Famous 21st Century German Writers

Vote for Your Favourite 21st Century German Writers

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 1 
Michael Haneke
(Film director, Screenwriter, Writer, University teacher)
Michael Haneke
4
Birthdate: March 23, 1942
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Munich

Award-winning Austrian film director and screenwriter Michael Haneke, who teaches film direction at the Film Academy Vienna, is best-known for films like The Piano Teacher, Caché, The White Ribbon and Amour. Haneke has made films in English, French and German, and mostly deals with subjects that examine social issues and portrays feelings of individuals facing social alienation in modern society.

 2 
Margot Frank
(Second World War victim)
Margot Frank
9
Birthdate: February 16, 1926
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Frankfurt am Main, Hesse, Germany
Died: March 9, 1945
 3 
Christine Kaufmann
(First German Actress to Win the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year)
Christine Kaufmann
4
Birthdate: January 11, 1945
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Lengdorf, Styria, Austria
Died: March 28, 2017

German-Austrian actress, author, and businesswoman Christine Kaufmann gained attention of post-war German movie audiences with her performances in films like Rosen-Resli, Der schweigende Engel and Ein Herz schlägt für Erika. She became the first German to be honoured with Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress for her performance in the drama film Town Without Pity.

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 4 
Günter Grass
(German Novelist & Nobel Prize Laureate, Best Known for His 1959 Novel, 'The Tin Drum')
Günter Grass
3
Birthdate: October 16, 1927
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Free City of Danzig, Poland
Died: April 13, 2015

Günter Grass was a German novelist, illustrator, graphic artist, poet, playwright, and sculptor. A much revered and decorated writer, Grass was honored with the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature in 1999. Over the course of his illustrious career, Günter Grass won many other awards, including the Georg Büchner Prize and the Hermann Kesten Prize.

 5 
Judith Kerr
(Writer and illustrator whose books sold more than 10 million copies around the world)
Judith Kerr
4
Birthdate: June 14, 1923
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Berlin, Germany
Died: May 22, 2019
 6 
Martin Schulz
(German Politician)
Martin Schulz
3
Birthdate: December 20, 1955
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Eschweiler
 7 
Blixa Bargeld
(German Musician)
Blixa Bargeld
3
Birthdate: January 12, 1959
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Berlin, Germany
 8 
Gunnar Kaiser
(German Writer, Teacher, YouTuber, and Political Blogger)
Gunnar Kaiser
3
Birthdate: 1976 AD
Birthplace: Cologne, Germany
 9 
Sigmar Gabriel
(German Politician)
Sigmar Gabriel
3
Birthdate: September 12, 1959
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Goslar
 10 
Cornelia Funke
(German Author of Children's Fiction Best Known for Her Novels: ‘The Thief Lord’ and ‘Dragon Rider’)
Cornelia Funke
4
Birthdate: December 10, 1958
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Dorsten, Germany

Named to Time 100 in 2015, Cornelia Funke is a German children’s author who soared to fame with her best-selling novels The Thief Lord and Dragon Rider before achieving international fame with her Inkheart novel series. She has previously been a social worker, a board-game designer, and an illustrator.

 11 
Wolfgang Beltracchi
(Art forger, Artist, Painter, Sculptor, Writer)
Wolfgang Beltracchi
3
Birthdate: February 4, 1951
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Höxter

German art-forger and artist Wolfgang Beltracchi gained notoriety for his involvement in an international art scam where he forged paintings of famous artists like Max Ernst, Fernand Léger, Heinrich Campendonk, and Kees van Dongen and sold them to make profits that surpassed $100m. Beltracchi and his wife, Helene, were found guilty and were given six-year and four-year prison terms respectively.

 12 
Jennifer Teege
(Writer)
Jennifer Teege
5
Birthdate: June 29, 1970
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Munich, Germany
 13 
Sabine Hossenfelder
(Author)
Sabine Hossenfelder
4
Birthdate: September 18, 1976
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Frankfurt, Germany
 14 
Ursula Haverbeck
(Writer)
Ursula Haverbeck
4
Birthdate: November 8, 1928
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Winterscheid, Gilserberg, Germany
 15 
Jack Barsky
(Writer)
Jack Barsky
3
Birthdate: November 13, 1949
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Reichenbach, Upper Lusatia, Germany
 16 
Patrick Süskind
(Writer, best know for his novel Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, first published in 1985)
Patrick Süskind
3
Birthdate: March 26, 1949
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Münsing, Germany
 17 
Petra Hammesfahr
(Writer)
Petra Hammesfahr
3
Birthdate: May 10, 1951
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Erkelenz, Germany
 18 
Konstanze von Schulthess
(Author)
Konstanze von Schulthess
4
Birthdate: January 27, 1945
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Frankfurt an der Oder, Germany
 19 
Hito Steyerl
(Filmmaker)
Hito Steyerl
4
Birthdate: January 1, 1966
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Munich, Germany
 20 
Iris Berben
(Actress)
Iris Berben
4
Birthdate: August 12, 1950
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Detmold, Germany
 21 
Katrin Himmler
(Author)
Katrin Himmler
4
Birthdate: 1967 AD
Birthplace: Dinslaken, Germany
 22 
Eckhart Tolle
(Spiritual Teacher and Self-Help Author Known for His Works ‘The Power of Now’ and ‘A New Earth’)
Eckhart Tolle
6
Birthdate: February 16, 1948
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Lünen, Germany
Spiritual and self-help writer Eckhart Tolle is best known for his bestselling books The Power of Now and A New Earth. He collaborated with Oprah Winfrey, appearing in 10 live webinars and was also named to Oprah’s SuperSoul 100. He also launched Eckhart Teachings and the website Eckhart Tolle TV.
 23 
Niklas Frank
(German Journalist and Author)
Niklas Frank
3
Birthdate: March 9, 1939
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Munich
 24 
Guido Westerwelle
(German Politician)
Guido Westerwelle
3
Birthdate: December 27, 1961
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Bad Honnef
Died: March 18, 2016
 25 
Thomas Gottschalk
(Radio host)
Thomas Gottschalk
3
Birthdate: May 18, 1950
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Bamberg, Germany
 26 
Dolly Buster
(Retired Czech-German Porn Star)
Dolly Buster
4
Birthdate: October 23, 1969
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Prague, Czech Republic

Dolly Buster is a Czech-German author, filmmaker, and retired pornographic actress. She appeared in more than 100 X-rated European movies and was named the hottest porn star in Germany in 2009. Dolly Buster also has a Lifetime Achievement Award, presented at the Venus Awards, and a Special Jury Award under her belt. Buster has also written a series of crime-novels.

 27 
Kristiane Backer
(Former German TV Presenter, Author, and Journalist)
Kristiane Backer
4
Birthdate: December 13, 1965
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Hamburg, Germany
 28 
Andre Gunder Frank
(Sociologist, economic historian known for contributions to world-systems theory)
Andre Gunder Frank
3
Birthdate: February 24, 1929
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Berlin, Germany
Died: April 23, 2005

Andre Gunder Frank was a German-American economic historian and sociologist who advocated dependency theory and world-systems theory. In the 1950s and 1960s, Frank taught subjects, such as economics and anthropology at several American universities. He then went on to serve as a professor at the University of Chile. From 1981 to 1994, he taught at the University of Amsterdam.

 29 
Bert Hellinger
(Pedagogy, Non-fiction writer, Catholic priest, Psychologist)
Bert Hellinger
3
Birthdate: December 16, 1925
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Leimen
 30 
Lothar-Günther Buchheim
(Author)
Lothar-Günther Buchheim
3
Birthdate: February 6, 1918
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Weimar, Germany
Died: February 22, 2007
 31 
Nadja Regin
(Serbian Actress and Writer)
Nadja Regin
4
Birthdate: December 2, 1931
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Niš, Serbia
Died: April 6, 2019

Nadja Regin was a Serbian actress who achieved international prominence during the 1960s by appearing in British television series like The Benny Hill Show, Maigret, and Danger Man. Regin is one of the few actresses to have played important roles in two James Bond films; From Russia with Love and Goldfinger. Nadja Regin also had a prolific literary career.

 32 
Sky du Mont
(Actor)
Sky du Mont
3
Birthdate: May 20, 1947
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Buenos Aires, Argentina
 33 
Joschka Fischer
(Politician, Non-fiction writer, Lobbyist, Athletics competitor, Business consultant, University teacher)
Joschka Fischer
3
Birthdate: April 12, 1948
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Gerabronn
 34 
Philip Burnett Franklin Agee
(Government official)
Philip Burnett Franklin Agee
3
Birthdate: July 19, 1935
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Tacoma, Florida, United States
Died: January 7, 2008
 35 
Daniel Kehlmann
(Novelist)
Daniel Kehlmann
2
Birthdate: January 13, 1975
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Munich, Germany

Best known for his bestselling novel Tyll, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and is also being made into a Netflix series, German author Daniel Kehlmann is the son of TV director Michael Kehlmann and actor Dagmar Mettler. His other notable works include Measuring the World and Fame.

 36 
Thilo Sarrazin
(Politician)
Thilo Sarrazin
2
Birthdate: February 12, 1945
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Gera, Germany

Thilo Sarrazin is a German politician and writer who served as Berlin Senator of Finance from 2002 to 2009. A former member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), Thilo Sarrazin is best known for his controversial book Germany is Doing Away with Itself in which he has criticized Germany's post-war immigration policy. The book sparked a nationwide controversy.

 37 
Herta Müller
(German-Romanian Author, Who Received the 2009 Nobel Prize in Literature for Her Novel 'The Hunger Angel')
Herta Müller
2
Birthdate: August 17, 1953
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Nitchidorf, Romania

Nobel Prize-winning author Herta Müller grew up under the dictatorial regime of Nicolae Ceaușescu in Romania. She was fired from her first job for not co-operating with the Romanian secret police. Her works, such as Oppressive Tango and The Passport, mirror the oppression of Germans she has witnessed in Romania.

 38 
Giulia Enders
(Writer)
Giulia Enders
4
Birthdate: 1990 AD
Birthplace: Mannheim, Germany
 39 
Dieter Hallervorden
(German Actor, Comedian, Singer, and Cabaret Artist)
Dieter Hallervorden
2
Birthdate: September 5, 1935
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Dessau, Dessau-Roßlau, Germany
 40 
Christa Wolf
(German Novelist and Essayist Best Known for Her 1963 Work 'Divided Heaven')
Christa Wolf
3
Birthdate: March 18, 1929
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Landsberg an der Warthe, Germany
Died: December 1, 2011

Christa Wolf was a German novelist. She studied literature at the University of Leipzig and began working for the German Writers' Union. She eventually became an editor for a publication and started writing novels as well. The novels Der geteilte Himmel and Kassandra are among her most important works. She was a recipient of the Nelly Sachs Literature Prize. 

 41 
Jiri Menzel
(Director)
Jiri Menzel
2
Birthdate: February 23, 1938
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Prague, Czechia
Died: September 5, 2020
 42 
Walter Moers
(Comic creator)
Walter Moers
2
Birthdate: May 24, 1957
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Mönchengladbach, Germany
 43 
Jan Assmann
(Egyptologist)
Jan Assmann
2
Birthdate: July 7, 1938
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Langelsheim, Germany
 44 
Esther Vilar
(Writer)
Esther Vilar
3
Birthdate: September 16, 1935
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Born to German-Jewish immigrants in Argentina, Esther Vilar studied medicine before she moved to Germany to study psychology and sociology. After taking up scores of odd jobs, she soared to international fame with her bestselling book The Manipulated Man, which argues that women aren’t oppressed but control men in relationships.

 45 
Murad Wilfried Hofmann
(German Author and Diplomat)
Murad Wilfried Hofmann
2
Birthdate: July 6, 1931
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Aschaffenburg, Germany
Died: January 13, 2020
 46 
Richard David Precht
(Philosopher)
Richard David Precht
2
Birthdate: December 8, 1964
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Solingen, Germany
 47 
Jürgen Todenhöfer
(Author)
Jürgen Todenhöfer
2
Birthdate: November 12, 1940
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Offenburg, Germany
 48 
Joachim Fest
(Former Historian known for writings and commentary on Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany)
Joachim Fest
2
Birthdate: December 8, 1926
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Berlin, Germany
Died: September 11, 2006
 49 
Markus Heitz
(Author)
Markus Heitz
2
Birthdate: October 10, 1971
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Homburg, Germany
 50 
Ferdinand von Schirach
(German Writer and Lawyer)
Ferdinand von Schirach
2
Birthdate: May 12, 1964
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Munich, Germany