List of people related to Mainz

This is a list of notable people who were born in or associated with Mainz.

Sons and daughters of the town

(chronological list)

• around 780, Rabanus Maurus, † 856, a Benedictine monk, and archbishop of Mainz. He was the author of the encyclopaedia On the Nature of Things.
• (c. 960 -1040? or 1028?) Gershom ben Judah, also commonly known by the longer title "Rabbeinu Gershom Me'Or Hagolah" ("Our teacher Gershom the light of the exile"), a famous Talmudist and Halakhist.
• around 1397, Johannes Gutenberg (also Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden), † February 3, 1468 in Mainz, a goldsmith and inventor. He achieved fame for his invention of the technology of printing with movable types during 1447.
• ? Johann Fust († 1466 in Paris), an early German printer, assistant and investor of Gutenberg. Together with Peter Schöffer he founded a printshop.
• 1488, Otto Brunfels, a German theologian and botanist. Carl von Linné listed him among the "Fathers of Botany".
• 1674, Friedrich Carl von Schönborn († 1746), bishop of Bamberg and Würzburg (1729–46).
• 1716, Count Johann Franz Raymond Kasimir Anton Joseph Peter (May 19, 1716- † October 3, 1775), Knight of Teutonic Order, Privy Councilor, General Feld Zeug Meister, and "Governor of Mainz".
• 1739, Philipp Franz Wilderich Nepomuk Graf von Waldersdorf, † 21. April 1810 in Bruchsal, Fürstbishop of Speyer 1797-1810.
• 1745, Ludwig Fischer, † July 19, 1825 in Berlin, opera singer.
• 1749, February 20, Georg Karl Ignaz Freiherr von Fechenbach zu Laudenbach, † April 9, 1808 in Werneck near Würzburg, Prince-Bishop of Bamberg and Würzburg 1800-08.
• 1750, Wolfgang Heribert von Dalberg, † September 28, 1806 in Mannheim, chamberlain of Worms and intendant of the theatre at Mannheim.
• 1766, Johann Martin Manl, † October 15, 1835 in Eichstätt, Bischop of Speyer 1827-35 and Bishop of Eichstätt 1835.
• Ferdinand Ochsenheimer (1767–1822) was a German stage actor and entomologist (lepidopterist).
• 1770, Heinrich Anton Hoffmann, † January 19, 1842 in Frankfurt am Main, composer (concerts, chamber music etc.).
• 1775, September 28, Johann Adam von Itzstein, † September 14, 1855 in Hallgarten, politician and member of the Frankfurt Parliament.
• 1779, October 8, Johann Baptist Ziz, † December 1, 1829, botanist.
• 1780, Johann Adam Ackermann,† 1853, landscape painter.
• 1791, Franz Bopp, 1867 in Berlin, German linguist, author of comparative studies on Indo-European languages.
• 1798, March 7, Hermann Umpfenbach, † 1862 March 16, mathematician.
• 1800, Johann-Joseph Krug, † 1866. He established Champagne Krug in Reims in 1843.
• 1805, Ida, Countess von Hahn-Hahn was a German author and founder of a nunnery.
• 1811, Josef Kling, was a German chess master and chess composer.
• 1815, November 21, Karl Ludwig Bernays, Marxist journalist
• 1817, Christoph Moufang, † 1890 in Mainz, diocesan administrator of Mainz 1877-86.
• 1822, Joseph Gottsleben, † 1888, printer and publisher, established the "Mainzer Anzeiger".
• 1823, Ludwig Bamberger, † 1899 in Berlin, was an economist, publicist and politician. He took part in the republican rising in the Palatinate and Baden; it was chiefly owing to him that a gold currency was adopted and that the Reichsbank took form.
• 1824, Peter Cornelius, † 1874 in Mainz, composer, writer about music, poet and translator.
• 1826, Paul Stumpf, † March 15, 1912 in Mainz, politician and entrepreneur.
• 1835, Paul Haenlein, † 1905 in Mainz, was an engineer and flight pioneer. He flew in a semi-rigid-frame dirigible.
• 1838, in Mainz, Charles Hallgarten, † 1908 in Frankfurt am Main, was a banker and philanthropist.
• 1839, Adolphus Busch, † 1913 was the cofounder of Anheuser-Busch.
• 1846, Ferdinand Becker, † 1877, painter of religious subjects.
• 1849, May 29, Lorenz Adlon, † April 7, 1921, established Hotel Adlon in Berlin.
• 1850, March 4, Ludwig Lindenschmit the younger, † July 1922 in Mainz, prehistorian and painter.
• 1858, July 2, Georg Heinrich Maria Kirstein, † April 15, 1921 in Mainz, bishop of Mainz 1904-21.
• 1861, January 20, Albanus Schachleiter, † June 20, 1937 in Feilnbach, Abt.
• 1883, Emil Preetorius, † 1973 in Munich, painter and scenic designer, 1948 - 1968 president of the Bayerischen Akademie der Schönen Künste.
• 1883, Adolf Reinach, German philosopher, phenomenologist (from the Munich phenomenology perspective) and law theorist.
• 1871, Oskar Heinroth, Ornithologist.
• 1873, Rudolf Rocker, † 1958 in Mohegan/Maine (USA); was an anarcho-syndicalist writer, historian and prominent activist.
• 1878, Karl Friedrich Zörgiebel, † 1961, police president in Berlin, SPD politician.
• 1888 Alfred Mumbächer, † 1953 in Mainz, landscape painter.
• 1888, 17 November, Curt Goetz, † 12 September 1960 in Grabs/St. Gallen (Switzerland), Schriftsteller ("Der Lügner und die Nonne", "Das Haus in Montevideo"), playwright, film director.
• 1892, 6 January Ludwig Berger originally Ludwig Bamberger, † 1969 in Schlangenbad, film director, Shakespeare interpreter.
• 1899, 27 August, Hans Wilhelmi, † 5 June 1970 in Frankfurt am Main, Bundesminister für wirtschaftlichen Besitz des Bundes (1960–1961).
• 1900, Anna Seghers, † 1983 in Berlin (East), writer ("Das siebte Kreuz").
• 1901, Walter Hallstein, † 1982 in Stuttgart, politician and professor (Hallstein Doctrine) (1950–1951).
• 1904, 30 December, Edith Schultze-Westrum, † 20 March 1981 in München, actress ("Die Brücke", D 1959, "Jeder stirbt für sich allein", Hans Fallada 1962).
• 1909, 14 January, Ernst Neger, † 15 January 1989 in Mainz, singer ("Heile, heile Gänsje", "Rucki-Zucki").
• 1914, 11 December, Toni Hämmerle, † 8 December 1968 in Mainz, composer, pianist, organist ("Humba-Täterä", "Gell du hast mich gelle gern").
• 1914, 25 December, Konrad Georg, † 8 September 1987 in Hamburg, actor ("Kommissar Freytag", "Tim Frazer").
• 1916, Ferdy Mayne, † 1998 in London, actor.
• 1919, 15 August, Maria Mucke, singer during Wirtschaftswunder times ("Heut ist ein Feiertag für mich").
• 1920, 11 November, Walter Scherf, † 2010 Märchen researcher.
• 1924, 6 November, Otto Höpfner, 1. landlord of the "Blauer Bock", singer, actor, conférencier, author.
• 1924, 11 December, Heinz Schenk, †2014, actor, singer ("Es ist alles nur geliehen"), Moderator ("Zum blauen Bock"), text writer ("Ole, ole Fiesta").
• 1935, 4 October, Horst Janson, actor ("Der Bastian", Sesamstraße).
• 1938, 25 February, Dieter Reith, composer (TV-melodies), band leader.
• 1941, 2 January, Johannes Gerster, politician.
• 1942, 18 April, Jochen Rindt, † 1970 Austrian racing driver.
• 1947, 31 December, Gerhard Ludwig Müller, bishop of Regensburg, since 2002.
• 1961, 6 December, Manuel Reuter, race car driver.
• 1968, Anja Gockel, fashion designer.

Honorary citizens

(47 since 1831)

Chronological list:

• 1831: Dr. Georg Moller, Regierungsbaumeister (first honorary citizen)
• 1834: Emmanuel von Mensdorff-Pouilly, vice governor of the federal fortress Mainz
• 1835: Albert Thorvaldsen, Danish/Icelandic sculptor, creator of the Gutenbergdenkmal
• 1839: Wilhelm Freiherr von Müffling, gen. Weiß, vice governor of the federal fortress Mainz
• 1839: Prince Wilhelm of Prussia, vice governor of the federal fortress Mainz
• 1856: Reinhard Carl Friedrich von Dalwigk, Hessian territory commissioner in the federal fortress Mainz
• 1864: Franz Xaver von Paumgartten, vice governor of the federal fortress Mainz
• 1864 to 1866 Prinz Prince Charles of Prussia was governor of Mainz
• 1871: Heinrich Karl Waldemar zu Schleswig-Holstein Sonderburg-Augustenburg, vice governor of the federal fortress Mainz
• 1875: Leopold Hermann von Boyen, governor of the federal fortress Mainz
• 1877: Philipp Veit, romantic painter, director of the municipal gallery at Mainz
• 1878: Dr. Karl Georg Friedrich Schmitt, evangelical theology
• 1883: Wilhelm von Woyna, governor of the federal fortress Mainz
• 1886: Freiherr Edmund Gedult von Jungenfeld, Kaufmann, ehrenamtlicher Leiter der Mainzer Sparkasse
• 1891: Jakob Hochgesand, physician, director of the St. Rochus-Hospital
• 1891: Friedrich Küchler, administrative director of the province Rheinhessen
• 1898: Dr.jur. Carl Rothe, administrative director of the province Rheinhessen, Ministry of Internal Affairs within the Grand Duchy of Hesse
• 1905: Stefan Karl Michel, politician, vice president chamber of commerce
• 1905: Hermann Reinach, local politician, deputy mayor of Mainz
• 1907: Dr. Karl Georg Bockenheimer, local politician, historian, writer
• 1908: Max von Gagern, administrative director of the province Rheinhessen
• 1915: Ferdinand Albert Friedrich Kuhn, Hessian government building officer, deputy mayor of Mainz
• 1927: Dr. Heinrich Ludwig Müller, children physician, local politician and deputy mayor of Mainz
• 1931: Dr. Friedrich Karl Külb, physician, lord mayor of Mainz
• 1934: Prof. Dr. Heinrich Joseph Maria Schrohe, teacher and local historian
• 1936: Prof. Dr. Ernst Neeb, archivist, historian and promoter of the conservation of ancient monuments
• 1951: Wilhelm Christ, communal politician, founder of the Wohnungsbau GmbH in Mainz
• 1955: Alfred Freitag, local politician, founder of local social associations
• 1957: Prof. Dr. Aloys Ruppel, historian, director of the municipal library, municipal archives and the Gutenberg museum, Gutenberg researcher
• 1962: Carl Zuckmayer, author
• 1962: Prof. Dr. Adam Gottron, priest, theologian and historian regarding sacred music
• 1964: Félix Kir, catholic priest, resistance fighter and politician
• 1965: Dr. Peter Altmeier, first prime minister of Rhineland-Palatinate, co-founder of the Second German Television
• 1965: Prof. Dr. Hermann Reifenberg, catholic priest
• 1969: rector Karl Preller, rector parent house of the Congregation of the Sisters of Divine Providence in Finthen
• 1969: Heinrich Dreibus, local politician and deputy mayor of Mainz
• 1970: Dr. Ludwig Strecker, director of Schott Music, publisher
• 1972: Prof. Dr. Ing. Fritz Strassmann, chemist who, along with Otto Hahn, and Lisa Meitner discovered the nuclear fission of uranium in 1938
• 1975: Hermann Kardinal Volk, Bishop of Mainz
• 1979: Paul Distelhut, local politician
• 1981: Marc Chagall, painter, created nine stained-glass windows in St. Stephan Mainz
• 1981: Anna Seghers, originally Netty Rádvany, geb. Reiling, author
• 1983: Prof. Dr. Karl Holzamer, first director general (Intendant) of the ZDF
• 1984: Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Erich Schott, chemist and glass technologist and the inventor of borosilicate glass (Schott Glass).
• 1989: Jockel Fuchs, lord mayor
• 2001: Karl Kardinal Lehmann, Bishop of Mainz
• 2004: Karl Delorme, local politician
• 2005: Msgr. Klaus Mayer, catholic priest at St. Stephan

Other people related specially to Mainz

Scientists

• Johann Joachim Becher (1635–1682), was a physician, alchemist, precursor of Chemistry, scholar, economist and adventurer.
• Johann Georg Adam Forster naturalist, ethnologist, travel writer, journalist and revolutionary. Played a leading role in the Republic of Mainz 1793.
• Johann Fischer von Waldheim, was a German anatomist, entomologist and paleontologist.
• Victor Mordechai Goldschmidt (1853–1933), was a German mineralogist, crystallograph, nature philosopher, art collector and sponsor.
• Gustav Killian (1860–1921) was a German laryngologist
• Romano Guardini (* 1885 in Verona, † 1968 in München), was a Roman Catholic priest, author, and academic.
• Fritz Strassmann (* 22 February 1902 in Boppard; † 22 April 1980 in Mainz) was a chemist who, along with Otto Hahn, discovered the nuclear fission of uranium in 1938.
• Otto Laporte, (1902–1971) physicist.
• Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Fresenius (* 17 July 1913 in Berlin; † 31 July 2004 in Wiesbaden) was a chemist and established Institute Fresenius
• Helmut Schoeck (1922–1993) was an Austrian-German sociologist and writer, best known for his work "Envy.
• Paul J. Crutzen, is a Dutch Nobel prize winning atmospheric chemist at the Max-Planck-Institut in Mainz
• Herbert Kühn, prehistorian, art historian, philosopher and religious studies (* 29 April 1895 Beelitz; 25 June 1980 Mainz), 1946 first ordained Professor for Pre-and Early history at the relaunched Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, until 1956.
• Ludwig Lindenschmit the Elder (* 4 September 1809 in Mainz; † 14 February 1893 in Mainz) was an important prehistorian, a pioneer of prehistorian research during the 19th century, history painting, Lithography.
• Ludwig Lindenschmit the Younger (* 4 March 1850 in Mainz; † 20 July 1922 in Mainz), prehistorian, museum director and painter, son of the above
• Heinrich Steitz (* 1907 in Fürfeld; † 1998 in Mainz), Professor for History of Christianity
• Wolfgang Seiler, biogeochemists and climatologists

Politicians

• Nero Claudius Drusus, Consul of the Roman Empire („Drusus-Cenotaph“ in the Zitadelle)
• Didius Julianus, Roman Emperor, commanded the Legio XXII Primigenia in Mogontiacum
• Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexander, Roman emperor (222-235) of the Severan dynasty.
• Ulpius Cornelius Laelianus was a usurper against Postumus, the emperor of the Gallic Empire. He declared himself emperor at Mainz in February/March 268.
• Anton Heinrich Friedrich von Stadion, Grand Steward at the electoral court, advocate of the Enlightenment
• Jean Bon Saint-André, was a French politician of the Revolution era, became préfet of the départment of Mont-Tonnerre (1801) and commissary-general of the three départments on the left bank of the Rhine.
• Bernhard Adelung, politician
• Ludwig Schwamb (1890–1945) was a social-democratic jurist and politician who fought against the Nazi dictatorship in Germany as a member of the Kreisau Circle.
• Raymond Schmittlein, was a French general and politician, re-established the University of Mainz
• Johannes Gerster, politician
• Helmut Kohl, politician
• Susanne Wasum-Rainer, diplomat, Germany’s Ambassador to France (since 2012)
• view: List of mayors of Mainz

Architecture, art and culture

• Hans Backoffen, (* Sulzbach um 1470, † Mainz 1519), kurfürstlicher Steinmetz und Bildhauer
• Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, Jurist, Mathematiker und Philosoph. Von 1667 - 1674 in Diensten Johann Philipps von Schönborn
• Maximilian von Welsch (* Kronach 1671, † 1745 in Mainz), electoral director of building, architect, military engineer, famed for his skill in both designing fortifications as well as civil architecture (Lustschloss Favorite Mainz, New Armory Mainz)
• Ludwig Lindenschmit the Younger (1850–1922), important prehistorian
• Christian Heinrich Kleukens (1880–1954), printer and writer
• Emy Roeder (* 1890 in Würzburg, † 1971 in Mainz), sculpturer, sine 1950 teacher at the Mainzer Kunstgewerbeschule
• Herbert Kühn (* 29 April 1895 in Beelitz - 25 Juni 1980 Mainz, prehistorian, philosoph, Religious studies, history of arts studies
• Gertrude Degenhardt (* 1 Oktober 1940 in New York, (NY)), Lithography and graphic artist
• Alois Plum (* 1935), stained glass artist
• Margret Hofheinz-Döring (* 20 May 1910, in Mainz; † 18 June 1994 in Bad Boll), painter and graphic artist

Literature

• Marianus Scotus (* 1028, † 1082), Irish chronicler
• Kathinka Zitz (1801–1877), was a German writer and political activist.
• Siegmund Salfeld (1843–1926) was a German rabbi and writer.
• Gerd Buchdahl (1914–2001), was a German-Jewish philosopher of science.
• Harald Martenstein, author, columnist at Die Zeit (* 9 September 1953 in Mainz)
• Hanns-Josef Ortheil, Mainz town chronist
• Friedrich Kellner (* 1885, † 1970), author of My Opposition.

Sports

• Katrin Schultheis, world champion 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012 artistic cycling
• Sandra Sprinkmeier, world champion 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012 artistic cycling
• Jürgen Klopp, soccer coach
• Martin Steffes-Mies, Mainzer Ruder-Verein, fourfold rowing world champion octuple (8x) (1989, 1990, 1991, 1993)
• Jochen Rindt, racing driver, posthumously won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship (in 1970)
• Martin Schmidt, soccer coach

Economy

• Salomon Oppenheim, Jr., (1772–1828) was a Jewish German banker. He is the founder of the private bank Sal Oppenheim.
• Lorenz Adlon created the most luxurious hotel of his time, the Hotel Adlon
• Dr. Hans Friderichs, Bundesminister a. D.
• Beatrice Weder di Mauro, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Chair of International Macroeconomics Wirtschaftsweise

Religion

• refer to Bishop of Mainz
• Archbishopric of Mainz
• Yaakov ben Yakar (990 - 1064) was a Talmudist, pupil of Gershom ben Judah, and is especially known as the teacher of Rashi
• Yehuda ben Meir (also known as Yehuda ha-Kohen or Judah of Mainz was a German-Jewish rabbi, Talmudic scholar and traveler of the late 10th and early 11th century
• Karl von Miltitz (1490–1529) was a papal nuncio and a Mainz Cathedral canon.
• Johann Michael Raich, was a Catholic theologian.
• Adam Franz Lennig (1803–1866), ultramontanist, established in March 1848 the Piusverein and organized the first Katholikentag

Music, canto

• Heinrich von Meißen, called Frauenlob, was a Middle High German poet and Minnesinger. Since 1312 up to his death 1318 at Peter von Aspelts court in Mainz.
• Gottfried Weber (1799–1839) was a prominent writer on music, especially music theory.
• Peter Cornelius, composer, writer about music, poet and translator.
• Gerhard Fischer-Münster, composer
• Gundula Krause, Folk violinist
• Nanette Scriba, chanson singer
• Jutta Weinhold, rock singer
• Tonka, House music disc jockey and record producer
• Josef Traxel (1916–1975), singer
• Aziza Mustafa Zadeh, Azerbaijani singer, pianist and composer
• Wolf Hoffmann, lead guitarist for Accept
• Tony Carey (American Rock musician and singer)

Cabaret, comedian, carnivalist

• Hanns Dieter Hüsch, cabaret artist
• Herbert Bonewitz, carnival, cabaret artist
• Rolf Braun, carnival

Military

• Louis Baraguey d'Hilliers
• Franz von Weyrother
• Karl Freiherr von Thüngen

Others

• Marx Rumpolt, personal chef to the Elector of Mainz, in 1581 wrote the first textbook "Ein New Kochbuch" (A New Cookbook) for professional cooks.
• Johannes Wilhelm Bückler, called Schinderhannes (*Miehlen im Taunus 1783, † Mainz 1803 (persecuted)), legendary German outlaw
• Hans Wagner (* Wittenberg 1852, † Frankfurt am Main 1940), Philatelist
• Paul Baron von Collas (* Bromberg 1841; † Kassel 1910), military governor of Mainz (1898–1903)

Sources

• Wolfgang Balzer: Mainz, Persönlichkeiten der Stadtgeschichte. Kügler, Ingelheim 1985–1993.
  • Bd. 1: Mainzer Ehrenbürger, Mainzer Kirchenfürsten, militärische Persönlichkeiten, Mainzer Bürgermeister. ISBN 3-924124-01-9
  • Bd. 2: Personen des religiösen Lebens, Personen des politischen Lebens, Personen des allgemein kulturellen Lebens, Wissenschaftler, Literaten, Künstler, Musiker. ISBN 3-924124-03-5.
  • Bd. 3: Geschäftsleute, epochale Wegbereiter, Baumeister, Fastnachter, Sonderlinge, Originale. ISBN 3-924124-05-1.