Famous People in Augsburg, Germany

Roy Black (1943-1991)
Born in 1943 in Bobingen-Straßberg near Augsburg as Gerhard Höllerich, the later German pop singer and music film actor became known under his stage name Roy Black. He had spent his entire youth in the Fuggerstadt and completed his Abitur at the local Holbein-Gymnasium.

Bertolt Brecht
(1898-1956)
Bertolt Brecht was born in Augsburg. Brecht, one of the most influential German playwrights of the 20th century, is also considered the founder of epic or dialectical theater.

David von Augsburg (around 1200-1272)
This monk, saint and mystic was born around the year 1200 in Augsburg.

Adriaen de Vries (around 1545 / 1560-1626)
The main work of this Dutch sculptor includes two of Augsburg’s three magnificent fountains: the Hercules and Mercury fountains.

Jakob Fugger the Rich (1459-1525)
Born in Augsburg, he was the richest and most influential merchant in Europe during his lifetime. The Fugger, who came from a trading family, laid the foundation for the later world significance of the Fugger family.

Hans Werner Geißendörfer (born 1941)
We owe this native Augsburg no less than the infinite TV series “Lindenstrasse”.

Hans Holbein the Elder (around 1465-around 1524)
Holbein, who was both born and died in Augsburg, was one of the most important German painters of the Middle Ages.

Hans Holbein the Younger (1497 / 1498-1543)
Born in Augsburg, he distinguished himself as an important German painter who is counted among the most important artists of the Renaissance.

Elias Holl (1573-1646) In
1646 the early baroque master builder, who also distinguished himself for the construction of the Augsburg town hall, died in his native Augsburg.

Martin Luther (1483-1546)
The inevitable Martin Luther also has something to do with Augsburg. In 1518 he had to defend himself at the Augsburg Reichstag because of his theses. During his stay he lived in the monastery of St. Anna.

Jürgen
Möllemann
(1945-2003)
Möllemann, who died in an accident in 2003, was a German politician of the FDP. From 1987 to 1991 he was Federal Minister for Education and Science, then Federal Minister for Economics until 1993 and finally German Vice Chancellor from 1992 to 1993.

Leopold Mozart (1719-1787)
Leopold Mozart – the father of the musical genius Wolfgang Amadeus – was born in Augsburg. He was a composer himself and created especially church and instrumental music.

Maria Anna Thekla Mozart (1758-1841)
Born in Augsburg, she was the addressee of her cousin Wolfgang Amadeus. The correspondence with Thekla, known as “Bäsle”, is one of the most unusual in music history.

Jacob Paix (1556-1623)
This future conductor, organist, organ builder and composer was born in Augsburg in 1556. He also excelled as a publisher.

Mietek Pemper (born 1920)
Initially, the name will not mean anything to many people. But it was he who drew up the so-called “Schindler’s List”, on which 1200 forced laborers were named, which the entrepreneur Oskar Schindler then requested. With that, Schindler saved their lives. Pemper has lived in Augsburg since 1958 and has been an honorary citizen of the city since 2007.

Magda Schneider (1907-1996)
Romy Schneider’s mother, who died in Berchtesgaden in 1996, was an actress herself. She was born in Augsburg.

Magda Schneider

Simpert (around 750-807)
The Bishop of Augsburg, who died in Augsburg in 807, is the third patron saint of the city and the diocese of Augsburg.

St. Afra (d. 304)
This early Christian martyr, who was canonized in 1064, was venerated as early as the early Middle Ages. She is one of the patron saints of Augsburg.

St. Ulrich (890-973)
This bishop in Augsburg became famous for his influential role in the fight against the Hungarians and their eventual defeat in the battle on the Lechfeld near Augsburg. He is one of the three patron saints of Augsburg.

Konstantin Freiherr von Schaezler (1827-1880) Schaezler,
who was born in Augsburg in 1827, was a Catholic theologian and acted as an advisor to the First Vatican Council.

Elmar Wepper (born 1944)
Often seen at Uschi Glas’ side, Wepper – who was born in Augsburg – is still active as an actor and voice actor.

Matthias Kneißl (1875-1902)
The basically criminal Kneißl was already during his lifetime – especially among the Bavarian small farmers – a kind of folk hero, as he was considered a fighter against the authorities. He was sentenced to death by the jury court in Augsburg for the murder of two police officers and beheaded on February 21, 1902.
A film adaptation, directed by Bavaria’s Marcus H. Rosenmüller, entitled “Räuber Kneißl”, about the life and death of Mathias Kneißl, premiered on June 24, 2008 at the 26th Munich Film Festival.