Famous People Born In Graz

Ferdinand II was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1619 to1637. He was a member of the House of Habsburg and the son of Archduke Charles II of Inner Austria and Maria of Bavaria. A zealous Catholic, he wanted to restore the Catholic Church as the only religion in the empire, a move that earned him the ire of Protestant groups. 

Retired Austrian Formula One racer Helmut Marko most notably won the 1971 24 Hours of Le Mans. He lost his left eye during the 1972 French Grand Prix. He now serves as the advisor of the Red Bull GmbH Formula One teams and heads the driver development program of Red Bull.

Russian baron Roman von Ungern-Sternberg gained fame as an anticommunist general during the Russian Civil War. Also known as the Mad Baron for his cruelty toward his enemies, he had converted to Buddhism but retained strains of Christianity in his faith. He was eventually executed by a firing squad.

An award-winning adult film star, Austrian actor Mick Blue hails from Graz, the same region of Austria that produced stars such as Arnold Schwarzenegger. Married to porn star Anikka Albrite, he is now focusing on his racing career and wishes to compete in the IndyCar Series.

Sebastian Prödl is an Austrian retired football player who played for the Austrian national football team from 2007 to 2018, during which he represented his country in important tournaments like the 2016 UEFA European Football Championship. Sebastian Prödl also played for popular clubs like Sturm Graz and Werder Bremen.

Valentino Lazaro is an Austrian football player who currently plays for the Austrian national football team as a midfielder and defender. He is best known for his association with the Red Bull Salzburg from 2012 to 2017, during which he helped them win many Austrian Bundesliga and Austrian Cup titles.

Austrian politician Heinz Fischer has not just served as the president of his country but has also presided over the National Council. While he initially studied law and also taught political science, he later represented the Social Democratic Party and eventually became an independent politician.

The daughter of Austria’s Archduke Charles II and Mary Anna of Bavaria, Margaret of Austria Queen of Spain, later became the queen of Spain and Portugal by virtue of her marriage to King Philip III of Spain, who was also Philip II of Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and Sardinia.

Michael Gregoritsch is an Austrian football player who currently plays for the Austria national football team and SC Freiburg. He has also played for other popular clubs like FC Augsburg and Kapfenberger SV. A versatile player, Michael Gregoritsch can play as a striker or midfielder.

Archduchess Maria Maddalena of Austria was a well-educated woman and grew up appreciating art and culture. The wife of Grand Duke Cosimo II de Medici, she also had a palace of her own, the Poggio Imperiale. Following Cosimo’s death, she and her mother-in-law, Christine of Lorraine, served as regents.

The Baroque architecture of Austrian architect, sculptor, and architectural-historian Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, who penned the influential book titled A Plan of Civil and Historical Architecture, greatly influenced the Habsburg Empire and shaped the architectural tastes of Austrian aristocracy for decades. Two of his major works include the Austrian National Library in Vienna, and the Holy Trinity Church in Salzburg.

Retired Austrian footballer Michael Gspurning, who began his youth career with Austria Wien, later came to be known as a prominent goalkeeper for teams such as Schalke 04 and Union Berlin. While representing the team Skoda Xanthi, he earned the nickname Cerberus. He has also worked as a football expert on TV channels.

Born to a mathematician, Wilhelm Blaschke followed in his father’s footsteps and revolutionized the field of differential and integral geometry. A math professor, he worked extensively on kinematic mapping and is remembered for his iconic works such as Circle and Sphere and Foundations of Einstein’s Theory of Relativity.