Famous People Born In Leipzig

German singer-songwriter and poet Till Lindemann is best-recognised as the lead vocalist and lyricist of the German heavy-metal band Rammstein and for the musical project Lindemann that he fronted. Roadrunner Records listed him among "50 Greatest Metal Frontmen of All Time". He has also published two books of poetry, In stillen Nächten and Messer, and featured in minor roles in movies.

Clara Wieck Schumann was a German pianist, teacher, and composer. One of the most famous pianists of the Romantic era, Schumann changed the way concerts were conducted during her time and made a long-lasting impression as a pianist. She also influenced other pianists through her teaching; among her students were famous English pianist, Mathilde Verne.

Known for his blatant use of digital manipulation and unique compositional strategies, Andreas Gursky is one of the most pricey, yet bestselling photographers of our time, with his best known work, Rhein II, fetching $4.3 million in 2011.  The first to produce large prints, measuring 6 × 8 feet or more, he also taught fine arts at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf.

Walter Ulbricht was a German politician who played a major role in the establishment of the Communist Party of Germany. He also played a key role in the establishment and development of the German Democratic Republic. from 1950 to 1971, Walter Ulbricht was the most influential person in East Germany, serving as the Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party.

Max Beckmann was a German painter, sculptor, draftsman, printmaker, and writer. Even though scholars classify him as an Expressionist artist, he personally never identified as one. He became involved with the New Objectivity movement in the 1920s. He taught at the St. Louis School of Fine Arts at Washington University in his last years.

Anita Berber was a German dancer, writer, and actress. Berber's addiction to drugs and her choice of clothing in public events, which challenged social taboos at that time, overshadowed her professional achievements. In addition to her personal life, Anita Berber also achieved notoriety as a dancer; some of her performances featured total nudity. She died of tuberculosis at age 29.

Nikolaus Pevsner was a German-British architectural historian and art historian. He is best remembered for his 46-volume series of guide books called The Buildings of England. Pevsner is credited with co-founding the Victorian Society in 1957. The society aims at preserving Edwardian and Victorian architecture. In 1969, Nikolaus Pevsner was knighted for services to architecture and art.

Neo Rauch is a German artist whose artworks are displayed in places, such as the Kunstmuseum Den Haag, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum Ludwig, Museum der Bildenden Künste Leipzig, The Museum of Modern Art, and Pinakothek der Moderne among many other museums. He has also received awards like the prestigious Vincent Award.

German socialist radical Karl Liebknecht is best remembered for co-founding the Spartacus League, an underground group that was declared illegal but later led to the formation of the Communist Party of Germany. He was shot to death on the orders of German commander Waldemar Pabst in the 1919 Spartacus Revolt.

Falk Hentschel is a German dancer, actor, and choreographer. Best known for his work in the American film industry, Hentschel has played important roles in movies like Transcendence and White House Down. He earned international recognition when he played Hawkman in DC's Legends of Tomorrow in 2016.   

Nobel Prize-winning German-born British physician Sir Bernard Katz is remembered for his research on nerves and muscles. The Carnegie fellowship winner had also been part of the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II. He was also knighted for his achievements and made a Fellow of the Royal Society.

Fredrik Barth was a Norwegian social anthropologist and professor. He is credited with founding the Department of Social Anthropology at the University of Bergen where he also served as a professor. He also held professorships at the Emory University, University of Oslo, and Harvard University. In 1985, Fredrik Barth was chosen as a government scholar.

Carl Gustav Carus was a German painter and physiologist. He is best remembered for creating the concept of the vertebrate archetype. A man of many talents, Carl Gustav Carus was a renowned naturalist, psychologist, scientist, and doctor.

Arnold Gehlen was a German sociologist, philosopher, and anthropologist. He is credited with influencing numerous contemporary German thinkers like Peter L. Berger, Niklas Luhmann, and Hans Blumenberg. Arnold Gehlen also served as a teacher in prestigious institutions like the University of Vienna and the University of Königsberg.

Born to a Lutheran minister, Maria Margaretha Kirch was educated at par with boys of her age, which wasn’t the norm back then. She later became the first woman astronomer to discover a comet. The German astronomer also received accolades such as the Gold Medal of the Royal Academy of Sciences.

Wilhelm Backhaus was a German pedagogue and pianist best remembered for his interpretations of Beethoven, Mozart, Schumann, and Johannes Brahms. Apart from earning fame for his interpretations, Backhaus also became renowned as a chamber musician. Backhaus is also remembered for his association with the Nazis; he served as an executive advisor to a Nazi organization named Fellowship of German Artists.