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Famous Germans

Based on the clues, can you name these famous Germans, past and present?
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Last updated: November 12, 2025
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First submittedSeptember 6, 2012
Times taken54,884
Average score65.0%
Rating4.50
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Clue
German
Discovered relativity
Albert Einstein
The first female Chancellor of Germany
Angela Merkel
Composer of 9 symphonies, the last of which he wrote while almost completely deaf
Ludwig van Beethoven
Composer of at least 1,128 musical works, including "Brandenburg Concertos"
Johann Sebastian Bach
Composer of "Ride of the Valkyries"
Richard Wagner
Pope from 2005–2013
Pope Benedict XVI
King of Prussia from 1740–1786
Frederick the Great
"Iron Chancellor" of Prussia who is credited with uniting Germany
Otto von Bismarck
Author of "Das Kapital"
Karl Marx
Philosopher who said "God is dead"
Friedrich Nietzsche
Inventor of the printing press
Johannes Gutenberg
Author of "Faust"
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Kaiser of the German Empire during WWI
Wilhelm II
Designed the V-2 rocket for Germany and the Saturn V for the U.S.
Wernher von Braun
Winner of 22 tennis Grand Slam titles
Steffi Graf
Started the Protestant Reformation
Martin Luther
Host of "Project Runway" and "Germany's Next Topmodel"
Heidi Klum
"Desert Fox" general of WWII
Erwin Rommel
Seven-time Formula One champion
Michael Schumacher
Chancellor who led West Germany during its "Economic Miracle" following WWII
Konrad Adenauer
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57 Comments
Lemurlover3
+2
Level 38
Oct 9, 2012
I thought that the Chinese had invented the printing press far before Gutenberg did.
findy
+10
Level 81
Nov 12, 2025
Chinese printing was block printing. Gutenberg used movable types (makes more sense with western alphabet style writing). The Chinese developed movable type printing around the same time as Gutenberg but their printing process was less efficient - paper was placed upon the types while Gutenberg added the screw press to the printing process.
paula05
+1
Level 34
Dec 17, 2012
14/22.
Ozchris
+6
Level 32
Dec 25, 2012
Blimin' Nietzsche was impossible to spell. For me anyway.
sumokitty
+5
Level 90
Apr 3, 2024
Still no wiggle room on that! I only mixed up the 's' and 'z' and it wasn't accepted. But I figure it's not cheating to look up the spelling as long as it's not a spelling test.
patat
+1
Level 16
Mar 28, 2013
The current pope isn't up 2 date anymore
Salz
+2
Level 62
Apr 14, 2013
Benedict XVI is no longer the pope. Please change.
Quizmaster
+3
Level ∞
Nov 30, 2015
Updated
webkinztoco123
+1
Level 35
May 29, 2013
The pope is now Argentinian Francis.
Klaas47
+2
Level 70
Nov 15, 2025
No wrong

Already dead

JackBeNimble
+5
Level 82
Dec 18, 2025
You didn't notice the twelve-year gap..?
Liberator3000
+1
Level 29
Mar 3, 2026
bro was still wrong
travelfan
+2
Level 67
May 4, 2014
Lol, it took me quite some time before finding a spelling of Nietzsche that worked :) (at least I knew it was the answer so I persevered). The pope question does need to be amended though, perhaps for something like "recent pope" (that way it won't have to be updated again in quite some time ;)) And I really should have remembered Heidi Klum was German.
Karebear
+3
Level 23
May 13, 2014
Yaaaaaaaaay! My Great Great etc Grandfather is on here!!!! :)
Malbaby
+3
Level 70
Feb 25, 2016
Pope Benedict?
Jacktheguy
+3
Level 93
Feb 25, 2016
Einstein?
camus
+17
Level 80
Feb 28, 2016
Heidi Klum?
toowise
+5
Level 81
Nov 16, 2025
Over 11 years later and we still don't know who!
Eutychus
+1
Level 94
May 23, 2014
Time to update the pope
Stoggler
+1
Level 56
Mar 4, 2026
that sounds almost seditious/traitorous!
Jerry928
+1
Level 76
Jun 21, 2014
Steffi Graf hasn't won 22 grand slams. A grand slam is winning all 4 of the US, French and Australian Opens plus Wimbledon in one year. Graf has won 22 individual tournaments from those four events.
joeythelemur
+10
Level 80
Jul 15, 2014
Being a bit pedantic, I think. People talk about a player winning a "slam" or a "grand slam" all the time; winning a "grand slam tournament" is the accepted vernacular. No one is going to think Steffi Graf won all 4 tournaments 22 separate years.
Hammond7249
+1
Level 49
Feb 25, 2016
I'm surprised that a spelling of two "t"s for Gutenburg wasn't accepted, especially since many of the other answers accepted even more incorrect spellings!
MarcellDAvis
+4
Level 80
Nov 20, 2025
Guttenberg was also involved with reproducing text written by other people, but in a slightly different way. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guttenberg_plagiarism_scandal
ander217
+1
Level 73
Feb 25, 2016
Since I am woefully ignorant about Germany chancellors, I would be happy with fewer questions about them, but thanks for the education.
DoubleA
+8
Level 53
Feb 25, 2016
Does anyone actually read the comments before deciding to comment themselves? There are like 20 repeat comments in this thread.....
Jacktheguy
+6
Level 93
Feb 25, 2016
Those are the people that speak before they think. Very annoying people sometimes.
pkerr116
+3
Level 71
Jan 2, 2018
I can't help but think of the movie, "Dr. Strangelove," where one of the lead scientists claims, "Our Germans are better than their Germans," referring to the German rocket scientists working for the US and the USSR, respectively. I believe a similar line was stated in "The Right Stuff" by the scientist named in this quiz. Can't help but wonder if man ever would have stepped on the moon without the V2 program and the Cold War space race that followed in the 25 years after Germay's WW2 defeat. An amazing concentration of global scientific leadership, beginning with Einstein but not ending there.
samiamco
+1
Level 68
Feb 14, 2018
Wasn't that quote from "The Right Stuff"? Well, I mean, I know it definitely was, so was it also in "Dr. Strangelove"? (I'm embarrassed to say I've never seen it !!)
RuthlessCosmo
+1
Level 78
Mar 3, 2026
If you really want to marvel at a concentration of intellectual firepower, read up on the dozen or so Hungarian exiles--nicknamed "the Martians"--who not only played a critical role in the Manhattan Project, but were some of the leading lights in mathematics, physics, economics, etc. throughout the twentieth century. And because they were also Jewish they ended up on our side rather than Germany's--unlike the German engineers such as von Braun who we swept up at the end of World War II.
Guam
+1
Level 59
Oct 25, 2018
I believe "inventor of communism" or "writer of the Communist Manifesto" would be a better clue than "Das Kapital." When I learned about communism history, I did not learn about Das Kapital. While it might be a better book, the Communist Manifesto is much more infamous.
camus
+15
Level 80
Feb 9, 2020
"Das Kapital" is also quite famous though.
Stoggler
+1
Level 56
Mar 4, 2026
Das Kapital is such a big part of communist history though, how could you not have been taught about it? That, along with the Communist Manifesto, are fundamental to any communist studies.
JohnnyYeet
+1
Level 66
Nov 6, 2022
I feel like William should be accepted for Wilhelm
RuthlessCosmo
+2
Level 78
Mar 3, 2026
His grandmother Vicky might have called him that. Probably didn't though.
Aoto327
+1
Level 87
Nov 12, 2025
22/22, 100%
BlackLab
+5
Level 66
Nov 12, 2025
Google AI not so good...

search "economic miracle chancellor"

The "economic miracle" chancellor was Ludwig Erhard, the second Chancellor of West Germany, who is considered the father of the nation's post-WWII economic success

Pommes104
+6
Level 76
Nov 12, 2025
You are right insofar as Erhard was the father of the "Wirtschaftswunder", but not as chancellor, but as Wirtschaftsminister; as chancellor, he is considered today as a failure.
XDW
+13
Level 61
Nov 12, 2025
Since this is a Germany related quiz, I think German spellings for Benedikt and Friedrich should be accepted as well. Aside from that: Liked it.
findy
+3
Level 81
Nov 12, 2025
Yes, especially since Friedrich Nietzsche and Kaiser Wilhelm are both accepted.
Orangelotl
+1
Level 42
Nov 12, 2025
I thought Hitler or Albrecht would be on here lol. Also, I didn’t realize that Einstein would be on here, I thought he was technically Austrian?
kitsims
+6
Level 86
Nov 12, 2025
Einstein was born in Germany and later became a Swiss, and then American, citizen.
StaggerWagger
+5
Level 48
Nov 12, 2025
Hitler was the Austrian, not Einstein. I think a lot of people also went into this quix ready to see him, as I had too before realizing it was German born people.
Quizmaster
+13
Level ∞
Nov 12, 2025
I have no problem considering Hitler as German (as well as Austrian).

Also, an earlier version of this quiz included Hitler.

But it's just annoying and basic to constantly bring up the Nazis every time Germany is mentioned.

MarcellDAvis
+2
Level 80
Nov 20, 2025
Thank you! We're really tired of the nazis. Also, there are Rommel and von Braun in the quiz, so WW2 people are not entirely ignored.

Regarding Einstein, he himself supposedly said (although I can't find the source): "If my theory of relativity is proven successful, Germany will claim me as a German and France will declare me a citizen of the world. Should my theory prove untrue, France will say that I am a German, and Germany will declare that I am a Jew."

JWatson24
+1
Level 71
Mar 3, 2026
As the quote goes: Austria's greatest achievement was convincing the world that Hitler is German and Beethoven is Austrian.
MarcellDAvis
+1
Level 80
Mar 4, 2026
Wasn't it Mozart? He was born in Salzburg, which is in Austria today, but at the time, it was part of the Holy Roman Empire, which was the de facto predessessor polity to what later became Germany. Austria did not exist as a political entity at that time but only emerged near the end of the HRE around 1800.
JackintheBox
+1
Level 82
Nov 12, 2025
Got all except for the model!
DommelBommel
+13
Level 68
Nov 13, 2025
Friedrich should be accepted for Frederick the Great

nice quiz though

IamTheSam
+2
Level 48
Nov 20, 2025
No Franz Beckenbauer?

A quibble, but it's a good quiz.

JackBeNimble
+1
Level 82
Dec 18, 2025
Could "Otto" alone be accepted? When it wasn't, I wrongly assumed that my memory had failed, and started trying to remember other Prussians.
CambodianQuizzer
+2
Level 77
Mar 3, 2026
Which Otto? There are many Ottos.

Which is why last names are often used to identify people.

DynaIsEpic
+1
Level 59
Feb 22, 2026
a german quiz without hitler should be a crime against humanity. yes ik he was born in austria but he is a german too
QRU
+8
Level 77
Mar 3, 2026
Making a "Crime against humanity" joke while mentioning Hitler...can't people on the internet just be normal?
ausforming
+2
Level 57
Mar 3, 2026
Failed in Frederick (tried several versions of Friedrich) and Adenauer (tried several versions of Erhard)
loniel
+1
Level 49
Mar 4, 2026
Friedrich is the real German name, so please accept it!
draisaitl29
+1
Level 45
Mar 4, 2026
Nice quiz, but WHERE IS DRAISAITL???
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