred Bruns , Federal Prosecutor at the Federal Court of Justice (1994)
- Ignatz Bubis , Chairman of the Central Council of Jews in Germany (1992)
- Eberhard Buchborn , physician and university professor
- Hans Buchheim , political scientist (1986)
- Dorothea Buck , author, sculptor and activist of the Movement for Experienced Psychiatrists (1997)
- Gert Buchheit , historian (1970)
- Wilhelm Buddenberg , Member of the State Parliament (CDU)
- Clémence Budow , radio pioneer and politician
- Hans Buhmann , politician (1992)
- Hans-Jörg Bullinger , Head of Institute (2003)
- Otto von Bülow , sea captain
- Hubert Burda , art historian and publisher (1997)
- Heinz Burghart , journalist, author and editor-in-chief of Bayerischer Rundfunk
- Erwin Burkard , politician (1984)
- Walther Busse von Colbe , economist (2009)
- Hellmuth Butenuth , automobile manufacturer (1974)
C.
- Clemens Cammerer , administrative lawyer (1952)
- Wilhelm Canenbley , agricultural functionary (1962)
- Claus von Carnap-Bornheim , archaeologist (2018)
- Rudi Carrell , Dutch showmaster (1985)
- Ursula Carls , entrepreneur and foundation founder (2011)
- Edith Carstensen , artist and foundation founder (2003)
- Bodo Champignon , politician (SPD) (2006)
- Niels Lund Chriesteren , Manager (2010)
- August Claas , entrepreneur (1952)
- Lars Clausen , sociologist (1998)
- Helmut Cox , economist (2004)
- Tony Cragg , sculptor (2012)
- Gerd Crüger , agricultural scientist (1995)
- Christa Czempiel , politician (1990)
D.
- Keyvan Dahesch , journalist (1996)
- György Dalos , Hungarian writer (2015)
- Heinrich Dammann , entrepreneur (1980)
- Alois Dauenhauer , politician (1989)
- Wolfgang Dauner , film composer and jazz pianist (2005)
- Hans-Raimund Deppe , physicist and manager (2010)
- Udo Derbolowsky , physician (1984)
- Hans Derben , politician
- Jupp Derwall , soccer player and coach (1989)
- Harro Dicks , opera director (1981)
- Werner D'hein , journalist (2011)
- Friedrich Dieckmann , writer (1993)
- Wolf Günther Dieffenbach , sports official (2003)
- Volker Diehl , physician (2008)
- Meta Diestel , chamber singer
- Anton Dieterich , author and translator (1984)
- Wilhelm Disselbeck , doctor and professional politician
- Claus Dittrich , entrepreneur (2002)
- Carl Dobler , agricultural politician (1980)
- Martin Döscher , politician (2012)
- Max Dohmann , engineer (2006)
- Günther Dohmen , educationalist (1994)
- Hilde Domin , poet of the 20th century, exile writer (1983)
- Jakob Dörr , Mayor
- Ernst Dossmann , architect and district homeworker (2007)
- Hans-Alexander Drechsler , member of the state parliament
- George Dreyfus , composer (2002)
- Berthold Dücker , journalist (2009)
- Joseph Dünnebacke , politician (1953)
E.
- Fritz Ebbert , Manager, Bavarian Senator (1974)
- Hans-Wilhelm Ebeling , pastor (1998)
- Günter Ecker , physicist and university professor (2006)
- Kurt Edelhagen , jazz musician (1973)
- Sven Effert , cardiologist
- Heinz Eggert , pastor and politician (1992)
- Bernd Ehinger , President of the Chamber of Crafts (2010)
- Wilhelm Ehmann , musicologist and church musician (1969)
- Hans Friedrich von Ehrenkrook , genealogist and aristocratic lawyer (1958)
- Werner Ehrlicher , economist (1989)
- Wolfgang Eichwede , historian (2003)
- Josef Eilles , Reich judge (1953)
- Paul Eipper , writer (1956)
- Josef Eisenburg , doctor (1988)
- Lothar Eißmann , geologist (2015)
- Axel Ekkernkamp , surgeon and politician (2007)
- Hans Elsässer , astronomer (1994)
- Frank Elstner , TV show master (2017)
- Alexander von Elverfeldt , farmer and forest manager, association official and author (1992)
- Erika Emmerich , lawyer and manager (1997)
- Roland Emmerich , filmmaker (1998)
- José Luís Encarnação , computer scientist (1995)
- Albrecht Encke , physician, President of the AWMF (2006)
- Hinrich Enderlein , politician (2006)
- Michael Endres , Manager (2015)
- Volker Engel , visual effects supervisor and film producer (1998)
- Heiko Engelkes , journalist (2005)
- Rainer Eppelmann , politician (1994)
- Erland Erdmann , cardiologist (2006)
- Kurt Ernsting , entrepreneur and patron (2008)
- Reinhard Erös , doctor (2006)
- Albin Eser , lawyer and criminal law scholar (2004)
- Bernhard Everke , Lord Mayor (2005)
- Walter Eversheim , mechanical engineer and university lecturer (2009)
- Klaus Evertz , politician (1991)
- Evmenios von Lefke , Bishop (1995)
- Karl Eyerkaufer , athlete and politician (2005)
F.
- Philipp W. Fabry , historian (1984)
- Brigitte Fassbaender , singer (2001)
- Gisela Fechner , politician (1985)
- Josef Feger , politician (CDU), Lord Mayor of Leutkirch in the Allgäu
- Michael Felke , entrepreneur (1965)
- Heinz Fenrich , politician (CDU), Lord Mayor of Karlsruhe (2013)
- Antal Festetics , zoologist, behavioral scientist, wildlife biologist and conservationist (1998)
- Heinrich Festing , theologian, General Praeses of the International Kolping Society (1998)
- Berndt Feuerbacher , physicist (2010)
- Günther Fielmann , entrepreneur (2000)
- Otto Fink , politician (CDU), mayor of Tuttlingen (1959)
- Dieter Finzel , lawyer and chamber official (2010)
- Dirk Fischer , politician (CDU) (1994)
- Hermann Fischer , animal photographer (1963)
- Klaus Fischer , entrepreneur (2007)
- Manfred Fischer , pastor (2013)
- Werner Fischer , civil rights activist (1995)
- Werner Fischer , goldsmith and artist (1999)
- Hellmut Fischmeister , Austrian metallurgist (1997)
- Hagen Fleischer , German-Greek historian (2018)
- Erik Forssman , art historian (1994)
- Heinrich Fraenkel , historian and chess composer (1967)
- Hans Frangenheim , doctor (1982)
- Gerhard Frank , lawyer, hunting official and politician (1984)
- Herbert Franke , sinologist
- Ute Frevert , historian (2016)
- Achim Freyer , painter and set designer (1989)
- Alfons Frick , politician (CDU) (1970)
- Hédi Fried , author and Holocaust survivor (2017)
- Karl Wilhelm Fricke , Stasi kidnapping victim and journalist (2001)
- Günter Friedrich , politician (CDU)
- Andreas Fritsch , classical philologist and didactic specialist (2013)
- Hans Joachim Fröhlich , forest scientist (1990)
- Gertrud Fussenegger , Austrian writer (1984)
- Harald Fuchs , physicist (2009)
- Albert Funk , pharmacist, prehistorian and local researcher (1951)
G
- Hans Wilhelm Gäb , Honorary President of the German Table Tennis Association (1996)
- Georg Gänswein , private secretary of Pope Benedict XVI. (2007)
- Gero Gandert , film scholar (2011)
- Rolf Gartz , biologist and board member of the Eduard Rhein Foundation
- Gerlach von Gaudecker , Colonel (1966)
- Paul Gauselmann , entrepreneur (2003)
- Gustav Gauthier , entrepreneur (1951)
- Aenne Gehling , politician (1973)
- Horst Geipel , politician
- Hugo Geisert , politician (CDU) (1970)
- Eberhard von Gemmingen , Head of the German-language editorial team at Vatican Radio (2002)
- Curt M. Genewein , prelate (1988)
- Ulrich Gensch , physicist (2011)
- David Geringas , cellist (2006)
- Alexander Gerst , astronaut (2015)
- Miep Gies , Anne Frank's assistant (1994)
- Alfred Gille , politician (GB / BHE) (1968)
- Albert Gilles , lawyer and district administrator (1962)
- Stefan Gillich , politician (2001)
- Ralph Giordano , journalist, writer and director (1990)
- Pauline Gistl , entrepreneur (1957)
- Marcel Gleffe , German who emigrated to Norway, rescuer of Utøya (2011)
- Fritz Gleibe , lawyer, politician and Lord Mayor of Chemnitz (1967)
- Alfred Gleiss , Lawyer (1977)
- Matthias Gleitze , politician, senior district director of the Duderstadt district (1967)
- Paul Gnaier , fencer and sports official (1996)
- Jürgen Gohde , theologian (2004)
- Rüdiger Göb , lawyer, politician and councilor for the city of Cologne (1989)
- Hartmut Göbel , neurologist, psychologist and pain therapist (2013)
- Peter Gola , German legal scholar and politician (FDP) (2013)
- Michael Göring , CEO of the Zeit-Stiftung Ebelin and Gerd Bucerius (2006)
- Horst Görtz , software entrepreneur (2009)
- Karl Gößwald , zoologist
- Kurt Goldstein , journalist (2005)
- Klaus Gollert , doctor and politician (2008)
- Erwin Gomeringer , politician (CDU) (1970)
- Annemarie Gottfried , puppet artist and founder of the Eckelshausener Musiktage (2003)
- Max Graeff , entrepreneur, lawyer and diplomat (1960)
- Gerhart von Graevenitz , literary scholar and rector of the University of Konstanz (2010)
- Adolf Graf , church musician (1964)
- Anke Gravert , politician (1992)
- Hans-Georg Graichen , Consul General of the Republic of Mali (2005)
- Hermann Greiner , politician (SPD)
- Mathieu Grosch , Belgian politician, MEP (2004)
- Ludwig Grosse , lawyer and insurance manager (1989)
- Hubertus Großler , Major General (1980)
- Amata Grüner , Sister (1960)
- Wolfgang Grupp , entrepreneur (2019)
- Alexander Grundner-Culemann , forester and politician (1959)
- Arnold Güttsches , Director of the Cologne City Archives (1959)
- Rudi Gutendorf , soccer coach (2011)
- Gernot Gutmann , economist (2010)
- Robert Gysae , Admiral (1970)
H
- August Haag , teacher and local researcher (1959)
- Otto Haag , Weingärtner and politician (1970)
- Alfred Haas , engineer and politician (2006)
- Ruprecht Haasler , Major General (1994)
- Wolfgang Haber , landscape ecologist (1986)
- Karl-Otto Habermehl , virologist (1996)
- Klaus Hackert , Craftsman and Politician (1994)
- Wolf Häfele , physicist (1982)
- Werner Hagedorn , trade unionist (1989)
- Heinrich Hagemann , politician (CDU) (1985)
- Dietrich Hahlbrock , entrepreneur (1982)
- Werner Hahlweg , military historian and military scientist (1983)
- Marita Haibach , politician (2009)
- Simon Halsey , British conductor and choir director (2010)
- Ingeborg Hallstein , opera singer (1996)
- Walter Anton Viktor Halstrick , entrepreneur (1956)
- Evelyn Hamann , actress (1993)
- Ernst Hammans , manufacturer and politician (1963)
- Hans Hammer , clergyman (1988)
- Franz Freiherr von Hammerstein-Equord , theologian (2001)
- Arthur Handtmann , Entrepreneur (2014)
- Theodor Hänsch , physicist (2006)
- Wilhelm Hansen , Museum Director (1971)
- Friedrich Hänssler , theologian and publisher (2001)
- August Hanz , politician (CDU)
- Joachim Harms , politician (1985)
- Dietmar Harting , entrepreneur (2009)
- Wolfgang Hartung , lawyer (1999)
- Heinrich Hartz , priest (1956)
- Karl Hasel , forest scientist and historian
- Hans-Heinrich Hatlapa , founder of the Eekholt Wildlife Park (1997)
- Katrin Hattenhauer , civil rights activist (2015)
- Herbert Hauffe , politician (SPD) (1968)
- Bernd Haunfelder , historian and publicist (2011)
- Alfred Hauser , politician (1969)
- Erich Hauser , sculptor (1979)
- Johannes Hauser , politician (CDU) (1960)
- Otto houses , writer (2006)
- Robert Häusser , photographer (1985)
- Rudolf Häussler , entrepreneur (1992)
- Pierre van Hauwe , Dutch music teacher, musician and composer (2001)
- Ingeborg Hecht , contemporary witness of the persecution of Jews and author (2005)
- Harald Heckmann , musicologist (2000)
- Peter Heesen , trade unionist (2012)
- Erwin Heim , local politician (1974)
- Klaus von Heimendahl , military and federal managing director Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe (1966)
- Gunder Heimlich , administrative employee and AWO functionary (2013)
- Heinz-Albert Heindrichs , composer and writer (2001)
- Ursula Heindrichs , Germanist, pedagogue and fairy tale researcher (1998)
- Ulrich Heinrich , politician (FDP) (2007)
- Katharina Heinroth , zoologist (1957)
- Rudolf Heitefuß , Phytomedicist (2006)
- Karl-Heinrich Heitfeld , engineer and hydrogeologist (2003)
- Matthäa Held , religious sister (2008)
- Horst Hellmann , pensioner (2004)
- Walter Hellmich , football official and building contractor (2009)
- Johann Anton Hemberger , politician (1991)
- Karl Hemberger , sports official (1990)
- Gabriele Henkel , patron of the arts (1931–2017)
- Manfred Hennecke , materials scientist (2014)
- Jürgen Heraeus , Manager and Chairman of UNICEF Germany (2000)
- Josef Herberger , football coach (1962)
- Peter Herbolzheimer , musician and band leader (2001)
- Günter Herlitz , entrepreneur
- Traudl Herrhausen , politician (2010)
- Erich Herrmann , union official (1987)
- Michael Herrmann , Culture and Music Manager (2014)
- Martin Herrenknecht , entrepreneur (2007)
- Ingolf Volker Hertel , physicist (2004)
- Werner Herzog , director, producer and actor (2012)
- Fritz Hesse , politician (1956)
- Peter Julius Hesse , businessman (1999)
- Kurt Hessenberg , composer (1989)
- Roland Hetzer , cardiac surgeon (1995)
- Christoph Heubner , writer (2015)
- Rainer Hildebrandt , freedom fighter, historian and publicist, founder of the Wall Museum (1994)
- Wilhelm Hillesheim , politician (CDU) (1956)
- Horst Hilpert , lawyer and judge (2004)
- Eduard Hindelang , museum director (2010)
- Claus Hipp , entrepreneur, painter, musician (1995)
- Kōzō Hirao , Japanese Germanist (2005)
- Jan Hoet , art historian and exhibition curator (2009)
- Candida Höfer , photographer (2015)
- Hans Hoffmann , politician (SPD) (1980)
- Kurt Caesar Hoffmann , Vice Admiral (1965)
- Herbert W. Hofmann , sports official (1999)
- Friedrich Wilhelm von Hohenzollern , head of the House of Hohenzollern
- Hans Holtorff , politician (1971)
- Klaus-Jürgen Holzapfel , publisher (2011)
- Christoph Hölzel , Ministerial Director (2009)
- Wolfgang Holzgreve , physician and manager (2018)
- Manfred Hölzlein , lawyer and politician (2011)
- Peter Hommelhoff , legal scholar (2007)
- Walter Homolka , rabbi and university professor (2014)
- Rolf Hoppe , actor and theater principal (2010)
- Klaus Hopt , lawyer (2009)
- Erich Hornsmann , lawyer, non-fiction author and environmental activist (1980)
- Hans Hösl , politician (CSU) (1990)
- Walter Hostert , District Administrator (1987)
- Dietmar von Hoyningen-Huene , process engineer and university lecturer (2007)
- Christoph Huber , immunologist and university professor (2015)
- Wolfgang Huber , environmental doctor (2017)
- Max Huggler , Swiss art historian (1994)
- Young-Sup Huh , Korean pharmaceutical entrepreneur and President of the German-Korean Society
- Bertold Hummel , composer (1985)
- Max Hünninghaus , farmer and politician (FDP) (1960)
- Klaus Husemann , member of the Konkret base group and university professor (1998)
- Roland Hüttenrauch , board member of Stiftung Warentest (1988)
- Hans Walter Hütter , historian (2017)
I.
- Georg Iggers , historian (2007)
- Hermann Ilaender , politician (CDU), administrative officer and forestry association official (2003)
- Ulrich Immenga , legal scholar and chairman of the Monopolies Commission (1990)
J
- Heinrich Eduard Jacob , writer and journalist (1966)
- Werner Jacob , composer and university professor (2003)
- Heinz Jacobsen , handball official (2002)
- Willi Jäger , mathematician (2007)
- Alfred Jahn , pediatrician and surgeon (2002)
- Hans Edgar Jahn , politician (CDU) (1973)
- Irene Janetzky , journalist (1975)
- Wolf-Rüdiger Janzen , economic functionary (2003)
- Horst Jaunich , politician (1984)
- Helmut Jedele , film producer and university lecturer
- Heinz Jentzsch , equestrian sports trainer (1992)
- Peter Jeschke , lawyer and politician (1974)
- Dorothee Jetter , educator and synod president (2004)
- Margarethe Jochimsen , art historian and museum director (2004)
- Rudolf Johna , politician (SPD) (1996)
- Valentin Jost , District Administrator of the Main-Taunus-Kreis
- Josef Jochem , politician (CDU) (1979)
- Klaus Johannis , Romanian politician (2014)
- Ernst Friedrich Jung , diplomat
- Volker Jung , Manager (2005)
- Wolfgang Junge , biophysicist (1998)
- Eberhard Junkersdorf , film producer and director (2004)
- Heribert Jürgens , pediatrician and oncologist (2013)
- Udo Jürgens , Austrian singer, composer (1994)
- Gerhard Jussenhoven , composer (2002)
- Karl Jüsten , Head of the Commissariat of the German Bishops in Berlin (2005)
K
- Aarne Kreuzinger-Janik , Lieutenant General (2012)
- Patricia Kaas , French singer (2003)
- Jürgen Kämgen , politician (2004)
- Jörg Kaehler , actor, director, theater director and author (2012)
- Walter Kaesbach , art historian (1959)
- Otto Kähler , lawyer, notary and legal historian (1954)
- Otto Kaiser , theologian (1990)
- Rudolf E. Kaiser , chemist (1996)
- Alfred Kamphausen , art historian and museum director (1971)
- Erhard Kantzenbach , economist
- Hugo Karpf , politician (1960)
- Norbert Kartmann , politician (CDU) (2012)
- Karl Kast , politician (CDU)
- Alexander Kaul , biophysicist (1988)
- Ellis Kaut , writer
- Franz Josef Kayser , politician (CDU) and publisher (1995)
- Hans Keilson , psychoanalyst and writer (1988)
- Edwin Kelm , Chairman of the Landsmannschaft of the Bessarabien Germans (2005)
- Herbert Kempfler , politician (CSU) (2005)
- Otto Kentzler , entrepreneur and association official (2009)
- Hans-Alwin Ketels , farmer and politician (CDU) (1982)
- Helmut Kewitz , pharmacologist
- Anselm Kiefer , artist (2005)
- Peter Graf von Kielmansegg , political scientist and university professor (2006)
- Elisabeth Kieven , art historian (2014)
- Erna Kilkowski , politician (1970)
- Hans Kindermann , lawyer (1992)
- Walter Kiwit , Senior District Director (2004)
- Beate Klarsfeld , Nazi hunter (2015)
- Serge Klarsfeld , Nazi hunter (2015)
- Waldemar Klein , soccer coach (2004)
- Matthias Kleiner , engineer and university professor (2011)
- Ernst Klenk (viticulture technician) , viticulture technician (1970)
- Rüdiger Klessmann , art historian (1991)
- Erich Klinge , lawyer (1995)
- Clemens Klockner , university professor (2008)
- Hans Klose , teacher and conservationist (1954)
- Olaf Klose , art historian and librarian (1968)
- Bernd Klug , General (1988)
- Paul Gerhard Klussmann , Germanist (2000)
- Niklot Klüßendorf , historian, numismatist (2007)
- Hildegard Knef , singer, actress, author (1975)
- Joachim H. Knoll , educator (2005)
- Edmund Knorr , teacher, home curator, conservationist and ornithologist (1965)
- Herbert Kober , entrepreneur (2010)
- Hermann Koch , worker welfare officer
- Wilhelm Herbert Koch , writer and journalist (1975)
- Konstantin Kohler , Prelate, Cathedral Chapter (2005)
- Heinrich Kohlhaussen , art historian and museum director (1960)
- Josef Kohlmaier , politician, mayor of Limburg an der Lahn (1981)
- Clemens Konermann , pastor (1961)
- Robert Knüppel , politician and monument protector (2006)
- Bernhard Kock , classical philologist and teacher (1960)
- Reiner Körfer , cardiac surgeon (2009)
- Paul Kolb , politician (SPD), worker welfare official (1973)
- Manfred Kolbe , politician (2010)
- Gerd-Helmut Komossa , Major General (1983)
- Walter Konrad , lawyer and media manager (2005)
- Gerhard Konzelmann , correspondent and journalist (1977)
- Walter Korn , politician (CDU) (1990)
- Hans-Joachim Kornadt , psychologist and educationalist (2006)
- Wolfgang Koschel , space scientist (2004)
- Renate Köcher , pollster (1996)
- Henning Kößler , philosopher (1982)
- Hermann Köster , politician (SPD) (1968)
- Thomas Köster , politician, economist and chamber official (2000)
- Paul Kottwitz , Mine Director (1970)
- Viktor de Kowa , actor, chanson singer, director, storyteller and comedy poet (1961)
- Gerta Krabbel , historian, writer and women's rights activist
- Hans Kraft , politician (SPD) (2004)
- Hans-Peter Krämer , Sparkasse Manager (2006)
- Horst Kramp , Manager (1992)
- Andreas Kraus , historian (1991)
- Hans Kraus , politician (1999)
- Josef Kreiner , Japanologist (1996)
- Margarete Krick , publisher (2011)
- Robert Krick , publisher (2011)
- Josef Krieglstein , physician (2004)
- Klaus Kriesche , special education teacher and politician (1996)
- Hans-Peter Kröger , fire department official (2011)
- Hans Kröner , entrepreneur (1988)
- Gabriele Krone-Schmalz , TV journalist (1997)
- Andreas Kruse , gerontologist (2008)
- Jens-Martin Kruse , Pastor (2016)
- Willibert Krüger , entrepreneur (2011)
- Hans Kubis , Lieutenant General
- Wilhelm Küchler , entrepreneur and politician
- Bernhard Kuckelkorn , Mayor
- Reinhard Kuhnert , educator, English scholar and politician (2016)
- Julius Kunert , entrepreneur (1980)
- Topsy Küppers , Austrian actress
- Thomas Küttler , Superintendent (1995)
- Rolf Kurz , politician (CDU), entrepreneur and association official (1997)
L.
- Helmut Lachenmann , composer (2010)
- August Läpple , entrepreneur (1955)
- Helmut Läpple , entrepreneur (1990)
- Karl Lagerfeld , fashion designer, artist, photographer (1985)
- Lothar Lammers , co-inventor of the lottery game 6 out of 49 (1984)
- Kurt Landsberg , politician (1957)
- Bernd-Lutz Lange , cabaret artist (2014)
- Eckart Lange , music teacher (2008)
- Hans Langendörfer , Secretary of the German Bishops' Conference (2008)
- Felicia Langer , Israeli lawyer (2009)
- Norbert Langhoff , engineer (2011)
- Lukas Leiber , forest officer (1962)
- Ruth Leiserowitz , contemporary historian (2014)
- Erich Lejeune , entrepreneur (2007)
- Bruno Le Maire , French politician (2015)
- Ferdinand Lentjes , engineer and entrepreneur (1952)
- Helmut Lenz , politician
- Joachim-Felix Leonhard , Hessian State Secretary (2004)
- Günter Leonhardt , entrepreneur
- Hermann Leskien , General Director of the Bavarian State Library (2007)
- Mitja Leskovar , Slovenian Roman Catholic clergyman and diplomat of the Holy See (2019)
- Gerd Leuchs , physicist (2012)
- Kurt Leuninger , Mayor (2008)
- Wilhelm Leutzbach , transport scientist (2003)
- Carl August Lieberich , Managing Director of the German Wood Industry Association (1963)
- Rolf Lieberwirth , lawyer (2010)
- Hans Lilie , lawyer (2012)
- Otto Linck , forester, geologist, conservationist, photographer and poet (1957)
- Hanns-Gero von Lindeiner , forester, hunter, diplomat and politician (1968)
- Horst Linde , architect and university professor (1982)
- Udo Lindenberg , musician and painter (2019)
- Hans Lindner , entrepreneur (1998)
- Walter Link , politician and deacon
- Josef Lissner , radiologist (1988)
- Gerd Litfin , physicist (2011)
- Nikolaus Lobkowicz , philosopher (1994)
- Walter Lochmüller , artist (1979)
- Wilfried Lochte , graduate engineer (2006)
- Ernst Löchelt , politician (2010)
- Johann Löhn , Honorary Curator of the Steinbeis Foundation (2001)
- Konrad Loerke , naval officer (1967)
- Walther von Loewenich , church historian and university professor (1984)
- Alois Konstantin zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg , entrepreneur (2005)
- Gerhard Löwenstein , doctor (1980)
- Klaus Lohmann , politician (SPD)
- Rudolf Lohmann , entrepreneur (1956)
- Richard Lohrmann , forester and conservationist (1964)
- Martin Lohse , pharmacologist and university professor (2002)
- Georges Loinger , French resistance fighter (2016)
- Ludwig Manfred Lommel , humorist (1956)
- Thomas Lorenzen , politician (CDU) (1995)
- Frank Lortz , Member of the State Parliament (2003)
- Reinhard Ludewig , pharmacologist, toxicologist and university lecturer (2012)
- Irene Ludwig , art patron (1983)
- Martin Luley , theologian, vicar general in the diocese of Mainz
- Heinz Lund , politician (1978)
- Bruno Lunenfeld , Austrian endocrinologist (1995)
- Burkart Lutz , sociologist and university professor (2011)
- Martha Lux-Steiner , Swiss physicist (1999)
M.
- Annemarie Madison , carer for AIDS sufferers (1994)
- Peter Maffay , musician (2008)
- Albrecht Magen , entrepreneur and local politician (1990)
- Heinrich Magirius , monument conservator (1996)
- Dieter Mahncke , political scientist (2017)
- Kurt Salomon Maier , Librarian and Holocaust Survivor (2019)
- Kurt Malangré , Mayor of Aachen, MEP (1993)
- Maria Imma Mack , religious sister (2005)
- Klaus Malettke , historian (2007)
- Emil Mangelsdorff , jazz musician (2008)
- Werner Mansfeld , scientist (1998)
- Marie-Luise Marjan , actress (1998)
- Petros Markaris , Greek writer (2014)
- Helmut Markwort , journalist (1999)
- Werner Marnette , industrialist (2005)
- Volkert Martens , politician (1965)
- Marianne Martin , presenter
- Jakob Marquardt , industrialist
- Bernhard Marschall , Prelate (1953)
- Siegfried Maruhn , journalist (1974)
- Günter Matthes , journalist (1979)
- Siegfried Matthus , composer (2000)
- Hansgünter Matuschak , manager and company director (1987)
- Zenta Mauriņa , writer, essayist and translator (1968)
- Bernd Mayer , city historian and politician (2011)
- Franz Mazura , singer and actor (2010)
- Frank Meisler , German-British-Israeli architect and sculptor (2012)
- Gertrud Meißner , doctor (1960)
- Edgar Meister , Board Member (2006)
- Detlev Mehlis , Senior Public Prosecutor Berlin (2006)
- Hansjörg Melchior , urologist and documenta supporter (2009)
- Friedhelm Mennekes , priest and art expert (2011)
- Ulf Merbold , astronaut (1984)
- Adolf Merckle , entrepreneur (2005)
- Meinolf Mertens , Member of Parliament (1981)
- Tatiana von Metternich-Winneburg , patron (1990)
- Reinhard Metz , politician (CDU)
- Alfons Metzger , administrative lawyer (2004)
- Marieluise Metzger , nun (2009)
- Paul Metzger , local politician (CDU) (2009)
- Friedrich von Metzler , banker (2003)
- Joachim Metzner , President of Cologne University of Applied Sciences and representative of university committees (2015)
- Christa Meves , therapist and writer (1985)
- Reinhard Mey , songwriter (2001)
- Hans Meyer , medic (1953)
- Konrad Meyer , politician (CDU) (1966)
- Gerhard Meyer-Schwickerath , ophthalmologist and university professor (1981)
- Hermann Meyn , farmer and politician (SPD) (1968)
- Lucian O. Meysels , Austrian journalist and non-fiction author
- Walter Michaeli , engineer and university professor (2009)
- Klaus Michaelis , BfA board member (2005)
- Wolfgang W. Mickel , political scientist (1991)
- Norbert Miller , literary and art scholar (2010)
- Milva , singer and actress (2006)
- Brigitte Mira , actress, cabaret artist and singer (1995)
- Gernot Mittler , politician (2005)
- Jürgen Mlynek , physicist (2010)
- Kjell Åke Modéer , lawyer (2007)
- Heinz Mohnen , lawyer and city director of Cologne
- Fritz Mohr politician (CDU)
- Alfred Möhrle , physician and professional politician (2000)
- Irene Möllenbeck , politician (2011)
- Dietrich Möller , Mayor of Marburg (2006)
- Paul Möller , politician (SPD) (1982)
- Gerhard Möllhoff , neurologist, social medicine specialist and psychiatrist
- Karin Mölling , virologist (2018)
- Katharina Mommsen , German-American literary scholar (1985)
- Eugen Moufang , lawyer (1959)
- Joseph Müller-Blattau , musicologist and SA man
- Harry Mulisch , Dutch writer (2002)
- Erich Mulzer , grammar school teacher, chairman of Altstadtfreunde Nürnberg (1993)
- Karl Munzel , lawyer and politician (CDU) (1975)
- Akira Murata , Japanese entrepreneur (1986)
- Hans-Georg Musmann , engineer and university lecturer (2008)
N
- Estrongo Nachama , Chief Cantor of the Jewish Community in Berlin (1987)
- Isabella Nadolny , writer (1992)
- Hans Nadler , architect, building historian and preservationist (1993)
- Clemens Nagel , President of the Upper Rhine Conference (2005)
- Hartmut Nassauer , politician (CDU) (1991)
- Rosemarie Nave-Herz , sociologist (2000)
- Albin Nees , State Secretary (2007)
- Rüdiger Nehberg , human rights activist and survival expert (2008)
- Hermann Nehlsen , legal historian (2010)
- Harald Nestroy , Ambassador (2009)
- Reimund Neugebauer , engineer and university lecturer (2005)
- Joachim Neumann , officer
- Wolfram Neumann , doctor (2004)
- Aylâ Neusel , university and women's politician (2001)
- Wolfgang Niedecken , singer (2013)
- Dietrich Niethammer , doctor (2005)
- Tomasz Niewodniczański , Polish-German entrepreneur (2002)
- Erich Nitzling , businessman, politician (SPD) (1986)
- Walter Georg Nowak , diplomat (2004)
- Klaus Nürnberg , Metallurg (1999)
O
- Heinrich Oberreuter , political scientist (2010)
- Wilhelm Oberle , entrepreneur and founder
- Helmut Obst , religious scholar (2010)
- Wubbo Ockels , Dutch spaceman and physicist
- Norbert Oellers , Germanist (2010)
- Hellmut Oelert , cardiac surgeon (2011)
- Kurt Oeser , pastor (1990)
- Heinz Oestergaard , fashion designer (1996)
- Heidi Oetinger , publisher (2009)
- Rita Öhquist , translator (1960)
- Horst W. Opaschowski , futurologist (2010)
- Alfred Freiherr von Oppenheim , private banker
- Karl Heinrich Oppenländer , economist (1987)
- Bernhard Oswald , entrepreneur (2009)
- Frei Otto , architect (2006)
- Joseph Albert Otto , theologian (1971)
- Wolfgang Otto , General of the Bundeswehr (2009)
- Wolfgang Overath , footballer, sports official (2008)
P
- Dieter Paul , chemist (2001)
- Walter Pehle , historian (2007)
- Ernst Pein , entrepreneur (1953)
- Heinz-Otto Peitgen , mathematician (1996)
- Mieczysław Pemper , German-Polish concentration camp inmate (2002)
- Erich Penzel , horn player and university lecturer (2005)
- Alfons Perlick , educator and local researcher (1968)
- Wilhelm Peßler , folklorist (1960)
- Gerhard Peters , art historian (1972)
- Sigrid Peyerimhoff , chemist (1994)
- Kurt Pfeiffer , initiator of the Charlemagne Prize of the City of Aachen (1954)
- Josef Pichl , politician
- Josef Pick , sports manager (1989)
- Přemysl Pitter , Czech teacher (1973)
- Klaus Christian Plönzke , entrepreneur (2003)
- Mathilde Planck , home economics teacher and politician (1951)
- Peter Plate , singer (2011)
- Matthias Platzeck , politician (SPD) (1998)
- Heinrich Pleticha , writer (1986)
- Wulff Plinke , business economist (2012)
- Detlev Ploog , psychiatrist
- Frank Pobell , physicist and science manager (2004)
- Reinhard Pöllath , lawyer and manager (2009)
- Emil Podszus , physicist (1957)
- Rüdiger Pohl , economist (2000)
- Rudolf Pohl , prelate and church musician (2002)
- Klaus Erich Pollmann , historian and university professor (2013)
- Reiner Pommerin , historian and university professor (2008)
- Elizabeth Pond , American political scientist and journalist (2004)
- Gerhard Postel , clergyman (2009)
- Carl Pott , cutlery manufacturer and industrial designer (1973)
- Paul Preuss , politician (1965)
- Otfried Preußler , writer (1993)
- Benno Prieß , author (2005)
- Michail Prodan , forest scientist (1984)
- Dieter Pützhofen , politician (CDU) (2000)
- Hilde Purwin , journalist (1970)
Q
- Siegfried Quandt , history didactician and university lecturer (2006)
- Giselher Quast , cathedral preacher (2017)
- Freddy Quinn , Austrian singer and actor (1984)
R.
- Werner Radlayers , Auxiliary Bishop in Bamberg (1996)
- Luise Rainer , actress (1985)
- Dinah Radtke , translator (2009)
- Hildegard Ramdohr , honorary citizen of the city of Aschersleben (2014)
- Hans Gerhard Ramler , trade union official and politician (SPD) (1983)
- Georg Ratzinger , Domkapellmeister (1981)
- Dietrich Ratzke , journalist (2005)
- Friedrich Wilhelm Räuker , journalist and broadcast director (1984)
- Ulrich Raulff , historian and journalist (2013)
- Karl Rawer , physicist
- Otto Rehhagel , soccer player and coach (2005)
- Kurt Rehkopf , politician (FDP) and trade functionary (2009)
- Hannes Rehm , bank manager (2003)
- Irmgard Reichhardt , politician (CDU) (1991)
- Aribert Reimann , Volunteer Service for the Disabled (1999)
- Günter Reimann , economist (2003)
- Hartwig Reimann , politician (SPD)
- Stephan Reimers , representative of the Protestant Church in Germany (2005)
- Hans Reinauer , physician and biochemist (1999)
- Edgar Reitz , filmmaker (1992)
- Michael Reitzel , politician (SPD) (1983)
- Thomas Rempen , communication designer (2011)
- Otto Renkhoff , archivist and author (1974)
- Otto Rettenmaier , entrepreneur (2005)
- Hermann Reuter , librarian (1957)
- Martin Richenhagen , German-American manager (2017)
- Bolko von Richthofen , prehistorian (1963)
- Hubert Rickelmann , local history researcher and author (1958)
- Hans Riehemann , District Administrator (CDU) (1955)
- Hans Riegel junior , entrepreneur (1994)
- Detlev Riesner , biophysicist (2005)
- Wolf-Dieter Ring , media politician (1999)
- Wolfgang Rittmann , sports official (2005)
- Herwig Roggemann , lawyer (2016)
- Eric F. Ross , entrepreneur and patron (2009)
- Romani Rose , Chairman of the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma (2008)
- Rüdiger von Rosen , economist and manager (2007)
- Otto Rosenberg , politician (SPD), chairman of the Berlin-Brandenburg regional association of German Sinti and Roma (1998)
- Volker Röhricht , Richter (2011)
- Walter Rosenwald , ministerial official, military historian and religious scholar (1990)
- Nikolaus Rosiny , architect (1995)
- Georg Rösler , politician (CDU) (1987)
- Dagmar Roth-Behrendt , politician (SPD) (2009)
- Heinz Röthemeier , politician (SPD), mayor of Minden
- Claus Roxin , legal scholar (2000)
- Walter Rudolf , State Commissioner for Data Protection (1997)
- Eleonore Rudolph , politician (2009)
- Sep Ruf , architect and urban planner (1976)
- Rudolf Rumetsch , district administrator and ministerial official
- Regina Rusch , children's book author (1998)
- Michael Russ , organizer (2005)
- AnNa R. , singer of the band Rosenstolz (2011)
S.
- Heinz Sahnen , politician (2010)
- Richard Sapper , industrial designer (2012)
- Carl-Philipp zu Salm-Salm , Head of the Princely House of Salm-Salm (2009)
- Hilda Sandtner , textile artist, glass painter and university lecturer (1989)
- Hans Sarre , nephrologist (1988)
- Hans Sauer , inventor (1988)
- Eckhard Sauerbaum , politician (1985)
- Alfred Sauter , Member of the Bundestag and former Minister of State D. (2010)
- Friedrich Sauthoff , engineer (1972)
- Werner Schaal , President of the Philipps University of Marburg (2009)
- Günter Schade , art historian, museum director (2009)
- Lothar Bäumler , General Physician (1988)
- Paul Schäfer , gynecologist and university professor (1952)
- Rudolf Schäfer , journalist, historian and local researcher (1968)
- Maria-Elisabeth Schaeffler , entrepreneur (2001)
- Tana Schanzara , stage actress (2008)
- Helmut Schatz , internist, endocrinologist and diabetologist (2014)
- Ernst Schaude Administrative Lawyer , District Administrator, Vice President of the Government (1971)
- Ruth Schaumann , poet, sculptor, draftsman (1959)
- Paul-Werner Scheele , Bishop Emeritus of Würzburg (1996)
- Karla Schefter , construction assistant (1993)
- Hermann Scheipers , priest (2012)
- Josef Schelb , composer (1969)
- Harald Schicha , nuclear medicine specialist (2011)
- Ludwig Schick , Archbishop of Bamberg (2007)
- Erwin Schild , Judaist and Rabbi (2000)
- Robert Schindlbeck , internist and professional representative (1988)
- Oskar Schindler , entrepreneur (1965)
- Heinrich Schipperges , medical historian (1999)
- Lothar Schirmer , art book publisher and collector (2014)
- Clemens Schmalstich , composer and conductor (1957)
- Herbert Schmalstieg , Lord Mayor of Hanover
- Clemens Schmeck , doctor and environmentalist (1982)
- Franz Schmedt , journalist (2002)
- Günther Schmelzer , Brigadier General
- Senta Maria Schmid , choreographer and dancer
- Werner Schmid , entrepreneur and politician (CDU) (1982)
- Helmut Schmidt , sports official (2008)
- Hans Joachim Schmidt , dentist (1969)
- Karsten Schmidt , lawyer (2006)
- Klaus Schmidt (lawyer) , President of the Regional Labor Court RLP (2006)
- Klaus Louis Schmidt , doctor (2007)
- Horst Schmidt-Böcking , physicist (2009)
- Henriette Schmidt-Burkhardt , entrepreneur and patron (2009)
- Wieland Schmied , art historian
- Adolf Schmitt (landscape architect) (1973)
- Annegrit Schmitt , State Curator (2004)
- Klaus-Peter Schmitz , Biomedical Engineering (2018)
- Richard Schmitz , Hotelier (2015)
- Christiane Schmullius , geographer and university lecturer (2010)
- Peter Schnell , entrepreneur (2009)
- Siegmar von Schnurbein , archaeologist (2007)
- Peter Scholl-Latour , journalist and publicist (2006)
- Hans Schomburgk , Africa explorer (1956)
- Hans Karl Schneider , economist (1970)
- Hermann Schneider , Weingärtner (1952)
- Volkmar Schneider , forensic doctor (2005)
- Wolfgang Schneider , cultural scientist (2018)
- Hermann Schoenauer , pastor (2008)
- Helene Schoettle , politician (SPD) (1983)
- Hermann Schoppe , politician (CDU) (1995)
- Erwin Schopper , physicist (1984)
- Winfried Schrammek , organist and musicologist (1999)
- Werner Schreiber , politician (2009)
- August Schröder , state archivist
- Anna Maria Schulte , social activist (1965)
- Dietrich Schulz , entrepreneur (1988)
- Martin Schulz , politician (2006)
- Hans-Eugen Schulze , Richter (2012)
- Friedrich-Carl Schultze-Rhonhof , Chairman of the Board of the Silesian Foundation (2005)
- Albrecht Schultz , Manager (1984)
- Hermann Josef Schuster , lawyer (2011)
- Ekkehard Schumann , lawyer (1988)
- Erich Schumann , publisher (2004)
- Jürgen Schumann , pilot of the hijacked Lufthansa plane "Landshut" (posthumously 1977)
- Walter Schunack , pharmacologist, physician and university lecturer (2002)
- Josef Schürgers , politician (1980)
- Annemarie Schuster , politician (1970)
- Dieter Schütte , publisher (1992)
- Hans Schwalbach , trade union official and politician (SPD) (1980)
- Gesine Schwan , political scientist (1993)
- Gotthold Schwarz , conductor (2017)
- Heinz Schwarz , politician (1974)
- Alice Schwarzer , journalist (2005)
- Wolfgang Schwark , University Rector (2009)
- Nikolaus Schweickart , Chairman of the Altana Culture Foundation (2007)
- Rosemarie von Schweitzer , budget scientist (2003)
- Wolfgang Seel , University Chancellor (1980)
- Max Seither , SPD politician (1968)
- Ingeborg Seitz , politician (CDU)
- Dieter Seitzer , electrical engineer (1988)
- Jutta Semler , doctor (2005)
- Ralph Siegel , pop composer and music producer (1998)
- Hermann Sihler , lawyer and local politician
- Johannes Mario Simmel , writer (2005)
- Ernst Simons , religious educator
- Hans-Werner Sinn , Economist (2005)
- Milan Sladek , pantomime, director, writer (2000)
- Peter Sodann , actor, director and theater director (2001)
- Paul Söding , physicist (2001)
- Kurt Wilhelm Söldner , social association functionary (1987)
- Inge Sollwedel , politician (FDP) and publicist (1997)
- Tom Sommerlatte , management consultant and painter (2005)
- Irmgard Sondergeld , politician (CDU)
- Ludwig Sothmann , nature and environmental conservationist (2014)
- Franz-Josef Spalthoff , Manager (1984)
- Peter Spary , lobbyist (1997)
- Erwin-Josef Speckmann , neurophysiologist, painter and sculptor (2011)
- Laurens Spethmann , entrepreneur (2005)
- Paul Spiegel , Chairman of the Central Council of Jews in Germany (1997)
- Karlheinz Spielmann , lawyer (1973)
- Tasso Springer , physicist (1992)
- Robert Stadlhofer , General (1970)
- Georg Stadtmüller , historian and Byzantinist (1976)
- Klaus-Heinrich Standke , economist (1992)
- Ulrich Stechele , politician (1988)
- Anton Steer , Major General (1994)
- Friedrich Stelzner , surgeon and university professor (1993)
- Werner Stephan , police fireworker (1952)
- Hans Gottfried von Stockhausen , painter (1980)
- Karlheinz Stockhausen , composer (1974)
- Norbert Stoffels , Abbot of the Benedictine Abbey of Neresheim (1996)
- Ernst-Wilhelm Stojan , politician (SPD) (1983)
- Peter Stoll , forester and conservationist (1996)
- Michael Stolleis , lawyer and university professor (2010)
- Reinhard Stollreiter , choir director and president of the Berlin Choir Association (2006)
- Günter Strack , actor (1990)
- Bodo-Eckehard Strauer , cardiologist (2010)
- Edith Strumpf , politician (2005)
- Karl Stumpp , ethnographer (1966)
- Georg Stücklen , politician (SPD)
- Fritz Süverkrüp , entrepreneur (2002)
T
- Konrad Tack , lawyer (2019)
- Walter Tautschnig , Director of the Vienna Boys' Choir (1962)
- Josef Tal , composer (1985)
- Hans Tenhaeff , entrepreneur (1952)
- Heinz Tetzner , painter and graphic artist (1999)
- Katharina Thalbach , director and actress (2015)
- Olaf Thetter , surgeon (2007)
- Katharina Thiersch , monument conservator (2004)
- Ernst Thoms , painter (1977)
- Bassam Tibi , political scientist (1995)
- Walter Tokarski , sports scientist (2015)
- Arnold Tölg , politician (1992)
- Walter Trapp , educator and association official (1994)
- Georg Stefan Troller , documentary filmmaker and writer (2002)
- Reinhard Tausch , psychologist (2002)
- Joachim Treusch , physicist (1997)
- Paul Troschke , theologian and church statistician (1953)
- Klaus Trouet , lawyer, Deputy Chairman of the German Foundation for Monument Protection (2008)
- Klaus Tschira , entrepreneur (2009)
U
- Carl Wolmar Jakob von Uexküll , founder of the "Alternative Nobel Prize" (2009)
- Wilhelm Uhlig , artist
- Klaus Ulbricht , politician (2010)
- Luise Ullrich , actress (1973)
- Klaus Ulonska , athlete, sports official and politician (2014)
- Michael Ungethüm , entrepreneur (2002)
V
- Caterina Valente , singer and actress (1968)
- Rose Valland , art historian (1972)
- Erich Vaternahm , newspaper publisher (1956)
- Marie Veit , theologian (2003)
- Inge Velte , member of the Hessian state parliament (2007)
- Ludwig Vierthaler , sculptor (1960)
- Dieter Vieweger , archaeologist and theologian (2017)
- Helen Vita , chanson singer, actress and cabaret artist (2000)
- Jean Pierre Vité , forest scientist (1988)
- Wolfgang Graf Vitzthum , legal scholar (2007)
- Gotthilf Vöhringer , Protestant theologian (1952)
- Bernhard Vogel , politician (1956)
- Robert Vogel , entrepreneur and politician (FDP), (1994)
- Karl Vogt , District Administrator (1979)
- Berti Vogts , soccer coach (1996)
- Karl-Heinz Vosteen , physician, honorary president of the AWMF (2006)
W.
- Otto Waalkes , comedian (2018)
- Emil Wachter , painter and sculptor (1996)
- Albrecht Wagner , physicist (2006)
- Erika Wagner , politician (1995)
- Fritz Wagnerberger , ski racer and President of the German Ski Association
- Wolfgang Wahlster , computer scientist (2006)
- Friedrich Waldow , Deaf Activist (1981)
- Fritz Walter , football official (1970)
- Hans-Albert Walter , literary scholar (2007)
- Josef Weber , politician (CDU) (1990)
- Paul Wehrle , music teacher (1988)
- Kurt Weidemann , graphic designer and typographer (1996)
- Karl Weingärtner , historian, university professor and politician (SPD) (1996)
- Manfred Weinmann , Lord Mayor of Heilbronn (1999)
- Cornelius Weiss , chemist, university professor and politician (SPD) (1999)
- Gerald Weiß , politician (2012)
- Konrad Weiß , politician, civil rights activist, director (1995)
- Arno Wend , politician (SPD) and victim of political persecution (1971)
- Brunhild Wendel , politician (SPD) (1981)
- Eberhard Werdin , composer and music teacher (1986)
- Fritz Werner , church musician and composer (1973)
- Götz Werner , entrepreneur (2008)
- Engelbert Westkämper , engineer and university lecturer (2006)
- Karl-August Wetjen , process engineer and industry manager (1985)
- Ulrich Wickert , German journalist and author (2016)
- Gerhard Widder , Mayor of Mannheim (2007)
- Rüdiger Hermann Wiechers , Bank Manager (2005)
- Herbert Wilhelmy , geographer (1980)
- Lothar Wilhelmy , sponsor of science and culture (2017)
- Otto Wiesheu , Board Member Deutsche Bahn AG (2005)
- Rosemarie Wilcken , politician, mayor of Wismar (2010)
- Horst Wildemann , economist and university lecturer (2001)
- Klaus Wilms , doctor and university lecturer (1999)
- Robert Wilson , American director
- Bernd Wilz , politician (CDU) (1990)
- Ignatz Wimmer , entrepreneur (1988)
- Heinrich August Winkler , historian (2005)
- Bernhard Winter , painter and graphic artist (1956)
- Paul Winter , composer (1966)
- Margret Wintermantel , social psychologist and university lecturer (2009)
- Ferdinand Wippermann , educator and linguist (1966)
- Arnold Wirtgen , military historian
- Klaus Wirth , President of the Federal Association of the German Mail Order Trade (2002)
- Helmut Witt , radiologist and university professor (1992)
- Eberhard Witte , economist (1996)
- Herta-Maria Witzemann , interior designer (1985)
- Willy Wobst , forest manager and university professor (1962)
- Albrecht Woeste , entrepreneur and sports official (1992)
- Lia Wöhr , actress, director, dancer, singer and television producer (1982)
- Gerd Wolf , physicist and university professor (2005)
- Heinrich Wolff , lawyer and politician (1972)
- Johannes Wolff , theologian (1952)
- William Wolff , rabbi (2007)
- Christiane Woopen , medical ethicist (2019)
- Johann-Dietrich Wörner , civil engineer, university professor and space manager (2016)
- Michael Wunder , psychologist and psychotherapist (2018)
Y
- Wolfgang-Ernst Fürst zu Ysenburg and Büdingen , association official (2001)
Z
- Günter Zabel , politician (1991)
- Hermann Zapf , type artist, typographer and calligrapher (2010)
- Bernhard Zeller , literary historian and archivist
- Herbert Zeman , Austrian literary and linguist and singer
- Gisela Zenz , legal scholar and psychologist (2013)
- Walter J. Zielniok , disabled pedagogue and founder of an aid organization (1997)
- Josef Zilch , conductor and composer (1991)
- Hans Zimmer , film composer and music producer (2018)
- Bernhard Zimmermann , Catholic priest and founder of an aid organization (1954)
- Eduard Zimmermann , TV presenter and security expert (1986)
- Stefan Zimmermann , lawyer (2015)
- Peter Zink , trade union official and politician (SPD) (1971)
- Dietmar Zoedler , urologist (1982)
- Jürgen Zöllner , politician (2012)
- Rolf Zuckowski , musician (2018)
- Ernst-Günther Zumach , politician, Lord Mayor of Ansbach
- Wolf von Zworowsky , politician (1978)
Cross of Merit on ribbon
A.
- Ernst van Aaken , sports medicine specialist and trainer (1976)
- Ann-Kristin Achleitner , scientist and university lecturer (2007)
- Patrick Adenauer , entrepreneur (2010)
- Willi Aengevelt , real estate agent (1979)
- Josef Anselm Graf Adelmann von Adelmannsfelden , theologian and writer
- Benjamin Adrion , soccer player and initiator of the aid project Viva con Agua de Sankt Pauli (2009)
- Koichiro Agata , Japanese Public Administration Scientist (2006)
- Rolf Ahlers , engineer and writer (2007)
- Klaus Aichinger , dentist and professional politician (2015)
- Fatih Akin , film director and producer (2010)
- Arnold Albrecht , Chairman of the Works Council (2001)
- Ernst Albrecht , politician (SPD) (1974)
- Frank Albrecht , President of the Hesse retail trade (2003)
- Peter-Alexis Albrecht , lawyer and criminologist (2004)
- Meta Alexander , internist (1981)
- Klaus Alpers , Classical Philologist (2006)
- Adolf Althoff , circus director (1977)
- Walter Franz Altherr , politician (2009)
- Götz Aly , historian and journalist (2007)
- Fritz von Ameln , politician (CDU) (1967)
- Achim Andexer , doctor (2002)
- Heinz Angermeier , historian (2002)
- Heinz Anterist , lawyer (2007)
- Herfried Apel , Managing Director, Commercial Judge (2003)
- Karl-Otto Apel , philosopher
- Hermann Appel , automotive engineer and university lecturer (1998)
- Erika Arlt , local researcher (1997)
- Wilfried Arlt , mechanical engineer and university lecturer (1999)
- Charlotte Armbruster , politician (1956)
- Klaus P. Arnold , Chairman of the German Children's Fund (1991)
- Udo Arnold , historian (2010)
- Ulli Arnold , business economist (2010)
- Hans-Dieter Arntz , senior teacher (1985)
- Horst Arzt , politician and football official (2013)
- Frank Asbeck , entrepreneur (2009)
- Johann Asch , Mayor (1971)
- Christel Aschmoneit-Lücke , politician (FDP) (2006)
- Roger Asmussen , politician (CDU) (1978)
- Mo Asumang , director, presenter and author (2019)
- Seyran Ateş , women's rights activist (2007)
- Annemarie in der Au , writer (1990)
- Hermann Auernhammer , technician and university lecturer (1995)
- Hans Werner Aufrecht , entrepreneur (2000)
- Heribert August , pastor, organizer of Bosnia Aid (2013)
- Margarete Aurin , kindergarten teacher and Montessori teacher (1983)
B.
- Werner Bab , entrepreneur (2006)
- Lotte Backes , composer (1982)
- Jürgen Backhaus , economist (2007)
- Jehuda Bacon , Israeli artist (2012)
- Robert Bär , music teacher (2014)
- Günter Bäumner , local history researcher (1998)
- Hermann Bareiss , Hotelier (2004)
- Ernst Barthels , actor (1957)
- Sabine Bartholomeyczik , Nursing Scientist (2015)
- Carl-Peter Bauer , doctor (2010)
- Karlheinz Bauer , entrepreneur (1993)
- Thomas Bauer , building contractor (2003)
- Arnulf Baumann , Pastor (1993)
- Herbert Baumann , composer (1998)
- Fritz Baumbach , chess player (2011)
- Albert Baumgartner , meteorologist and forest scientist (1996)
- Brunhilde Baur , publisher (1995)
- Helmut Baur , entrepreneur (1993)
- Ute Baur-Timmerbrink , Austrian occupation child (2017)
- Hermann Becht , opera singer (1999)
- Gerlinde Beck , sculptor (1984)
- Hubert Beck , organist, church music director and university professor (2002)
- Volker Beck , politician (2002)
- Herbert Becke , cultural worker and photographer (2012)
- Franz Beckenbauer , soccer player (1976)
- Helmut Becker , viticulture specialist (1982)
- Heinrich Beerbom , Mayor and City Director of Bramsche (1958)
- Michael Behrendt , Industry Manager (2012)
- Manfred Beilharz , Theater Director, President of the International Theater Institute (2007)
- Hans-Jürgen Seele , District Administrator (CDU) (1989)
- Inge Bell , journalist (2013)
- Matthias Beller , scientist (2006)
- Friedrich Bender , geologist (1972)
- Heinz Friedrich Benner , State Secretary (2003)
- Rolf Benz , entrepreneur (2008)
- Andrea Berg , pop singer (2008)
- Barbara Bergelt , politician (SPD) (2006)
- Dante Bernabei , Luxembourg linguist (1998)
- Eberhard Bernatzki , sports official (football) (1995)
- Walther L. Bernecker , historian (2009)
- Willi Bernhardt , entrepreneur and association official (1994)
- Lioba Betten , Librarian, Publisher (2006)
- Erich Beyreuther , theologian and church historian (1987)
- Hans Bibelriether , forester and conservationist
- Stephan Bickhardt , pastor and civil rights activist (2014)
- Hans Bierbrauer (called Oskar ), draftsman, caricaturist and painter (1980)
- Klaus Biesenbach , art historian and cultural manager (2016)
- Gisela Bill , politician (Bündnis 90 / Die Grünen) (2002)
- Alfred Birnschein , painter and graphic artist (1983)
- Paul Bischoff , composer, conductor and choir director (2008)
- Elke Mascha Blankenburg , conductor and music historian (1999)
- Immanuel Bloch , physicist (2005)
- Elsa Blöcher , local history researcher (1976)
- Joachim Blüher , art historian (2020)
- Reiner Blumentritt , politician and local researcher (2013)
- Manfred Bode , armaments industrialist (2007)
- Hans Bollinger , educator and musician (2008)
- Johann Max Böttcher , entrepreneur and philanthropist (1981)
- Wolfgang Bogen , inventor and entrepreneur (1976)
- Friedrich von Bömches , painter, graphic artist, photographer (1987)
- Hans Günter Bömeke , politician (SPD)
- Hermann Bontjer , politician (SPD) (2007)
- Heinz-Josef Bontrup , economist (2018)
- Jürgen Borgwardt , association official (2004)
- Egon Boshof , historian and local researcher (2009)
- Gerhard Boß , theologian and author (1984)
- Hans-Joachim Bormeister , Forstmann (1999)
- Freimut Börngen , astronomer (2006)
- Cord Bothe , politician (CDU)
- Hans-Hermann Braess , Engineer, Head of Research BMW (1999)
- Ulrich Bracker , President of the Bavarian Chamber of Notaries (2007)
- Heiner Brand , national coach of the national handball team (2007)
- Rolf Brand , Aikidoka (1977)
- Karlheinz Brandenburg , co-inventor of the MP3 format (2006)
- Franz Brandl , miner (1951)
- Horst Brandstätter , entrepreneur, managing director of Playmobil (1993)
- Austen Peter Brandt , German-British-Nigerian pastor (2011)
- Helmut Brandt , jazz musician (2000)
- Rolf Braun , Carnivalist (1995)
- Dagmar Braun , entrepreneur (2010)
- Frederik Braun , entrepreneur (2010)
- Gerrit Braun , entrepreneur (2010)
- Norbert Braun , entrepreneur (2010)
- Walter Braun , educator, politician and home nurse (1973)
- Eberhard Brecht , politician (2008)
- Rudi Brehm , trade unionist (1979)
- Erich Breiding , entrepreneur (1986)
- Gisela Breitling , painter and art historian (2001)
- Fred Breinersdorfer , screenwriter and film producer (2014)
- Susanne Breit-Keßler , clergyman (2005)
- Werner Breitwieser , politician (2008)
- Willi Breuer , soccer coach (2007)
- Gertrud von den Brincken , poet and writer (1982)
- Werner Brinkmann , board member of Stiftung Warentest (2011)
- Christoph Broelsch , physician (1991)
- Manfred Broy , computer scientist (1996)
- Hedwig Brüchert , historian (2018)
- Peter Brühl , physician (2009)
- Maike Bruhns , art historian (2013)
- Hans Buchheim , political scientist (1969)
- Wilhelm Buckermann , politician, mayor of Rees (1993)
- Jürgen Budday , teacher, church music director, conductor (1998)
- Hermann Bühlbecker , entrepreneur (2004)
- Ruth Bühren-Gamb , politician (SPD)
- Christian Büttrich , German Studies and Librarian (2001)
- Hans Buhmann , politician (CDU) (1985)
- Fritz B. Busch , journalist (1993)
- Wolfgang Buhr , politician (1986)
- Hans Burggraf , politician (CDU) (1989)
- Adolf Burkhardt , pastor and Esperantist (1992)
- Karin Burmeister , women activist and politician (Greens) (2016)
- Willi Burth , cinema pioneer (1989)
- Hellmuth Butenuth , automobile manufacturer (1968)
C.
- Hans Carstens , politician (FDP, CDU) (1971)
- Roland A. Caspary , film politician (1989)
- Ralph Caspers , TV presenter (2019)
- Gertrude Cepl-Kaufmann , literary scholar (2013)
- Cha Bum-kun , South Korean soccer player (2019)
- Sabine Christiansen , TV journalist (2002)
- Otto H. Ciliax , naval officer (1986)
- Lamar Joseph Conner , Aviation Clerk (2011)
- Rainer Conrad , lawyer (2007)
- Heinrich Conrads , sports official (2008)
- Eckart Cordes , bookseller (1994)
- Karl Corino , journalist (2003)
- Hermann Creutzenberg , politician (CDU)
D.
- Gerhard Dann , politician (SPD) (1990)
- Paul Damjakob , cathedral organist at Würzburg Cathedral (2003)
- Wilhelm Damwerth , writer (1974)
- Erich Dauzenroth , educator
- Manfred David , politician and financial specialist (2006)
- Werner HA Debler , pedagogue, administrative officer and local researcher (2001)
- Kurt Dedich , travesty artist (2014)
- Heide Degen , politician (CDU) (1990)
- Hannes Demming , actor, author and translator (2018)
- Thomas Denter , Abbot of Marienstatt (1996)
- Walter Desch , sports official (2008)
- Guido Dessauer , author, art patron and collector (2008)
- Friedrich Dieckell , entrepreneur and patron (2005)
- Jürgen Dieckert , sports official and sports scientist (1996)
- Joachim Diederichs , photo journalist (1981)
- Ulrike M. Dierkes , journalist and author (2007)
- Hans Dieter , landscape painter and poet (1956)
- Hans-Heinrich Dieter , General of the Bundeswehr
- Donald B. Dingwell , Canadian geologist (2013)
- Siegfried Dinsel , television technician and tennis official (2001)
- Heinrich Dittmar , historian (1994)
- Harald Dörig , Richter (2007)
- Ernst Dorn , Senior Director of Studies, local researcher (1991)
- Ilona Dörr , politician (2010)
- Walter Dörr , electrical engineer, university professor and politician (2005)
- Paul Dotzert , politician
- Richard Drautz , politician (FDP) (2003)
- Karlheinz Drechsel , music journalist and cultural manager (2004)
- Wolfgang Drechsler , social scientist and government advisor (2005)
- Detlev Drenckhahn , doctor (2009)
- Christian Drosten , virologist (2005)
- Rudolf Ducke , entrepreneur (1984)
- Eberhard Dünninger , politician (ödp), General Director of the Bavarian State Libraries
- Bashir Ahmad Dultz , Sufi Shekh (2008)
- Hans Jörg Duppré , politician (2010)
- Heinz-Josef Durstewitz , pastor and civil rights activist (2006)
- Gerhard Dust , entrepreneur (2007)
- Franz Josef Düwell , judge (2017)
- Klaus Düwel , German and Scandinavian Medievalist (2014)
E.
- Doris Ebbing , Mayor of Hemer (1999)
- Hermann Ebeling , journalist (1956)
- Werner Eberth , lawyer and local researcher (1997)
- Ludger Edelkötter , composer, music teacher and publisher (2014)
- Rupert Egenberger , curative educator, founder of special education in Bavaria (1954)
- Martin Egg , local poet (1986)
- Rolf Eggert , LZB President (2007)
- Dieter Egner , politician (SPD) (2014)
- Ludwig M. Eichinger , Linguist (2014)
- Bernhard Eichkorn , pastor, Esperantist (2008)
- Johannes Eidt , artist 2012
- Gerhard Emig , politician and lawyer (1994)
- Günter Emig , clergyman (1987)
- José Luís Encarnação , computer scientist (1983)
- Erich Endlein , pastor (2001)
- Horst Walter Endriss , tax advisor (2008)
- Horst Engel , politician, Member of the State Parliament (2007)
- Leopold Engleitner , Austrian persecuted under Nazi regime (2007)
- Klaus Englert , lawyer (2009)
- Karl Heinz Engelin , sculptor (1980)
- Ralph Erbar , pedagogue and history teacher (2017)
- Joske Ereli , Israeli founder of the partnership between Tamar and Bad Kissingen (2009)
- Edmund Erlemann , clergyman (1985)
- Michael Ermrich , politician (2010)
- Heimo Ertl , English specialist and sculptor (2004)
- Jürgen Eschert , Canoeist and Sports Manager (2002)
- Michael Esken , politician, Mayor of Hemer (2007)
- Klaus Evertz , politician (1985)
- Wolfgang Ewer , Lawyer (2018)
F.
- Karl Fall , Development Worker (2011)
- Günter Faltin , economist and entrepreneur (2010)
- Hans-Lothar Fauth , restaurateur and politician (1995)
- Marko Feingold , Holocaust Survivor (2019)
- Heinz Feldhege , politician, Honorary Mayor of Mönchengladbach (1992)
- Jochen Feldmann , physicist (2001)
- Erika Fellner , politician (SPD) and dean (2003)
- Valentin Peter Feuerstein , painter (1990)
- Fritz Feyerherm , rugby player, referee and sports official (2005)
- Rudolf Fiebich , college teacher (2013)
- Bernd Fiedler , sports official (2011)
- Walter Fink , patron of new music (2007)
- Artur Fischer , entrepreneur, inventor (1968)
- Dieter Fischer , politician (CDU) (1990)
- Julia Fischer , biologist (2016)
- Julia Fischer , violinist (2016)
- Ute Fischer , politician (SPD) (2008)
- Werner Fischer , goldsmith and artist (1979)
- Werner Fischer , mechanical engineer and university lecturer (2005)
- Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau , singer (1958)
- Michael Fischl , politician (2001)
- Peter Fissenewert , lawyer (2012)
- Hellmut Flashar , Classical Philologist (1994)
- Jutta Fleck , "The Woman from Checkpoint Charlie" (2009)
- Walter Flemmer , author, television journalist and television director (1991)
- Günter Fleskes , politician (SPD) (1998)
- Erika Fleuren , politician (2003)
- Joseph Focke , veterinarian and politician (1969)
- Karl Föster , member of the Pax Christi
- Käthe Franke , politician (2001)
- Peter K. Fraps , military doctor
- Walter Freivogel , gymnast, gymnastics official and referee (1985)
- Elisabeth Frenzel , literary scholar (1997)
- Horst Frerking , veterinarian and university lecturer (2011)
- Ute Freudenberg , singer (2008)
- Erwin Freytag , author and theologian (1986)
- Hans Fricke , resistance fighter (2011)
- Volker Friedberg , gynecologist and university lecturer (1989)
- Engelbert Friedhoff , surgeon (1999)
- Margot Friedlander , Holocaust survivor (2011)
- Hans-Günter Friese , pharmacist (1996)
- Juliane von Friesen , business lawyer and politician (1999)
- Alfons Friderichs , deacon and heraldist (2004)
- Lykke Friis , Danish political scientist (2009)
- Bernhard Fritz , politician (2010)
- Jochen-Konrad Fromme , politician (2009)
- Meinhard Füllner , politician (2002)
- Cornelia Funke , author of young adult books (2008)
- Maria Furtwängler , actress and doctor (2003)
G
- Dietmar Gaiser , journalist (1999)
- Volker Gallé , writer, songwriter and cultural manager (2015)
- Tschinag Galsan , chief of the Tuwins, German-speaking writer (2002)
- Klaus Gamber , liturgical scholar (1989)
- Adolf Gandner , politician and district administrator (1963)
- Ovidiu Ganț , Romanian German politician (2008)
- Johannes Ganz , politician (CDU) (1993)
- Claus Theo Gärtner , actor (2006)
- Rudolf Garlichs , politician (1973)
- Rolf D. Gassen , politician (1999)
- Willi Gayler , Forstmann (1996)
- Wilhelm Gegenfurtner , Vicar General and Provost (2005)
- Wolfgang Grupp , entrepreneur (2019)
- Ulrich Gehre , journalist and art historian (1987)
- Gerd Geismann , politician (2003)
- Hans W. Geißendörfer , director, author and film producer (2015)
- Martin Geisz , educator and author (2010)
- Gabriele von Gemmingen-Guttenberg , politician (2010)
- Stefan Gemmel , writer and reading promoter (2007)
- Mevlüde Genç , victim of the Solingen arson attack (1996)
- Herbert Gerisch , entrepreneur and politician (CDU) (1971)
- Agnes Gerlach , women's rights activist (1966)
- Rüdiger Geserick , entrepreneur (2012)
- Carl Friedrich Gethmann , philosopher (2006)
- Alois Gillitzer , folk musician (2005)
- Gerhard Glaser , Monument Conservationist (1998)
- Iris Gleicke , politician (SPD) (2009)
- Gisela Gneist , victim of the SED dictatorship and chairwoman of a victims' association (2006)
- Richard Goedeke , mountaineer and author (2011)
- Peter Gola , legal scholar and politician (FDP) (1998)
- Kurt Goldammer , religious scholar (1988)
- Hans-Michael Goldmann , politician (FDP) (2009)
- Hartmut Goldschmidt , physician (2005)
- Friedhelm Golücke , historian (2008)
- Bernd Gökeler , club official (2019)
- Rüdiger Görner , literary scholar (2017)
- Magdalena Götz , university professor (2010)
- Wolfgang Götzer , politician (CSU) (1997)
- Wilfried Gräfling , firefighter (2019)
- Reinhard Grätz , politician (2010)
- Christoph Greiff , politician (CDU) (1990)
- Horst Kurt Greim , theologian (2003)
- Virginia Wangare Greiner , Kenyan social worker (2006)
- Wolfgang Gremmel , handball referee and official (2015)
- Georg Christof Florian Greve , founder of the Free Software Foundation Europe (2010)
- Matthias Griebel , local history researcher (1995)
- Monika Griefahn , politician (SPD) and environmental activist (2018)
- Heinz Gries , entrepreneur (2004)
- Uwe Karsten Groß , church musician (1995)
- Volker Grub , lawyer (1999)
- Herbert Gruhl , politician and environmentalist (1991)
- Wilfried Grunau , engineer and geodesist (2011)
- Gerald Grusser , functionary (2006)
- Peter Gülke , conductor, musicologist and music writer (2017)
H
- Hermann Haarmann , communications historian (2016)
- Wilhelm Haarmann , District Administrator (1969)
- Ernst Otto Haas , politician (CDU) (1975)
- Herbert Haas , environmentalist (2003)
- Marius Haas , diplomat (1999)
- Hartmut Haenchen , conductor (2008)
- Peter Haberer , politician (CDU) (1979)
- Alfred Habermann , German-Czech blacksmith and metal sculptor (2001)
- Matthias Habich , actor (2009)
- Karl Hubert Hagen , politician (2010)
- Alma Hagenbucher , entrepreneur (1988)
- Wolfgang Maria Hagl , Abbot of the Benedictine Abbey of Metten Monastery (2012)
- Klaus Hähnel , music teacher and founder of the Gotha Children's Choir (2004)
- Herbert Hainer , Manager (2008)
- Hubertus Halbfas , theologian and religious educator (2012)
- Arthur Handtmann , entrepreneur (1978)
- Ewald Hanstein , Sinti functionary (2006)
- Eberhard Hamer , economist (1986)
- Sabine Hamer , politician (SPD) (1996)
- Klaus Hammer , politician (SPD) (2008)
- Rainer Ute Harms , politician (CDU) (1982)
- Rolf Haufs , author (2007)
- Alfred Hausser , resistance fighter (2003)
- Cornelius Häußermann , church musician (2016)
- Dunja Hayali , TV presenter (2018)
- Wolfgang M. Heckl , biophysicist (2008)
- Hannes Hegen , graphic artist and comic artist (2010)
- Heinz-Gerd Hegering , computer scientist and university lecturer (2004)
- Annelise Heigl-Evers , psychoanalyst (1992)
- Erwin Heim , politician (1954)
- Karl-Heinz Heimann , sports journalist (1992)
- Joachim Heinzl , engineer (2009)
- Dietrich von Hein , Bundeswehr veterinarian (1984)
- Helmut Heine , industrial clerk (2010)
- Josef Heinen , Art Dealer and Righteous Among the Nations (1970)
- Maren Heinzerling , engineer (2009)
- Gunter Heise , entrepreneur (1999)
- Eberhard Heiße , youth evangelist (1997)
- Karl Helbig , explorer, geologist, ethnologist, travel writer, ship heater (1988)
- Klaus Held , philosopher (2002)
- Matthäa Held , religious sister (1987)
- Walter Hellmich , football functionary and building contractor (1997)
- Rudolf Heltzel , painter, sculptor (1994)
- Johann Anton Hemberger , politician, mayor of Heusenstamm (1977)
- Karl Hemberger , sports official (1974)
- Johannes Hengstenberg , entrepreneur (2009)
- Hans-Günter Henneke , politician (2014)
- Rainer Hennig , pastor and environmental officer (2006)
- Manfred Hepperle , dialect poet and cabaret artist (2011)
- Eva Herlitz , author and art initiator (2019)
- Klaus Herlitz , entrepreneur (2019)
- August Herold , vine grower (1965)
- Joachim Herrmann , politician (2010)
- Wolfgang A. Herrmann , chemist and university reformer (1997)
- Eduard Herterich , painter (1985)
- Heinz Hesdörffer , Holocaust survivor (2018)
- Peter Julius Hesse , businessman (1994)
- Willy Hesse , entrepreneur and chamber official (2003)
- Anton Heuberger , physicist (2007)
- Georg Heuberger , museum founder (2006)
- Adolf Heuken , author, promoter of German-Indonesian friendship (2008)
- Peter von der Heydt Freiherr von Massenbach , politician and bank manager
- Jörg Hieber , retailer, Chairman of the Edeka Supervisory Board (2006)
- Irmela Hijiya-Kirschnereit , Sinologist, Japanologist (1995)
- Frank Hirsch , music teacher and choir director (2001)
- Jakob Hirsch , Israeli lawyer and State Secretary (2012)
- Hermann Höllenreiner , Roma and Survivor of the Porajmos (2013)
- Rolf-Peter Hoenen , board member of the HUK-COBURG insurance group (2007)
- Gerd Höfer , politician (2016)
- Dieter Hoffmann-Axthelm , freelancer, urban planner (2006)
- Eckart Höfling , Franciscan (2007)
- Herbert W. Hofmann , sports official (1987)
- Horst-Klaus Hofmann , founder of the Young Christians Offensive (1990)
- Martin Hoffmann , student resistance in the GDR (2008)
- Karl Friedrich von Hohenzollern , Head of the House of Hohenzollern (2009)
- Monika Hohlmeier , politician (1988)
- Hermann Höhn , pastor (1987)
- Ulrike Holler , radio journalist (2001)
- Karl Hopfner , sports official (2018)
- Christian Höppner , musician (2001)
- Hartmut Horst , escape helper (2010)
- Helmut Hoyer , Rector of the FernUniversität in Hagen (2005)
- Dietmar von Hoyningen-Huene , process engineer and university lecturer (1994)
- Rudolf Hruschka , teacher and local history researcher (1956)
- Hans G. Huber , entrepreneur (2004)
- Michaela Huber , psychotherapist (2008)
- Wolfgang Huber , environmental doctor (2000)
- Margit Hudelmaier , Chairwoman of the Federal Association of Thalidomide Victims (2010)
- Uwe Hück , trade unionist (2017)
- Andreas Hüneke , art historian (2013)
- Heinz Hürten , Modern Age and Church Historian (1989)
- Wolfgang Huss , publisher (2001)
- Michael Hüther , economist (2009)
- Christel Hüttemann , Chairwoman of the Association for the Promotion of Children with Cancer, Münster (2010)
- Friedrich Ernst Hunsche , writer, linguist, local history researcher, genealogist (1981)
- Friedrich Hutter , Director of Studies (1985)
- Moritz Hunzinger , CEO (1999)
I.
- Karl Ingenerf , politician (CDU) (1972)
- Hans Ingwersen , politician (CDU) (1975)
J
- Ursula Jetter , writer and poet (2018)
- Werner Jacob , organist and composer (2003)
- Uwe Jacobi , journalist (2005)
- Gisela Jahn , doctor (2004)
- Hajo Jahn , journalist, chairman of the Else-Lasker-Schüler-Gesellschaft (2003)
- Wolfgang Jähnichen , engineer and transport scientist (2014)
- Hans-Hermann Jansen , musician (2011)
- Horst Werner Janssen , Captain and Shipowner (1992)
- Anton Jatsch , politician (1990)
- Hans-Werner Jarosch , Air Force General (1984)
- Ernst-Alfred Jauch , journalist (1971)
- Hans-Joachim Jentsch , politician (1990)
- Jürgen Jentsch , politician (1997)
- Eike Jessen , computer scientist (1993)
- Erwin Jöris , resistance fighter (2002)
- Werner Jorns , archaeologist (1990)
- Reinhardt Jünemann , logistician (1987)
- Andreas Jürgens , politician (Alliance 90 / The Greens) (2003)
- Herbert Jüttemann , engineer and technology historian (2008)
- Franz Jung , Grand Dean of the County of Glatz (2001)
- Hartmuth Jung , Bank Manager (2019)
- Detlef Junker , historian (2010)
- Hermann Junack , Forstmann (1983)
- Eva-Maria Jung-Inglessis , church historian (2001)
- Hugo Jung , communications manager (1990)
- Friedrich-Wilhelm Junge , actor (1995)
K
- Jörg Kaehler , actor, director, theater manager (2012)
- Axel Kahrs , writer (2015)
- Johannes Kahrs , politician (SPD) (2010)
- Roland Kaiser , pop singer (2016)
- Gisela Kallenbach , Member of the European Parliament (2001)
- Walter Kalot , sculptor and cultural activist (1995)
- Berta Kals , artist (2002)
- Alice Kaluza , dancer (2007)
- Heidi Kang , Germanist (2006)
- Erich Kapitzke , environmental activist (1978)
- Joseph Kastenbauer , dentist and politician (1997)
- Jonas Kaufmann , opera singer (2016)
- Manfred Kaufmann , doctor (2011)
- Reinhard Kaufmann , politician (2008)
- Sylvia-Yvonne Kaufmann , politician (2009)
- Zülfiye Kaykin , politician (2007)
- Annelie Keil , sociologist and health scientist (2004)
- Sibel Kekilli , actress (2017)
- Edith Kellnhauser , Nursing Scientist (2017)
- Edwin Kelm , Chairman of the Landsmannschaft of the Bessarabien Germans (1983)
- Tayfun Keltek , Chairman of LAGA-NRW (2000)
- Dieter Kempf , CEO of DATEV (2008)
- Sebastian Kempgen , Slavicist and university professor (2016)
- Arnold Kempkens , composer (1978)
- Armin Keppel , President of the Federal Railway Authority and the Federal Railway Assets (2007)
- Wolfgang Kermer , art historian and university professor (1984)
- Johannes B. Kerner , moderator (2006)
- Andreas Kieling , nature filmmaker (2015)
- Akif Çağatay Kılıç , Turkish politician (2011)
- Werner Kimmig , television producer (2003)
- Ernst J. Kiphard , sports educator (1990)
- Georg Kirner , adventure traveler, ethnologist and author (1993)
- Max Kirschner , dialect poet, author and local researcher (1987)
- Susanne Klatten , entrepreneur (2005)
- Christoph Kleemann , Pastor (2011)
- Armin Klein , politician (CDU)
- Christoph Kleßmann , historian (2010)
- Peter Kliegel , Catholic pastor (2017)
- Kurt-Gerhard Klietmann , religious scholar (1986)
- Hermann Klingenberg , politician (SPD) (1968)
- Ursula Klinger , high diving trainer (2000)
- Jürgen Klinsmann , soccer coach (2006)
- Vitali Klitschko , boxer (2010)
- Hubertus Knabe , historian (2009)
- Herbert Kober , entrepreneur (1993)
- Ludwig Köbler , politician
- Gertrud Koch , resistance fighter (2011)
- Werner Koch , expert (1985)
- Eberhard von Koerber , Manager and Vice President of the Club of Rome
- Wolfgang Köhnlein , radiation biologist (2009)
- Gerhard Kohnert , furniture manufacturer and politician (1953)
- Ilse Kokula , lesbian researcher (2007)
- Ferdinand Kolberg , foundry engineer (2006)
- René Kollo , singer (1979)
- Norbert Königshofen , politician (CDU) (2009)
- Hermut Kormann , company manager (2007)
- Joachim Korn , radio and television pioneer (1989)
- Franz-Josef Kortüm , Manager (2008)
- Manfred Korytowski , film producer (1998)
- Peter Koslowski , philosopher (2001)
- Josef Köstler , harmonica manufacturer (1952)
- Alois Kottmann , violinist and music teacher (2006)
- Paul Rudolf Kraemer , honorary consul, entrepreneur, patron
- Josef Kraus , teacher (2008)
- Heinz-Dieter Krausch , geobotanist (2006)
- Claudine Krause , teacher (2015)
- Raul Krauthausen , entrepreneur and social worker (2013)
- Henning Krautmacher , musician (2019)
- Klaus Kreppel , historian, director of studies (2007)
- Lutz Kretschmann , politician and AIDS activist (2003)
- Hermann Kreutz , church musician (2015)
- Jürgen Kriz , psychologist and psychotherapist (2020)
- Else Kröner , entrepreneur and founder (1973)
- Horst Krüger , writer (1990)
- Joseph Anton Kruse , literary scholar (1994)
- Leonhard Kuckart , politician (2019)
- Bernhard Kuckelkorn , Mayor (1973)
- Jörg Kudlich , Sudeten German politician and lawyer (1998)
- Günther Kuhn , Mayor (2011)
- Heinz-Wolfgang Kuhn , theologian (1998)
- Christoph Kühn , priest, canon lawyer and papal diplomat (2006)
- Volker Kühn , author, film producer, television and theater director (2007)
- Antje-Katrin Kühnemann , doctor and television presenter (1986)
- Reinhard Kuhnert , educator, English specialist and politician (1990)
- Gerhard Kühnhardt , physician (2008)
- Harald Küppers , colorologist (1990)
- Rudolf Kurz (sculptor) , sculptor (2015)
- Rainer Kussmaul , violinist and conductor (2010)
L.
- Klaus Laepple , Tourism Manager (2007)
- Oliver Lahl , clergyman (2009)
- Sonja Lahnstein-Kandel , founder of the youth initiative step21 (2004)
- Imants Lancmanis , Latvian art historian and restorer (2002)
- Lang Lang , Chinese pianist (2012)
- Bernd Lange , politician (SPD) (2001)
- Ruth Lapide , Jewish religious scholar and historian (2000)
- Oskar Lapp , entrepreneur (1981)
- James Last , composer, conductor, bandleader (1978)
- Mathäus Lauck , politician (1978)
- Vicky Leandros , singer (2015)
- Norbert Leben , farmer and forester (2010)
- Walther H. Lechler , psychiatrist and psychotherapist (1983)
- Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock , naval officer (1974)
- Nicola Leibinger-Kammüller , entrepreneur (2008)
- Jürg W. Leipziger , entrepreneur (2003)
- Vera Lengsfeld , politician (2008)
- Dieter Lenzen , President of the Free University of Berlin
- Verena Lenzen , theologian (2004)
- Ernst Leuninger , theologian
- Hermann Lewen , Festival Director (2011)
- Wolfgang Liebe , pharmacist and patron (2012)
- Aenne Ley , politician
- Jan Josef Liefers , actor (2011)
- Karl Lieffen , actor
- Udo Lindenberg , rock musician (1989)
- Hans Lindner , entrepreneur (1993)
- Christoph Links , publisher (2011)
- Peter Lockemann , computer scientist and university lecturer (2005)
- Friedrich Löchner , educator, poet, author and chess player (1976)
- Ludwig Löhlein , entrepreneur (1951)
- Johann Löhn , Honorary Curator of the Steinbeis Foundation (1996)
- Roland Lowinger , sports official (2010)
- Joachim Löw , national coach of the national soccer team (2010)
- Günther von Lojewski , journalist, director of the broadcaster Free Berlin (2004)
- Siegfried Loose , politician (CDU) (1975)
- Egon Lorenz , lawyer and university lecturer (2007)
- Otto Lührs , physicist and artist (2012)
- Ute Luig , ethnologist (2005)
- Andreas Luiken , politician (1983)
- Gebhard Luiz , clergyman (1989)
- Gisela Lück , teacher (2012)
- Hans Lukas , politician (CSU) (1988)
- Hannibal von Lüttichau , businessman (1980)
- Udo Lumma , politician (1992)
- Heinz Lund , politician (1975)
- Martin Luserke , reform pedagogue and writer (1954)
- Peter Lustig , TV presenter (2007)
- Carl Joseph Luther , ski pioneer, sports journalist and author
M.
- Roland Mack , entrepreneur, managing director of Europa-Park (1999)
- Andreas Maercker , psychologist (2017)
- Peter Maffay , musician (1996)
- Max Hermann Mahlmann , painter (1995)
- Georg Maier , Iberl stage (2001)
- Armin Maiwald , author, director and producer (1995)
- Thomas Mann , politician (2002)
- Werner Marienfeld , pastor (1983)
- Dieter Massin , sports official (2009)
- Giwi Margwelaschwili , translator (2008)
- Joachim Carlos Martini , music researcher and conductor (2002)
- Horst Aloysius Massing , doctor, journalist and politician (2004)
- Leni Matthaei , artist (1963)
- Josef Matzke , Austrian theologian (1958)
- Manfred Maus , entrepreneur (1999)
- Siegfried Mauser , pianist and musicologist (2010)
- Cornelius Petrus Mayer , theologian and university professor (1993)
- Martin Mayer , politician (CSU) (2002)
- Jürgen Mecheels , chemist
- Hartmut Mehdorn , CEO of Deutsche Bahn AG (1982)
- Gerd Mehl , author, documentarist, journalist, mountaineer and sports reporter (1947)
- Hans Mehl , Nuremberg dialect author and musician (1977)
- Ulf Mehrens , disabled athlete (2008)
- Eckhard Meise , historian (2012)
- Hartmut Melenk , Germanist (2008)
- Heiko Mell , HR consultant (2016)
- Arnulf Melzer , biologist (2011)
- Walter Mende , politician, Lord Mayor of Leverkusen (1998)
- Markus Merk , referee (2005)
- Bernd Merkel , dentist (1996)
- Franz-Albrecht Metternich-Sandor , nobleman (2003)
- Guido Meudt , Manager (2006)
- Wolfgang Mewes , business economist, author, cyberneticist (1988)
- Krzysztof Meyer , composer and university professor (2007)
- Wolfgang Michel , Japanologist (2004)
- Wolfgang W. Mickel , political scientist (1979)
- Bernd Mikulin , President of the German Angler Association (2003)
- Horst Milde , politician (1973)
- Billy Mo , musician (2002)
- Steffen Möller , cabaret artist (2005)
- Klaus Peter Möller , politician (CDU) (1989)
- Karl Heinz Mommertz , engineer (2002)
- Ernst-Detlef Mücke , teacher and co-founder of the Gay Teachers Working Group at the GEW (2005)
- Dieter Müllenborn , electrical engineer and entrepreneur (2009)
- Gerd Müller , soccer player (1977)
- Hans Christof Müller-Busch , palliative medicine specialist (2012)
- Heiner Müller-Krumbhaar , physicist (2002)
- Rolf Müller , politician (CDU) (1990)
- Frank Müller-Römer , Technical Director of Bayerischer Rundfunk (1992)
- Sven-David Müller , dietician, diabetes advisor, author and moderator (2005)
- Marius Müller-Westernhagen , musician and actor (2001)
- Ernst Mutschler , pharmacologist (1990)
N
- Kiran Nagarkar , Indian writer (2012)
- Elly-Viola Nahmmacher , sculptor (1994)
- Stanislaw Nawka , physician (2010)
- Carmen Nebel , presenter (2009)
- Evelyne Marie France Neff , politician (SPD) (2003)
- Ernst Neger , singer (1975)
- Rüdiger Nehberg , human rights activist and extreme athlete (2002)
- Silvia Neid , soccer coach (2008)
- Georg Nemetschek , civil engineer, university professor and construction software entrepreneur (2001)
- Winfried Nerdinger , architectural historian (2017)
- Hans Neunhoeffer , chemist, university professor and politician (2007)
- Paul Neumann , translator (2017)
- Heinz Neumüller , entrepreneur and manager (1979)
- Hedwig Neven DuMont , publisher's wife (1998)
- Paul Niedermann , Holocaust survivor (2007)
- Wolfgang Niersbach , sports official (2011)
- Tomasz Niewodniczański , Polish-German entrepreneur (1993)
- Vigdis Nipperdey , Chairwoman of the University Council of the Technical University of Munich (2000)
- Paul Nößler , miner, representative of expellees and politician (1990)
- Josef A. Nossek , German-Austrian university professor, Chairman of the VDE (2008)
- Heinrich Nuhn , contemporary historian and educator (2003)
O
- Rolf Olderog , politician (1978)
- Hellmut Oelert , cardiac surgeon (2003)
- Jan Oltmanns , seaman's deacon (2012)
- Karl Heinrich Oppenländer , economist (1977)
- Gudrun Osterburg , politician (2007)
- Josef Otte , miner and politician (1991)
- Frank Otto , media entrepreneur (2013)
- Hans-Joachim Otto , politician (2010)
- Franz Overkott , elementary school teacher and local researcher
- Hasan Özen (1994)
P
- Siegfried Pabst , entrepreneur (2012)
- Albert Panten , local history researcher (2009)
- Georg Papst , entrepreneur (2011)
- Ulrich Parzany , theologian and pastor (1998)
- Konrad Pätzold , civil engineer (2009)
- Marianne Paus , politician (CDU)
- Gudrun Pausewang , writer (1999)
- Sieghard Pawlik , politician (SPD) (1990)
- Egon Peffekoven , Carnivalist (2003)
- Nossrat Peseschkian , psychotherapist (2005)
- Kurt Peters , dancer and publicist (1987)
- Antje Peters-Hirt , Germanist (2009)
- Anton Peter Petri , historian, folklorist and educator
- Heinz Pfeiffer , artistic cyclist (1962)
- Klaus Pierwoß , theater director (2007)
- Rudi Piffl , table tennis player (1984)
- Gudrun Piper , painter (1995)
- Marianne Pitzen , artist and museum director (1998)
- Sophus Pohl-Laukamp , lawyer and politician (1985)
- Horst Georg Pöhlmann , theologian (2004)
- Erich Ponto , actor (1954)
- Karlheinz Poredda , politician (1988)
- Susanne Porsche , entrepreneur (2008)
- Heinrich Pompeÿ , theologian, social ethicist and Caritas scientist (2006)
- Friedrich Pongratz , sociologist and psychologist (2008)
- Heinrich Poos , composer and music writer (1987)
- Susanne Popp , musicologist (2007)
- Arnold Preuß , actor, director and theater manager (2016)
- Otfried Preußler , author (1973)
- Helmuth Prieß , soldier (1996)
- Kurt Prokscha , conductor (1982)
- Gerd Pützer , politician (CDU) (1996)
Q
- Georg Quedens , photographer and publicist (2009)
- Paul Quirin , association official and politician (2006)
- Eva Quistorp , theologian, political scientist and politician (Bündnis 90 / Die Grünen) (2017)
- Hans Wilhelm Quitzow , scientific activity (1996)
R.
- Andreas Radbruch , immunologist (2008)
- Winfried Radeke , musician (2008)
- Bernd Radig , physicist (1992)
- Rahim Rahmanzadeh , medic (1988)
- Brunhilde Raiser , theologian (2008)
- Norbert Randow , translator (2008)
- Dinah Radtke , translator (2000)
- Janusz Rat , dentist and professional politician (2012)
- Werner Rauh , botanist (1999)
- Hermann Rauhe , musicologist (2006)
- Walter Raum , visual artist (1996)
- Dorothea Countess Razumovsky , publicist (1996)
- Robert Rehm , politician (SPD)
- Günther Reichelt , biologist (1980)
- Eberhard Reichert , lawyer and politician (1999)
- Georg Reichert , dialect poet (1983)
- Armin Reller , chemist (2019)
- Lotte Reimers , ceramist (1999)
- Klaus Reiners , cantor and church musician, (1986)
- Walter Renneisen , actor (2014)
- Friedrich Erwin Rentschler , entrepreneur (1998)
- Silke Reyer , politician (SPD) (1999)
- Mahdi Rezai , medic (2015)
- Stephan Richter , journalist (2000)
- Wolfgang Riedel , geographer (1994)
- Hermann Rieder , sports scientist
- Ulrike Rieder , vaulting official (2008)
- Adolf Riedl , entrepreneur (1986)
- Anke Riefers , politician (SPD) (1993)
- Katja Riemann , actress (2010)
- Andreas Rippert , Head of the Ordnance Disposal Service in Bremen (2008)
- Winfried Rippert , politician (CDU) (1989)
- Günter Riße , theologian (2014)
- Karl Röckinger , District Administrator (2010)
- Helmut Rödl , entrepreneur and university lecturer (2010)
- Hans Röhrs , mining engineer and mining historian (2010)
- Katrin Rohde , development worker in Burkina Faso and author (2001)
- Christa Rohde-Dachser , psychoanalyst (2019)
- Günter Rohrmoser , social philosopher (1998)
- Dieter Rombach , computer scientist (2009)
- Walter Romberg , painter (1967)
- Udo Rönnecke , politician (2009)
- Richard Roosen , mechanical engineer (1966)
- Thomas Röpke , doctor (2011)
- Maria Roppertz , author (1997)
- Anton Rosen , teacher and local researcher (1968)
- Harry Rosin , Medic (2002)
- Kurt Roeske , classical philologist (1997)
- Walter Rosenwald , ministerial official, military historian and religious scholar (1975)
- Roland Rösler politician (CDU) (1990)
- Kurt Rossa , City Director of Cologne
- Inge Rossbach , actress (2010)
- Dirk Roßmann , company founder (1998)
- Diethardt Roth , Bishop of the Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church (2013)
- Hans-Josef Roth , organist, choir director and church music director in Aachen (1986)
- Michael A. Roth , entrepreneur and football official (2002)
- Klaus Rudek , headmaster and journalist (1992)
- Dieter Rümmeli , businessman (2006)
- Godehard Ruppert , President of the Otto Friedrich University Bamberg (2010)
- Petro Rychlo , Ukrainian Germanist, literary scholar and essayist (2012)
S.
- Peter Säckl , politician (1990)
- Markus Sackmann , politician (CSU) (2014)
- Günter Särchen , social pedagogue, publicist, pioneer of German-Polish reconciliation (1993)
- Said , German-Iranian writer and poet (2014)
- Michael Prinz zu Salm-Salm , entrepreneur (2004)
- Hans Hinrich Sambraus , behavioral scientist (2008)
- Armin Sandig , painter and graphic artist, President of the Free Academy of Arts in Hamburg (2002)
- Salvatore A. Sanna , Italian lyric poet (1996)
- Peter Schäcker , journalist (1981)
- Christine Schäfer , soprano (2008)
- Karl-Heinz Schäfer , civil engineer and building contractor (1988)
- Peter Schäfer , resistance fighter (2011)
- Wilhelm Schänzer , biochemist, sports scientist and university lecturer (2018)
- Karljosef Schattner , architect (1997)
- Hans-Jürgen Schatz , actor (2007)
- Ortrud Schaale , teacher (1973)
- Lothar Schall , painter (1994)
- Heinz Ritter-Schaumburg , private scholar and author (1986)
- Siegbert Schefke , journalist and civil rights activist (2005)
- Hermann Scheipers , priest (2002)
- Hansjörg Schellenberger , musician (2018)
- Peter Schelzig , General of the Bundeswehr
- Heinz Schemken , politician (CDU) (2010)
- Donata Baroness Schenck zu Schweinsberg , DRK functionary (2016)
- Marion Schick , business economist, board member of the Fraunhofer Society (2008)
- Carl Schirren , doctor (1973)
- Axel Schimpf , Admiral
- Volker Schimpff , politician (2008)
- Manfred Schlenker , church musician and composer (2017)
- Walter Franz Schleser , diplomat (1990)
- Udo Schlitzberger , District Administrator (1990)
- Friedrich-Wilhelm Schlomann , journalist (1992)
- Elmar Schloter , organist and conductor
- Hein Schlueter , author and editor (1982)
- Helmut Schmezko , politician (SPD) (1984)
- Georg Schmid , politician (CSU) (2012)
- Lothar Schmid , publisher, chess player (1993)
- Harald Schmid , athlete (1989)
- Werner Schmid , entrepreneur (1971)
- Alfons Schmidt , educator, restorer and taxidermist (1982)
- Alfred Schmidt , philosopher (1998)
- Annerose Schmidt , pianist (2003)
- Günther J. Schmidt , entrepreneur, owner of the Togal factory (2006)
- Paul-Rüdiger Schmidt , pastor
- Angelika Schmidt-Koddenberg , sociologist (2009)
- Wolfdietrich Schmied-Kowarzik , philosopher and initiator of the Franz Rosenzweig visiting professorship (1999)
- Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden , conductor and founder of the Tölzer Knabenchor (1983)
- Ruth Schmidt-Niemack , politician (1996)
- Ursula Schmidt-Tintemann , physician (1986)
- Heinz Schmitz , architect
- Richard Schmitz , Hotelier (1998)
- Hermann Schnaufer , Manager (1951)
- Walter Schneeloch , sports official (2011)
- Dieter Schneider , entrepreneur and sports official (2010)
- Eleonore Schneider , politician (CDU) (1968)
- Gisbert Schneider , organ virtuoso (1996)
- Uwe Schneidewind , economist (2020)
- Sybille Schnehage , development worker in Afghanistan (1996)
- Friedrich Wilhelm Schnitzler , entrepreneur, manager and politician (CDU) (1984)
- Ottmar Schoch , psychologist (1997)
- Heinrich Schoeneich , surgeon and humanitarian activist (2006)
- Walter Schöler , politician (SPD) (1990)
- Jürgen Schölmerich , physician (2009)
- Barbara Schöneberger , TV presenter, actress and singer (2015)
- Berndt-Ulrich Scholz , entrepreneur and football official (2004)
- Walter Scholz , musician
- Reiner Schomburg , politician (CDU) (2006)
- Hermann Schoppe , politician (CDU) (1989)
- Gert Schramm , contemporary witness (2014)
- Georg Schreiber , physician and medical journalist
- Günter Schrempp , politician (1986)
- Gustav Schröder , Captain (1957)
- Ulrike Schröder , politician (CDU) (2008)
- Helmut Schröer , Lord Mayor of Trier (2008)
- Hermann Schröter , archivist (1983)
- Josef Schürgers , politician (CDU), Mayor of Viersen (1974)
- Hans Schuierer , politician (SPD) (2005)
- Coco Schumann , musician (1989)
- Ekkehard Schumann , lawyer (1984)
- Wolfgang Schwarz , resistance fighter (2011)
- Michael Schweitzer , lawyer (2010)
- Wolfgang Seeliger , conductor and choir director (2019)
- Peter Sefrin , doctor (1986)
- Franz-Josef Sehr , businessman and fire department official (2015)
- Franz W. Seidler , historian (1978)
- Alfred Seppelt , chess official (1990)
- Manfred Sexauer , moderator (2000)
- Mitsuko Shirai , singer and university lecturer (2009)
- Dieter Sieger , architect and designer (2018)
- Anil Singhal , physician (1989)
- Johannes Singhammer , politician (2010)
- Michael Sladek , doctor (2004)
- Walter Sollbach , fishing association official (2006)
- Jos Som , Mayor of Kerkrade (2007)
- Hans-Peter Sommer , politician (2008)
- Egon Sommerfeld , politician (2013)
- Willy Sommerfeld , silent film pianist and composer (2006)
- Burkhardt Werner Sonnenstuhl , co-initiator of the organic bread box (2006)
- Leopold Spaeth , politician (CDU) (1978)
- Claus Spahn , author and television editor (2001)
- Walter Spahrbier , postal worker and television statistic (1980)
- Franz-Josef Spalthoff , Manager (1979)
- Peter Spary , lobbyist (1983)
- Dieter Spath , ergonomist (2008)
- Friedrich Specht , psychiatrist (1985)
- Albert Speer Jr. , Architect and urban planner (2006)
- Michael Speth , rower and gardener (2013)
- Marga Spiegel , contemporary witness (2010)
- Peter Spranger , educator and historian (1990)
- Gerd Springe , Manager (2007)
- Volker Staab , architect (2008)
- Walter Staffa , functionary, expellee (1984)
- Eduard Stanglmeier , meat and sausage manufacturer (1958)
- Karl Starzacher , politician (1989)
- Witold Stankowski , Polish historian and university professor (2018)
- Herbert Steffen , entrepreneur (1994)
- Marie-Elisabeth Steffen , politician, wine queen (1989)
- Wolfgang Steffen , composer (1981)
- Klaus Steinbrück , orthopedist and sports medicine specialist (2005)
- Reinhard Steinlein , theologian and pastor, superintendent (2002)
- Fritz Steinmetz , athlete, sports official and sports historian (2004)
- Werner Stengel , roller coaster designer (2009)
- Raimund Walter Sterl , musician, music historian and archivist (2008)
- Jochen Stern , author (2009)
- Rüdiger Sterzenbach , university lecturer, sports functionary, entrepreneur and politician (CDU) (2004)
- Martin Stevens , politician (SPD) (1996)
- Michael Stich , tennis player (2008)
- Leopold Stiefel , entrepreneur (2008)
- Meinolf Stieren , politician (CDU) (1988)
- Hans Stimmann , architect and urban planner (2009)
- Manfred Stock , horticulturist and environmentalist (1986)
- Rupert Stöckl , painter (1992)
- Barbara Stollberg-Rilinger , historian (2007)
- Reinhard Stollreiter , choir director (1993)
- Barbara Stolterfoht , politician (2005)
- Gabriele Stötzer , writer and artist (2013)
- Hermann Strangemann , businessman (1977)
- Wolfgang Stratenwerth , business and professional pedagogue (1988)
- Max Straubinger , politician (2009)
- Reinhard Strecker , political activist (2015)
- Hans-Joachim Stricker , Vice Admiral (2010)
- Ulrich Strombach , sports official (2009)
- Edith Strumpf , politician (FDP) (1992)
- Rashid Sunyaev , physicist (2010)
- Arno Surminski , writer and journalist (2016)
- Bernhard Suttner , politician (ÖDP) (2012)
- Wolfgang Suwelack , entrepreneur (2009)
- Eva Szepesi , Holocaust survivor and contemporary witness (2017)
T
- Eilert Tantzen , forester, local researcher and local politician (1987)
- Veye Tatah , computer scientist and journalist (2010)
- Monika Taubitz , writer (2014)
- Teruaki Tayama , Japanese lawyer (1995)
- Werner Teich , inventor of three-phase current technology in locomotives
- Fritz Theilen , resistance fighter (2011)
- Heinrich Thies , author and language politician (2014)
- Jakob Tholund , high school teacher and writer (1991)
- Arnold Tölg , politician (1982)
- Hans-Joachim Tonnellier , Bank Manager (2007)
- Klaus Toyka , neurologist and music patron (2010)
- Gerhard Trabert doctor and author (2004)
- Walter Trapp , educator and association official
- Wolfgang Trapp , engineer (1983)
- Christel Trautmann , politician (SPD) (1989)
- Dieter Trautwein , theologian (1989)
- Evelinde Trenkner , pianist and piano teacher (2013)
- Thilo von Trotha , lawyer and speechwriter (2009)
- Theodor Thürmer , Forstmann (1962)
U
- Bernhard Uhde , theologian (2008)
- Beate Uhse , flight pilot and mail order company (1989)
- Roland Ulmer , publisher (2000)
- Paul Ulrich Innocence , Doctor (2007)
- Katja Urbatsch , founder of Arbeiterkind.de and author (2018)
- Peter Ustinov , actor (1984)
V
- Donata Valentien , landscape architect (2014)
- Eduardo Vargas Herrera , Chilean architect (1975)
- Herman van Veen , Dutch musician, writer and actor (1999)
- Karl-Heinz Vehring , administrative lawyer (2008)
- Burkhart Veigel , escape helper (2012)
- Dunja Vejzovic , singer (2010)
- Wilhelm Venn , police officer
- Julius Viel , journalist (1983)
- Joe Viera , saxophonist and jazz teacher (1999)
- Jürgen Vocke , lawyer, hunting officer and politician (2011)
- Albert Vogel , disabled educator (2007)
- Alfred Vogelsänger , photographer (1995)
- Lothar Voigtländer , composer (2015)
- Georg Volk , doctor, homeopath and writer (1981)
- Fritz Vollbracht , politician (1972)
- Eggert Voscherau , Industry Manager (2008)
- Norbert Voss , writer and cultural officer (1979)
- Jens-Peter Voss , diplomat (2013)
W.
- Irmtraut Wäger , Chairwoman of the German Tibet Aid Association (1986)
- Bernd Wagner , criminalist and extremism researcher (2014)
- Christean Wagner , politician (CDU) (1991)
- Gert G. Wagner , economist and social scientist (2008)
- Hermann-Josef Wagner , energy researcher and university lecturer (2010)
- Jutta Wagner , family lawyer and notary (2013)
- Rainer Wagner , theologian (2004)
- Wilhelm Wagner , agricultural engineer and politician (2007)
- Erika Wahlbrink , hairdresser and professional official (2018)
- Otto Wahl , Old Testament scholar (1994)
- Frauke Walhorn , politician (SPD) (2000)
- Sasha Waltz , choreographer, dancer and opera director (2011)
- Loretta Walz , filmmaker (2006)
- Kristin Wardetzky , theater pedagogue, author and editor (2015)
- Sigrid Warnicke , politician (SPD) (1998)
- Gerhard Wattenberg , District Administrator of the Herford District (1987)
- Helmut Weber , doctor (1991)
- Manfried Weber , politician (SPD) (2008)
- Michael Weber , politician (SPD) (1982)
- Wolfgang Weber , soccer player and ambassador for the Special Olympics (2011)
- Ulli Wegner , boxing trainer (2010)
- Karlheinz Weimar , politician (CDU) (1991)
- Joachim Weckmann , entrepreneur (2003)
- Hans-Jürgen Wegener , Forstmann (1995)
- Max Wegner , archaeologist (1992)
- Hans Weidtman , banker (1959)
- Birgit Weihrauch , medical doctor and State Councilor (2011)
- Manfred Weil , painter and author (1995)
- Joachim Weiß , police officer and trade unionist (1993)
- Werner Weißbrodt , graphic designer and university lecturer (1999)
- Jens Weißflog , ski jumper (1996)
- Lotte Weitbrecht , publisher (1967)
- Fritz Weithas , founder of the public observatory in Neumarkt in the Upper Palatinate (1975)
- Traudl Well , folk musician (2006)
- Maria von Welser , journalist (1996)
- Karl Wendel , restaurateur (1987)
- Peter Wensierski , writer, journalist and documentary filmmaker (2012)
- Sabine Werth , social worker and founder of the Tafel (2003)
- Wilfried Wessel , politician (1992)
- Willi Wessel , politician (1996)
- Hiltrud Wessling , senior citizen interest representative (1980)
- Jens Weymann , politician (2011)
- Paul Wieandt , bank manager
- Dietrich Wiebe , geographer and politician (SPD) (1998)
- Reinhard Wieczorek , politician (2011)
- Rainer Wieland , politician (CDU) (2009)
- Friso Wielenga , Dutch historian (2015)
- Norbert Wieselhuber , management consultant (2010)
- Joachim Wiesensee , politician (CDU) (2009)
- Arthur Wiesner , state actor (1958)
- Rosemarie Wilcken , politician, mayor of Wismar (1999)
- Reinhard Wilhelm , Scientific Director of the Informatics Center Schloss Dagstuhl (2010)
- Rolf Alexander Wilhelm , film composer (1993)
- Eberhard Wille , economist (2009)
- Joachim Wille , journalist (2015)
- Ron Williams American actor, voice actor, singer and presenter (2004)
- Ben Willikens , artist and university professor (2001)
- Günther Willmann , radio presenter (2003)
- Heinz Winkler , Koch (2001)
- Rotraut Wisskirchen , archaeologist (2010)
- Helmut Witt , radiologist (1992)
- Friedrich-Carl Wodarz , politician (2008)
- Jürgen O. Wöhler , lawyer and manager (2009)
- Dagmar G. Wöhrl , politician (CSU) (2008)
- Harald Wohlfahrt , cook (2004)
- Hanna Wolf , politician (SPD) (2000)
- Hans Wolf , mathematician (2004)
- Karl Dietrich Wolff , publisher (2010)
- Hellmut Wormsbächer , choirmaster, composer and conductor (1995)
- Johannes Wosnitza (1908–1995), pastor (1985)
- Herbert Wurster , historian (2012)
- Alois Würstle , missionary in Brazil (2009)
- Christoph Wyneken , violinist and conductor (2003)
Y
- Ranga Yogeshwar , television editor (2007)
- Gülistan Yüksel , politician (SPD) (2007)
Z
- Boris Zabarko , historian (2009)
- Hermann Zahn , entrepreneur (IBELO lighters) from Sulzbach am Main (1972)
- Walter Zahradnik , German physicist and university professor (1999)
- Frank Zander , musician (2002)
- Hermann Zeit , University President, University Professor (1984)
- Theo Zellner , District Administrator of the Cham district, President of the Bavarian District Assembly (1999)
- Christian Zickelbein , co-founder of the German Chess Youth (2004)
- Erwin Zillenbiller , agricultural scientist (1987)
- Christoph Zenger , computer scientist (2001)
- Christoph Zenses , doctor (2018)
- Arkadi Zenzipér , pianist and music teacher (2020)
- Richard Zettler , conductor, musician and music teacher (1981)
- Fritz Zimmerer , entrepreneur, district fire inspector, fire department official (1990)
- Achim Zimmermann , conductor and choir director (2015)
- Eduard Zimmermann , TV presenter (1977)
- Frank Peter Zimmermann , violinist (2008)
- Olaf Zimmermann , publicist (2020)
- Stefan Zimmermann , lawyer (1996)
- Berta Zirn , community nurse (1961)
- Hanns Zischler , actor, dramaturge, director, speaker, photographer, translator and essayist (2011)
- Claus Zoege von Manteuffel , art historian (1980)
- Bernd Zorn , engineer, master mechanic (2011)
- Tilman Zülch , Society for Threatened Peoples (2002)
- Klaus Zürner , painter (2010)
- Annette Zwahr , historian (2007)
- Winfried Zylka , politician (2007)
Merit Medal
- Jeanette Biedermann , actress (2011)
- Martin Blankemeyer , filmmaker (2019)
- Wolf Böhringer , chess player and problem composer (2004)
- Hansjörg Bräumer , theologian, pastor and author (2004)
- Ulrich Brinkhoff , photographer and author (1968)
- Marianne Buggenhagen , disabled athlete (2010)
- Fritz Bultmann , choir director and composer (2011)
- Safter Çinar , Migration Officer of the German Trade Union Confederation (2005)
- Gisela Deckert , biologist, conservationist (2010)
- Hatune Dogan , monastery nurse and head of the aid organization "Helfende Dinge" (2010)
- Jürgen Domian , journalist and presenter of the telephone talk show Domian (2003)
- Fritz Drechsler , jockey (1990)
- Matthias Ettrich , computer scientist (2009)
- Aloys Felke , entrepreneur and politician (1995)
- Franz Felke , entrepreneur (1971)
- Edith Franke , politician and table founder (2005)
- Agnes Giesbrecht , writer (2009)
- Klaus Rainer Goll , poet (2010)
- Rolf Görner , local history specialist (2007)
- Saliou Gueye , German-Senegalese migration and development politician (2014)
- Klaus Gundelach , editor, publishing director and conservationist
- Renate Gröpel , politician (2007)
- Heiner Grub , Forester and Politician (SPD) (2019)
- Cosma Shiva Hagen , actress (2015)
- Roman Haller , entrepreneur and author (2004)
- Wolke Hegenbarth , actress (2011)
- Uda Heller , politician (2010)
- Dietmar Helm , water polo player, sports official and social worker (2009)
- Ulf von Hielmcrone , lawyer, author and politician (2007)
- Josef Hißmann , author (1982)
- Michael Hull , dancer and dance teacher (2013)
- Werner Jacob , organist and composer (1992)
- Peter Jüngling , police officer, local history researcher and LGBT activist (2015)
- Emina Čabaravdić-Kamber , Bosnian journalist and artist (1996)
- Monika Kampmann , singer-songwriter (2004)
- André Knöfel , amateur astronomer (2004)
- Wolfgang Köppe , artist (2005)
- Fadumo Korn , women activist (2011)
- Hans-Jürgen Kütbach , Mayor (1999)
- Klaus Kuhlen , Bundeswehr officer (1981)
- Josef Lidl , graphic artist, author, musician and local history specialist (1975)
- Hans-Peter Müller , musician (2009)
- Ariane Müller-Ressing , economist and actor in refugee work (2018)
- Heinrich Ostrop , politician (1984)
- Horst F. Pampel , local history researcher (2001)
- Jana Pavlik , politician (2008)
- Frauke Petry , entrepreneur and politician (2012)
- Albert Plohnke , Operations Manager (2001)
- Helmut Plüschau , politician (2007)
- Shary Reeves , actress, presenter and producer (2016)
- Georg Ried , moderator (2018)
- Erna Roder , painter (2007)
- Birgit Schrowange , presenter (2008)
- Martin Schwab , folk musician (1984)
- Heinrich Seißler , teacher and politician (1986)
- Albert Siebenmorgen , photographer, painter, local researcher and teacher (1976)
- Friederike Sittler , journalist and theologian (2009)
- Eduard Stapel , civil rights activist and LGBT activist (1996)
- Michael Trein , official of the Landsmannschaft of the Transylvanian Saxons (2000)
- Erna de Vries , concentration camp survivor (2006)
- Karin Wolff , translator (1997)
- Clemens Youngblood , priest and educator (2018)
- Stefanie Zweig , writer (1993)
Level / expression unclear
See category: Wikipedia: Bearer of the Federal Cross of Merit (expression unclear)
Denied, returned and revoked Federal Merit Crosses
Acceptance of the Federal Cross of Merit rejected
- Karl Adler
- Ilse Aichinger
- Gottfried Amann
- Sabine Ball
- Ludwig Baumann
- Heinrich Boell
- Inge Deutschkron
- Erika Drees
- Ossip K. Flechtheim
- Elisabeth Forck
- Aenne Franz
- Marianne Fritzen
- Rolf Gerich
- Barbara Gladysch
- Rudolf Graber
- Karl Graf
- Günter Grass ( Hanseatic rejection )
- Monika Hauser
- Kurt Heimbucher
- Hans-Olaf Henkel (Hanseatic rejection)
- Florence Hervé
- Heidi Kabel (Hanseatic rejection)
- Wilhelm Kähler
- Hermann Kesten
- Annie Kienast
- Sarah Kirsch
- Hans-Ulrich Klose (Hanseatic rejection)
- Helmut Knauer
- Ingrid Köppe
- Julius Lehlbach
- Siegfried Lenz (Hanseatic rejection)
- Kay Lorentz
- Lore Lorentz
- Horst Ludwigsen
- Franz Marx
- Hanna Meyer-Moses
- Inge Meysel
- Otto Mueller
- Rudolf Müller
- Philipp Pless
- Jan Philipp Reemtsma (Hanseatic rejection)
- Barbara von Renthe-Fink
- Horst-Eberhard Richter
- Fritz Rodewald
- Margarete Rudoll
- Helmut Schmidt (Hanseatic rejection)
- Ernst Schmidt
- Fritz Sennheiser
- Gerhard Steiff
- Heinrich Vollmer
- Ernst Wilm
- Konrat Ziegler
Federal Cross of Merit returned
Large Federal Cross of Merit
- Hermann Conring , politician (awarded 1964, returned 1965)
- Karl Gerold , journalist (awarded 1967, returned 1969)
- Will Quadflieg , actor (awarded 1976, returned 1986)
- Klaus Zumwinkel , Manager (awarded 2001, returned 2009)
- Theo Zwanziger , sports official (awarded in 2012, returned in 2019)
Federal Cross of Merit 1st class
- Max Beer , journalist (awarded 1957, returned 1958)
- Eugen Ewig , historian (awarded 1985, returned 1991)
- Arno Hamburger (awarded 1989, returned 2009)
- Peter Hartz , Manager (awarded 2002, returned 2007)
- Hilmar Pabel , journalist (returned 1987)
- Wolfhart Pannenberg , theologian (awarded 1987, returned 1997)
- Theo Zwanziger , sports official (awarded 2005, returned in 2019)
Federal Cross of Merit on ribbon
- Volker Klenk , politician (awarded 1980, returned 2010)
- Alisa Fuss , educator and human rights activist (awarded 1992, returned 1993)
Merit Medal
- Irmela Mensah-Schramm , human rights activist (awarded 1996, returned 2000)
Level unknown
- Wolfram Hülsemann , theologian (awarded 1991, returned 1993)
- Gerold Janssen , environmentalist (awarded 1993, returned 1995)
- Ignes Ponto , musician (awarded 1988, returned 2008)
- Walter Stallwitz , painter (awarded in 1993, returned in 1994)
- Jürgen Vietor , copilot of the Lufthansa plane "Landshut" hijacked in 1977 (returned in 2008)
Federal Cross of Merit revoked
- Heinrich Bütefisch (awarded 1964, revoked 1964)
- Hans Ernst Schneider alias Hans Schwerte (awarded 1983, revoked 1995)