Famous German Psychologists
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Find out more about the greatest German Psychologists, including Erik Erikson, Erich Fromm, Kurt Lewin, Hans Eysenck and Hermann Ebbinghaus.
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1
Erik Erikson(Psychoanalyst Best Known for His Theory on Psychological Development of Human Beings)
Birthdate: June 15, 1902
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Frankfurt, Germany
Died: May 12, 1994
Erik Erikson was a German-American psychoanalyst and developmental psychologist best remembered for developing a theory on the psychological development of humans. He is credited with coining the term identity crisis, the failure to achieve ego identity. Also a prolific writer, Erikson won a US National Book Award and a Pulitzer Prize for his book Gandhi's Truth.
Birthdate: August 16, 1832
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Mannheim, Germany
Died: August 31, 1920
Wilhelm Wundt was a German physiologist, professor, and philosopher. He is often counted among the founders of modern psychology and is widely considered the father of experimental psychology. He is also credited with founding the first laboratory for psychological research, which he founded at the University of Leipzig in 1879.
3
Karen Horney
(German Psychoanalyst Best Known for Founding Feminist Psychology in Response to Freud’s Theory of Penis Envy)
Birthdate: September 16, 1885
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Blankenese, Hamburg, Germany
Died: December 4, 1952
Remembered for her pioneering work on feminist psychology, Karen Horney studied medicine at a time when women weren’t allowed in universities. Going against Sigmund Freud’s concept of penis envy, she suggested the idea of womb envy. She believed psychological differences weren’t rooted in gender but rather depended on the socio-cultural influences.
Birthdate: September 9, 1890
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Mogilno, Poland
Died: February 12, 1947
Legendary social psychologist Kurt Lewin is remembered for his field theory of behavior. He was a pioneer in the research on group dynamics. While he had served in the army in World War I, an injury made him get back to university to complete his PhD.
Birthdate: September 11, 1903
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Frankfurt, Germany
Died: August 6, 1969
One of the most prominent intellectuals of the 20th century, Theodor Adorno was a pioneer of the Frankfurt School of Critical Theory and despised the culture industry. Born to a singer mother, the German sociologist grew up amid music and could even play Beethoven on the piano by 12.
6
Fritz Perls
(Psychologist, Psychiatrist)
Birthdate: July 8, 1893
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Berlin
Died: March 14, 1970
Fritz Perls initially fought in World War I, following which he treated brain injuries of soldiers. He was later drawn to Freudian psychoanalysis. During World War II, he was the psychiatrist for the South African military. His Gestalt therapy, which he co-created with his wife, Laura, redefined psychology.
7
Helmut Kentler
(Psychologist)
Birthdate: July 2, 1928
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Cologne, Germany
Died: July 9, 2008
Though Helmut Kentler initially wished to study theology, he was pushed into studying electrical engineering by his father. A homosexual himself, he later mastered psychology and became a pioneering sexual scientist. He was later criticized for placing homeless children under the care of pedophilic men as part of an experiment.
8
Hermann Ebbinghaus
(Psychologist, Educationist, University teacher)
Birthdate: January 24, 1850
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Barmen
Died: February 26, 1909
Especially remembered for his pioneering work on rote learning and memory, German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus became interested in the subject after reading Gustav Fechner's Elements of Psychophysics. Eventually, he developed the experimental methods for measuring memory, using 2,300 three-letter nonsense syllables that he devised. Later, he also discovered the forgetting curve and the spacing effect and described the learning curve.
Birthdate: February 15, 1856
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Neustrelitz, Germany
Died: October 7, 1926
The son of a musician, Emil Kraepelin, remembered as the founder of psychiatry, was the first to differentiate between dementia praecox, now known as schizophrenia, and manic-depressive psychosis. His classification of mental illnesses influenced much of the research on the subject in the 20th century.
Birthdate: November 1, 1978
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Hamm, Germany
11
Gustav Fechner
(Physicist, Psychologist, Statistician, University teacher, Philosopher)
Birthdate: April 19, 1801
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Bad Muskau
Died: November 18, 1887
Gustav Fechner was a German physicist, philosopher, and experimental psychologist. A pioneer in the field of experimental psychology, Fechner is credited with founding psychophysics. Gustav Fechner inspired several philosophers and scientists like Jan Koenderink, David Heeger, and Farley Norman. In 1970, a crater on the Moon was named after him by the International Astronomical Union.
12
Kurt Schneider
(Military physician, Psychologist, Psychiatrist, University teacher)
Birthdate: January 7, 1887
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Crailsheim
Died: October 27, 1967
Chiefly known for his works on the diagnosis and understanding of schizophrenia, German psychiatrist Kurt Schneider published many papers on the subject, creating a list of the psychotic symptoms, today known as Schneiderian First-Rank Symptoms, to differentiate it from other forms of mental disorder. He also made significant contributions to personality disorders, coining term like endogenous depression and reactive depression.
13
Bert Hellinger
(Pedagogy, Non-fiction writer, Catholic priest, Psychologist)
Birthdate: December 16, 1925
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Leimen
14
Hugo Münsterberg
(Psychologist, University teacher, Philosopher)
Birthdate: June 1, 1863
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Gdańsk
Died: December 16, 1916
15
Eva Justin
(German Anthropologist Who Specialised in Scientific Racism)
Birthdate: August 23, 1909
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Dresden, Germany
Died: September 11, 1966
Eva Justin was a German anthropologist who specialised in scientific racism. Justin, who was active during the Nazi era, contributed to the crimes of the Nazis against the Roma and Sinti peoples. Eva Justin was tasked with studying children, who were then sent to concentration camps. At least 35 children studied by Eva Justin were killed in the gas chamber.
Birthdate: January 20, 1987
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Cologne, Germany
17
Erich Neumann
(Psychologist)
Birthdate: January 23, 1905
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Berlin, Germany
Died: November 5, 1960
Erich Neumann was a psychologist, philosopher, and writer. He completed his Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg and studied medicine at the University of Berlin. He was a student of Carl Jung and regularly gave lectures at the C. G. Jung Institute. He was a member of the International Association for Analytical Psychology as well.
18
Peter Gay
(Psychologist, Cultural historian, Historian, Writer, University teacher)
Birthdate: June 20, 1923
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Berlin
Died: May 12, 2015
Best known for his work on modern European cultural history, Peter Gay was a renowned American historian who had penned the iconic works such as the award-winning The Enlightenment: An Interpretation. His studies on Freud and the Weimar Republic, too, became bestsellers. He was married to award-winning author Ruth Gay.
19
Johann Friedrich Herbart
(Philosopher, psychologist and founder of pedagogy as an academic discipline)
Birthdate: May 4, 1776
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Oldenburg, Germany
Died: August 14, 1841
20
Kurt Koffka
(Psychologist, University teacher)
Birthdate: March 18, 1886
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Berlin
Died: November 22, 1941
21
Rudolf Arnheim
(Writer, Art historian, Psychologist, University teacher, Film critic)
Birthdate: July 15, 1904
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Berlin
Died: June 9, 2007
22
Gerd Gigerenzer
(Psychologist, University teacher)
Birthdate: September 3, 1947
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Wallersdorf
23
Ulric Neisser
(Psychologist, University teacher)
Birthdate: December 8, 1928
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Kiel
Died: February 17, 2012
24
William Stern
(Psychologist)
Birthdate: April 29, 1871
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Berlin, Germany
Died: March 27, 1938
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.
26
Ernst Heinrich Weber
(Psychologist, Physician)
Birthdate: June 24, 1795
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Lutherstadt Wittenberg
Died: January 26, 1878
27
Paul Baltes
(Psychologist)
Birthdate: June 18, 1939
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Saarlouis, Germany
Died: November 7, 2006
Birthdate: May 25, 1941
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Rockenhausen, Germany
29
Ludwig Klages
(Philosopher)
Birthdate: December 10, 1872
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Hanover, Germany
Died: July 29, 1956
Birthdate: April 21, 1848
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Wiesentheid, Germany
Died: December 25, 1936
31
Lydia Benecke
(Psychologist)
Birthdate: 1982
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Bytom, Poland
32
Jutta Rudiger
(Psychologist)
Birthdate: June 14, 1910
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Berlin, Germany
Died: March 13, 2001
33
Eduard Spranger
(Philosopher)
Birthdate: June 27, 1882
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Berlin, Germany
Died: September 17, 1963
34
Karl Bühler
(German psychologist)
Birthdate: May 27, 1879
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Meckesheim, Germany
Died: October 24, 1963
35
Georg Elias Müller
(German Experimental Psychologist Who Is Credited with the Theory of Retroactive Interference)
Birthdate: July 20, 1850
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Grimma, Germany
Died: December 23, 1934
German psychologist Georg Elias Müller was born into a family of theologians and had initially been interested in mysticism, philosophy, and history. However, he eventually drifted apart to study psychology. A pioneer in the research on sensations, learning, and memory, he also laid down the concept of retroactive interference.
36
Oswald Külpe
(Psychologist)
Birthdate: August 3, 1862
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Kandau, Courland
Died: December 30, 1915
37
Moritz Lazarus
(Philosopher)
Birthdate: September 15, 1824
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Wielen, Poland
Died: April 13, 1903
38
Friedrich Eduard Beneke
(Psychologist)
Birthdate: February 17, 1798
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Berlin, Germany
Died: March 1, 1854
39
Heinrich Klüver
(Psychologist)
Birthdate: May 25, 1897
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Holstein,Germany
Died: February 8, 1979
40
Georg Sieber
(Psychologist)
Birthdate: April 3, 1935
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Münster, Germany
Birthdate: 1988 AD
Birthplace: Germany
Former model Felicitas Rombold is better known as the wife of Spanish-German actor Daniel Brühl of Good Bye, Lenin! fame. The two are parents to two sons and had tied the knot after the birth of their first child. Felicitas is a psychotherapist and boasts of a PhD in psychology.