Heidelberg University

Discover the notable alumni of Heidelberg University. The list includes people like Brian Regan, William Walker, Prince Maximilian of Baden, Richard von Krafft-Ebing & George H. Pendleton. This list of notable alumni is loosely sorted by popularity and has people from different domains of life, such as miscellaneous, intellectuals & academics, leaders, scientists and writers etc.
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 1 
Max Weber
(Sociologist)
Max Weber
13
Birthdate: April 21, 1864
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Erfurt, Germany
Died: June 14, 1920

Max Weber was a German historian, political economist, jurist, and sociologist. Widely regarded as one of the most influential and important theorists, Weber's ideas had a profound influence on social research and social theory. Although he did not see himself as a sociologist, Weber is often counted among the fathers of sociology alongside Émile Durkheim, Auguste Comte, and Karl Marx.

 2 
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
(One of the Most Important Figures in German Idealism)
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
27
Birthdate: August 27, 1770
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Stuttgart, Germany
Died: November 14, 1831
German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel worked on ideas such as absolute idealism; the philosophy of spirit, or Geist; and the master–slave dialectic. His views influenced later thinkers and intellectuals, such as Karl Popper and Karl Marx, with the latter using Hegel’s views on the civil society.
 3 
Hannah Arendt
(One of the Most Influential Political Theorists of the 20th Century)
Hannah Arendt
8
Birthdate: October 14, 1906
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Linden - Mitte, Hanover, Germany
Died: December 4, 1975

Hannah Arendt was a political theorist. Widely regarded as one of the 20th century's most prominent political thinkers, Hannah Arendt's articles and books have had a significant influence on philosophy and political theory. Her life and work inspired the 2012 biographical drama film, Hannah Arendt. Her work has also inspired several biographies written by popular authors.

 4 
Max Born
(German Physicist Who Won Nobel Prize for His Contribution to Quantum Mechanics)
Max Born
6
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: December 11, 1882
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Wrocław, Poland
Died: January 5, 1970
From being home-schooled for being too sickly to attend school, Max Born went on to win the Nobel Prize in Physics for his contribution to quantum mechanics. Being a Jew, with the rise of the Nazi power, he lost his professorship at the University of Göttingen, and moved to Cambridge.
 5 
Mileva Marić
(Serbian Physicist, Mathematician and the First Wife of Albert Einstein)
Mileva Marić
12
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: December 19, 1875
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Titel, Serbia
Died: August 4, 1948
Serbian physicist/mathematician Mileva Marić was the first wife of Albert Einstein and the second lady to complete the full program at the mathematics and physics department of Zürich Polytechnic. Experts still debate over whether she had helped Einstein in his initial research. Einstein transferred his Nobel Prize money to her.
 6 
Otto Frank
(German Businessman and Father of ‘Anne Frank', the Author of 'The Diary of a Young Girl’)
Otto Frank
11
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: May 12, 1889
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Province of Hesse-Nassau
Died: August 19, 1980
Otto Frank, the father of Anne Frank, published her journal, detailing her experience during the Holocaust, as The Diary of a Young Girl, after her death. Otto was the only person in his family to survive the Holocaust. A former banker, he had also served in the German army.
 7 
Constantine I
(Former King of Greece (1913 - 1917))
Constantine I
5
Birthdate: August 2, 1868
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Athens, Greece
Died: January 11, 1923
Constantine I reigned as the king of Greece from 1913 to 1917 and again from 1920 to 1922. He led the Greek army during the Balkan Wars of 1912–1913. The National Schism was a result of his disagreement with Eleftherios Venizelos on whether Greece should join World War I.
 8 
Franz Boas
(German–American Anthropologist and a Pioneer of Modern Anthropology)
Franz Boas
2
Birthdate: July 9, 1858
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Minden, Germany
Died: December 21, 1942

Remembered for his research on cultural relativism, German-born American anthropologist Franz Boas is often referred to as the Father of American Anthropology. The son of a merchant, he was a sickly child who grew up reading a lot. He also studied folklore and developed it as an academic discipline.

 9 
William Maugham
(Novelist & Playwright)
William Maugham
9
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: January 25, 1874
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: December 15, 1965
 10 
Erich Fromm
(German Social Psychologist and Psychoanalyst & One of the Founders of The 'William Alanson White Institute')
Erich Fromm
6
Birthdate: March 23, 1900
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Frankfurt, Germany
Died: March 18, 1980

Erich Fromm was a German social psychologist, psychoanalyst, sociologist, and socialist. A German Jew, he fled the Nazi regime and settled in the United States. He was a co-founder of  The William Alanson White Institute and was associated with the Frankfurt School of critical theory. He is best remembered for authoring the book Escape from Freedom.

 11 
Muhammad Iqbal
(One of the Most Important Figures in Urdu and Persian Literature)
Muhammad Iqbal
37
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: November 9, 1877
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Sialkot, Pakistan
Died: April 21, 1938

Muhammad Iqbal was a Scholar, poet, and politician. Born in British India (present-day Pakistan), Iqbal's poetry in Persian and Urdu languages is regarded as one of the greatest of the modern era. Also an influential politician, Muhammad Iqbal's vision of an independent Muslim state helped inspire the creation of Pakistan where he is recognized as the national poet.

 12 
Ricardo Eichmann
(German Archaeologist)
Ricardo Eichmann
5
Birthdate: November 1, 1955
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Ricardo Eichmann is an archaeologist who worked as a professor at the University of Tübingen. From 1996 to 2020, Eichmann served as the director of the Orient Department, which is located within the German Archaeological Institute. Over the years, he has played an important role in the field of music archaeology.

 13 
Ludwig Feuerbach
(German Philosopher and Anthropologist Best Known for His Work, 'The Essence of Christianity')
Ludwig Feuerbach
2
Birthdate: July 28, 1804
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Landshut, Germany
Died: September 13, 1872

Ludwig Feuerbach was a German philosopher and anthropologist. He is best remembered for his work, The Essence of Christianity, which strongly influenced generations of future thinkers like Karl Marx, Charles Darwin, Friedrich Engels, and Sigmund Freud among others. Ludwig Feuerbach advocated atheism and his thought was influential in the progression of historical materialism.

 14 
John Amos Comenius
(Czech Philosopher and Pedagogue Regarded as the 'Father of Modern Education')
John Amos Comenius
0
Birthdate: March 28, 1592
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Nivnice, Moravia, Czech Republic
Died: November 15, 1670

John Amos Comenius was a Czech philosopher, theologian, and pedagogue. Regarded as the father of modern education, Comenius is credited with introducing many educational concepts and innovations such as education for women, equal opportunity for poor children, and universal and practical instruction among other innovations. He also led schools and served as an adviser for governments across Protestant Europe.

 15 
Prince Maximilian of Baden
(Last Chancellor of the German Empire and Minister-President of Prussia (1918))
Prince Maximilian of Baden
0
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: July 10, 1867
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Baden-Baden, Germany
Died: November 6, 1929

Prince Maximilian of Baden was a German politician and general. Maximilian, who belonged to the German aristocracy, was the last chancellor of the German Empire. He also played an important role in the events leading up to the creation of the Weimar Republic.

 16 
Auma Obama
(Kenyan-British Journalist, Community Activist and Half-Sister of Barack Obama)
Auma Obama
1
Birthdate: 1960 AD
Birthplace: Nairobi, Kenya
Auma Obama is a Kenyan-British journalist, community activist, author, and sociologist. She is also famous as the half-sister of former American President Barack Obama. Auma Obama is perhaps best known for her association with a non-profit organization called Sauti Kuu Foundation, where she serves as the executive chairwoman. The organization aims at helping orphans struggling with poverty in Kenya.
 17 
William Walker
(President)
William Walker
4
Birthdate: May 8, 1824
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Died: September 12, 1860
 18 
Wilhelm Dilthey
(Philosopher Known for the Way He Distinguished Between the Natural and Human Sciences)
Wilhelm Dilthey
1
Birthdate: November 19, 1833
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Biebrich, Wiesbaden, Germany
Died: October 1, 1911

Wilhelm Dilthey was a German psychologist, sociologist, historian, and hermeneutic philosopher. An ardent admirer of Friedrich Schleiermacher, Dilthey helped revive the former's works on hermeneutics. Wilhelm Dilthey is also credited with teaching future philosophers like Hans Lipps, Eduard Spranger, and Theodor Litt.

 19 
Karl Jaspers
(One of the Most Important Representatives of Existential Philosophy)
Karl Jaspers
2
Birthdate: February 23, 1883
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Oldenburg, Germany
Died: February 26, 1969

Twentieth-century Existentialist Karl Jaspers had initially followed in his father’s footsteps to study law, but had then switched to medicine. One of the pioneers of clinical psychiatry, he applied phenomenology to study mental illnesses and also developed psychopathological research. He was highly influenced by Immanuel Kant’s ideas.

 20 
Richard von Krafft-Ebing
(German Psychiatrist)
Richard von Krafft-Ebing
1
Listed In: Physicians
Birthdate: August 14, 1840
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Mannheim, Germany
Died: December 22, 1902

Known for his ground-breaking research on sexual psychopathology, German psychologist Richard von Krafft-Ebing worked on varied subjects such as sexual aberration and hypnosis. His Psychopathia Sexualis was one of the first written works that discussed LGBT sex and also spoke about taboo topics such as sadism, necrophilia, and masochism.

 21 
Eugen von Böhm-Bawerk
(Austrian Economist Who Made Important Contributions to the Development of the Austrian School of Economics)
Eugen von Böhm-Bawerk
0
Birthdate: February 12, 1851
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Brno, Czechia
Died: August 27, 1914

A major advocate of the Austrian school of economics, Eugen von Böhm-Bawerk made major reforms as part of the Austrian ministry of finance, such as imposition of the gold standard. He was also one of the first to oppose Karl Marx’s theory of exploitation of workers.

 22 
Brian Regan
(Comedian)
Brian Regan
2
Birthdate: June 2, 1958
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Miami, Florida, United States
 23 
Howard K. Smith
(Journalist)
Howard K. Smith
2
Birthdate: May 12, 1914
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Ferriday, Louisiana, United States
Died: February 15, 2002
 24 
Hugo Ball
(German Author, Poet, and the Founder of the Dada Movement in European Art in Zürich)
Hugo Ball
1
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: February 22, 1886
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Pirmasens, Germany
Died: September 14, 1927

Author, poet and dramatist Hugo Ball was also a harsh social critic and a staunch pacifist. Known for his works like Critique of German Intelligence and The Flight from Time, he left Germany during WWI to settle down in neutral Switzerland, eventually becoming famous as the founder of the Dada movement and a pioneer in the development of sound poetry.

 25 
Ossip Bernstein
(Russian-French Chess Player)
Ossip Bernstein
0
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: September 20, 1882
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Zhytomyr, Ukraine
Died: November 30, 1962
 26 
Osip Mandelstam
(Poet)
Osip Mandelstam
1
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: January 14, 1891
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Warsaw, Poland
Died: December 27, 1938
 27 
Nicholas of Cusa
(German Mathematician and Philosopher)
Nicholas of Cusa
0
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: 1401 AD
Birthplace: Bernkastel-Kues, Germany
Died: August 11, 1464

Nicholas of Cusa was a German mathematician, astronomer, jurist, theologian, and philosopher. One of the first supporters of Renaissance humanism in Germany, Nicholas of Cusa made significant political and spiritual contributions in European history. He is remembered for his efforts to reform the universal and Roman Church.

 28 
Karl Drais
(German Forest Official and Significant Inventor)
Karl Drais
1
Birthdate: April 29, 1785
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Karlsruhe, Germany
Died: December 10, 1851
 29 
Norbert Elias
(German Sociologist Famous for His Theory of Civilizing/Decivilizing Processes)
Norbert Elias
0
Birthdate: June 22, 1897
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Wrocław, Poland
Died: August 1, 1990

Norbert Elias was a German-British sociologist. He is best known for his theory of civilizing/decivilizing processes. He studied philosophy, psychology, and medicine at the University of Breslau and was deeply involved in the German Zionist movement. He later moved to the United Kingdom where he pursued an academic career. He wrote prolifically following his retirement. 

 30 
Emanuel Lasker
(German Chess Player, Mathematician, and Philosopher)
Emanuel Lasker
3
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: December 24, 1868
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Barlinek, Poland
Died: January 11, 1941
 31 
Wolfgang Iser
(Literary critic)
Wolfgang Iser
0
Birthdate: July 22, 1926
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Marienberg, Germany
Died: January 24, 2007
 32 
George H. Pendleton
(Politician)
George H. Pendleton
2
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: July 19, 1825
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Died: November 24, 1889
 33 
Jan Assmann
(Egyptologist)
Jan Assmann
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: July 7, 1938
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Langelsheim, Germany
 34 
Helmuth James von Moltke
(Lawyer)
Helmuth James von Moltke
0
Listed In: Lawyers & Judges
Birthdate: March 11, 1907
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Krzyżowa, Poland
Died: January 23, 1945
 35 
Philip Melanchthon
(German Lutheran Reformer and the First Systematic Theologian of the Protestant Reformation)
Philip Melanchthon
2
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: February 16, 1497
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Bretten, Germany
Died: April 19, 1560

German theologian Philip Melanchthon had a major role in establishing public schools in Germany. A friend of Protestant Reformation theologian Martin Luther, he is remembered for penning the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, a significant confession of Lutheranism. He had also served as a professor at the University of Wittenberg.

 36 
Hans Werner Henze
(Composer)
Hans Werner Henze
0
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: July 1, 1926
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Gütersloh, Germany
Died: October 27, 2012
 37 
Hermann Detzner
(German Explorer and Engineer Who Explored German New Guinea as a Schutztruppe Member)
Hermann Detzner
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: October 16, 1882
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Speyer, Bavarian Palatinate, German Empire
Died: December 1, 1970

The son of a German dentist, Hermann Detzner grew up to be an engineer, topographer, and surveyor. He was also part of the German colonial troops in Cameroon and German New Guinea. Refusing to surrender to Australian troops, he and his forces explored the interiors of German New Guinea for 4 years.

 38 
Maurice, Prince of Orange
(Prince of Orange (1618 - 1625))
Maurice, Prince of Orange
2
Birthdate: November 14, 1567
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Dillenburg, Germany
Died: April 23, 1625

Maurice, Prince of Orange is remembered for transforming the Dutch army with his modern military strategy and engineering. The second son of William I the Silent, he was part of the Eighty Years’ War with Spain. He passed away shortly before the siege of Breda was completed.

 39 
Heinrich Hoffmann
(German physician and writer)
Heinrich Hoffmann
0
Listed In: Physicians
Birthdate: June 13, 1809
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Died: September 20, 1894

A qualified physician and psychiatrist, Heinrich Hoffmann managed the state mental hospital of Frankfurt on Main. However, he is best known as an author of children’s books and for his creation Struwwelpeter, or Slovenly Peter, a character with a naughty personality and a weird appearance, initially created for his son.

 40 
Markus Gabriel
(Philosopher)
Markus Gabriel
0
Birthdate: April 6, 1980
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Remagen, Germany
 41 
Karl Mannheim
(Hungarian Sociologist)
Karl Mannheim
1
Birthdate: March 27, 1893
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary
Died: January 9, 1947

German sociologist Karl Mannheim, known for his contribution to the concepts of classical sociology and the sociology of knowledge, initially worked as a professor but later fled to the UK to escape the Nazi regime. He later joined the London School of Economics and remained there till his death.

 42 
Johann Eck
(German Catholic Theologian, Scholastic, Prelate, and a Pioneer of the Counter-Reformation)
Johann Eck
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: November 13, 1486
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Egg an der Günz, Germany
Died: February 10, 1543

Johann Eck was a German theologian and Catholic counter-reformer who was one of Martin Luther's most prominent theological opponents. He also contributed as an educator, working at the University of Ingolstadt as a professor of theology.

 43 
Wolfhart Pannenberg
(Theologian)
Wolfhart Pannenberg
0
Birthdate: October 2, 1928
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Szczecin, Poland
Died: September 4, 2014

One of the greatest theologians of our era, Wolfhart Pannenberg was also a renowned academic, who taught at different German universities for more than three decades. An expert on systematic theology, he mostly worked on Christology and philosophy of history, publishing numerous books and scholarly articles including Jesus: God and Man, Systematic Theology etc, thus contributing greatly to modern theology.

 44 
Gottfried Keller
(Swiss Poet and Writer Best Known for His Novel 'Green Henry')
Gottfried Keller
1
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: July 19, 1819
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Zürich, Switzerland
Died: July 15, 1890

Swiss author and poet Gottfried Keller remains one of the most significant contributors to German literature. After devoting his initial years to landscape painting, he focused on poetry and eventually became a pioneer of poetic realism. He also penned novels such as Green Henry and several short story collections.

 45 
Golo Mann
(Historian)
Golo Mann
1
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: March 27, 1909
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Munich, Germany
Died: April 7, 1994

Golo Mann was a German historian and essayist. An influential personality, Mann is best remembered for his most popular work German History in the 19th and 20th Century, a survey of the political history in Germany. 

 46 
Julius Lothar Meyer
(Chemist)
Julius Lothar Meyer
0
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: August 19, 1830
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Varel, Germany
Died: April 11, 1895
 47 
James Bryce, 1st Viscount Bryce
(Historian)
James Bryce, 1st Viscount Bryce
1
Birthdate: May 10, 1838
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Belfast, Northern Ireland
Died: January 22, 1922
 48 
Nicholas Miklouho-Maclay
(Russian Anthropologist Known for Being One of the First to Explore New Guinea and Oppose Slavery)
Nicholas Miklouho-Maclay
0
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: July 17, 1846
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Yazykovo, Russia
Died: April 14, 1888

Russian explorer and anthropologist Nicholas Miklouho-Maclay was one of the first scientists to live with the indigenous community of New Guinea. Named the Moon Man by the Papuans for his ability to produce light through his lantern, he fought against slavery. He was idolized by both Russia and Australia.

 49 
Friedrich von Wieser
(Former Austrian Minister of Commerce and Economist)
Friedrich von Wieser
0
Birthdate: July 10, 1851
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: July 22, 1926

One of the principal members of the Austrian school of economics, Friedrich von Wieser is known for coining the term marginal utility and developing number of theories including the alternative cost theory, proclaiming that cost of a commodity depends mainly on its subjective, or psychological, value. Among his many publications more significant are Natural Value and Foundations of Social Economy.

 50 
Stefan Hell
(Winner of 2014 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Map him to 'Chemists'. Remove mapping from 'Physicists')
Stefan Hell
1
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: December 23, 1962
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Arad, Romania