READ Famous Physicists from Germany

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List of notable or famous physicists from Germany, with bios and photos, including the top physicists born in Germany and even some popular physicists who immigrated to Germany. If you're trying to find out the names of famous German physicists then this list is the perfect resource for you. These physicists are among the most prominent in their field, and information about each well-known physicist from Germany is included when available.

List is made up of people like Albert Einstein and Rudolf Peierls.

This historic physicists from Germany list can help answer the questions "Who are some German physicists of note?" and "Who are the most famous physicists from Germany?" These prominent physicists of Germany may or may not be currently alive, but what they all have in common is that they're all respected German physicists.

Use this list of renowned German physicists to discover some new physicists that you aren't familiar with. Don't forget to share this list by clicking one of the social media icons at the top or bottom of the page.

1

Albert Einstein Dec. at 76 (1879-1955) Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist. Einstein's work is also known for its influence on the philosophy of science. He developed the general theory of relativity, one of the ...more

2

Angela Merkel age 64 Angela Merkel is the current Chancellor of Germany and the head of the political party CDU in Germany. In addition to being the first female German Chanchellor, she is also considered by Forbes ...more

3

Robert Oppenheimer Dec. at 63 (1904-1967) Julius Robert Oppenheimer was an American theoretical physicist and professor of physics at the University of California, Berkeley. He is among the persons known for their role in the Manhattan ...more

4

Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz Dec. at 70 (1646-1716) Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz was a German polymath and philosopher. He occupies a prominent place in the history of mathematics and the history of philosophy. Most scholars believe Leibniz ...more

5

Heinrich Hertz Dec. at 37 (1857-1894) Heinrich Rudolf Hertz was a German physicist who first conclusively proved the existence of electromagnetic waves theorized by James Clerk Maxwell's electromagnetic theory of light. Hertz proved ...more

6

Max Planck Dec. at 89 (1858-1947) Max Karl Ernst Ludwig Planck, FRS was a German theoretical physicist who originated quantum theory, which won him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1918. Planck made many contributions to ...more

7

Rudolf Peierls Dec. at 88 (1907-1995) Sir Rudolf Ernst Peierls, CBE was a German-born British physicist. Rudolf Peierls had a major role in Britain's nuclear programme, but he also had a role in many modern sciences. His obituary in ...more

8

Werner Heisenberg Dec. at 75 (1901-1976) Werner Karl Heisenberg was a German theoretical physicist and one of the key pioneers of quantum mechanics. He published his work in 1925 in a breakthrough paper. In the subsequent series of ...more

9

Carl Friedrich Gauss Dec. at 78 (1777-1855) Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss was a German mathematician who contributed significantly to many fields, including number theory, algebra, statistics, analysis, differential geometry, geodesy, ...more

10

Wernher von Braun Died at 65 (1912-1977) Wernher Magnus Maximilian, Freiherr von Braun was a German and later American aerospace engineer and space architect, but made his greatest contributions as an aerospace program manager. He was ...more

11

Reinhard Furrer Dec. at 55 (1940-1995) Prof. Dr. Reinhard Alfred Furrer was a German physicist and astronaut. Furrer was born in Wörgl, Austria. After the end of World War II, his father was expelled from Austria. The family ...more

12

Georg Ohm Dec. at 65 (1789-1854) Georg Simon Ohm was a German physicist and mathematician. As a school teacher, Ohm began his research with the new electrochemical cell, invented by Italian scientist Alessandro Volta. Using ...more

13

Julius Edgar Lilienfeld Dec. at 81 (1882-1963) Julius Edgar Lilienfeld was an Austro-Hungarian-born American Physicist and Electronic Engineer. He was born to a Jewish family in Lemberg Austria-Hungary and moved to the United States in the ...more

14

Ernst Messerschmid age 73 Prof. Dr. Ernst Willi Messerschmid is a German physicist and former astronaut. Born in Reutlingen, Germany, Messerschmid finished the Technisches Gymnasium in Stuttgart in 1965. After two years ...more

15

Hans Bethe Dec. at 99 (1906-2005) Hans Albrecht Bethe was a German and American nuclear physicist who, in addition to making important contributions to astrophysics, quantum electrodynamics and solid-state physics, won the 1967 ...more

16

Ulf Merbold age 77 Dr. Ulf Dietrich Merbold is the first West German citizen and second German native to have flown in space. He is also the first member of the European Space Agency Astronaut Corps to participate ...more

17

Hans Schlegel age 67 Hans Wilhelm Schlegel is a German physicist, an ESA astronaut, and a veteran of two NASA Space Shuttle missions.

18

Gerhard Thiele age 65 Dr. Gerhard Paul Julius Thiele is a German physicist and a former ESA astronaut.

19

Ulrich Walter age 65 Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hans Walter is a German physicist/engineer and a former DFVLR astronaut. Walter was born in Iserlohn. After finishing secondary school there and two years in the Bundeswehr, he ...more

20

Reinhold Ewald age 62 Dr. Reinhold Ewald is a German physicist and ESA astronaut.

21

Benjamin Thompson Dec. at 61 (1753-1814) Sir Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford, FRS was an American-born British physicist and inventor whose challenges to established physical theory were part of the 19th century revolution in ...more

22

Wilhelm Röntgen Dec. at 78 (1845-1923) Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen was a German physicist, who, on 8 November 1895, produced and detected electromagnetic radiation in a wavelength range known as X-rays or Röntgen rays, an ...more

23

Benedict Friedlaender Dec. at 42 (1866-1908) Benedict Friedlaender was a German Jewish sexologist, sociologist, economist, volcanologist, and physicist. Friedlaender was born in Berlin as the son of Carl Friedlaender, a professor of ...more

24

Erwin Schrödinger Dec. at 74 (1887-1961) Erwin Rudolf Josef Alexander Schrödinger, sometimes written as Erwin Schrodinger or Erwin Schroedinger, was a Nobel Prize-winning Austrian physicist who developed a number of fundamental ...more

25

Klaus Fuchs Dec. at 77 (1911-1988) Emil Julius Klaus Fuchs was a German-born British theoretical physicist and atomic spy who in 1950 was convicted of supplying information from the American, British, and Canadian Manhattan ...more

1 Albert Einstein Dec. at 76 (1879-1955) Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist. Einstein's work is also known for its influence on the philosophy of science. He developed the general theory of relativity, one of the ...more

2 Angela Merkel age 64 Angela Merkel is the current Chancellor of Germany and the head of the political party CDU in Germany. In addition to being the first female German Chanchellor, she is also considered by Forbes ...more

3 Robert Oppenheimer Dec. at 63 (1904-1967) Julius Robert Oppenheimer was an American theoretical physicist and professor of physics at the University of California, Berkeley. He is among the persons known for their role in the Manhattan ...more

4 Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz Dec. at 70 (1646-1716) Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz was a German polymath and philosopher. He occupies a prominent place in the history of mathematics and the history of philosophy. Most scholars believe Leibniz ...more

5 Heinrich Hertz Dec. at 37 (1857-1894) Heinrich Rudolf Hertz was a German physicist who first conclusively proved the existence of electromagnetic waves theorized by James Clerk Maxwell's electromagnetic theory of light. Hertz proved ...more

6 Max Planck Dec. at 89 (1858-1947) Max Karl Ernst Ludwig Planck, FRS was a German theoretical physicist who originated quantum theory, which won him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1918. Planck made many contributions to ...more

7 Rudolf Peierls Dec. at 88 (1907-1995) Sir Rudolf Ernst Peierls, CBE was a German-born British physicist. Rudolf Peierls had a major role in Britain's nuclear programme, but he also had a role in many modern sciences. His obituary in ...more

8 Werner Heisenberg Dec. at 75 (1901-1976) Werner Karl Heisenberg was a German theoretical physicist and one of the key pioneers of quantum mechanics. He published his work in 1925 in a breakthrough paper. In the subsequent series of ...more

9 Carl Friedrich Gauss Dec. at 78 (1777-1855) Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss was a German mathematician who contributed significantly to many fields, including number theory, algebra, statistics, analysis, differential geometry, geodesy, ...more

10 Wernher von Braun Died at 65 (1912-1977) Wernher Magnus Maximilian, Freiherr von Braun was a German and later American aerospace engineer and space architect, but made his greatest contributions as an aerospace program manager. He was ...more

11 Reinhard Furrer Dec. at 55 (1940-1995) Prof. Dr. Reinhard Alfred Furrer was a German physicist and astronaut. Furrer was born in Wörgl, Austria. After the end of World War II, his father was expelled from Austria. The family ...more

12 Georg Ohm Dec. at 65 (1789-1854) Georg Simon Ohm was a German physicist and mathematician. As a school teacher, Ohm began his research with the new electrochemical cell, invented by Italian scientist Alessandro Volta. Using ...more

13 Julius Edgar Lilienfeld Dec. at 81 (1882-1963) Julius Edgar Lilienfeld was an Austro-Hungarian-born American Physicist and Electronic Engineer. He was born to a Jewish family in Lemberg Austria-Hungary and moved to the United States in the ...more

14 Ernst Messerschmid age 73 Prof. Dr. Ernst Willi Messerschmid is a German physicist and former astronaut. Born in Reutlingen, Germany, Messerschmid finished the Technisches Gymnasium in Stuttgart in 1965. After two years ...more

15 Hans Bethe Dec. at 99 (1906-2005) Hans Albrecht Bethe was a German and American nuclear physicist who, in addition to making important contributions to astrophysics, quantum electrodynamics and solid-state physics, won the 1967 ...more

16 Ulf Merbold age 77 Dr. Ulf Dietrich Merbold is the first West German citizen and second German native to have flown in space. He is also the first member of the European Space Agency Astronaut Corps to participate ...more

17 Hans Schlegel age 67 Hans Wilhelm Schlegel is a German physicist, an ESA astronaut, and a veteran of two NASA Space Shuttle missions.

18 Gerhard Thiele age 65 Dr. Gerhard Paul Julius Thiele is a German physicist and a former ESA astronaut.

19 Ulrich Walter age 65 Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hans Walter is a German physicist/engineer and a former DFVLR astronaut. Walter was born in Iserlohn. After finishing secondary school there and two years in the Bundeswehr, he ...more

20 Reinhold Ewald age 62 Dr. Reinhold Ewald is a German physicist and ESA astronaut.

21 Benjamin Thompson Dec. at 61 (1753-1814) Sir Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford, FRS was an American-born British physicist and inventor whose challenges to established physical theory were part of the 19th century revolution in ...more

22 Wilhelm Röntgen Dec. at 78 (1845-1923) Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen was a German physicist, who, on 8 November 1895, produced and detected electromagnetic radiation in a wavelength range known as X-rays or Röntgen rays, an ...more

23 Benedict Friedlaender Dec. at 42 (1866-1908) Benedict Friedlaender was a German Jewish sexologist, sociologist, economist, volcanologist, and physicist. Friedlaender was born in Berlin as the son of Carl Friedlaender, a professor of ...more

24 Erwin Schrödinger Dec. at 74 (1887-1961) Erwin Rudolf Josef Alexander Schrödinger, sometimes written as Erwin Schrodinger or Erwin Schroedinger, was a Nobel Prize-winning Austrian physicist who developed a number of fundamental ...more

25 Klaus Fuchs Dec. at 77 (1911-1988) Emil Julius Klaus Fuchs was a German-born British theoretical physicist and atomic spy who in 1950 was convicted of supplying information from the American, British, and Canadian Manhattan ...more