Famous People Born In Mönchengladbach

Nick Heidfeld is a German professional racing driver known for scoring the most podium finishes without a Grand Prix win (13). He began racing karts as an 11-year-old and moved into the German Formula Ford series as a young man. He had a successful junior career and began his Formula One career in 2000. 

Former German racing driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen is best known for ending up as the 1997 Formula One World Drivers' Championship runner-up. He is part of the elite club of 7 German drivers who have ever won the country a Grand Prix. He also had a 3-year racing stint at DTM.

Joseph Pilates was a German physical trainer. He is credited with developing and popularizing the Pilates method of physical training. Originally a bodybuilder and gymnast, Pilates studied the movements of animals, especially cats, and modeled his fitness training based on this. He was featured in a documentary movie titled A Movement of Movement.

As one of Adolf Hitler's most devoted and closest associates, Joseph Goebbels played an important role in making the Holocaust happen. He even urged Hitler to introduce measures, such as the shutting down of businesses which were not useful to the war effort, that eventually gave rise to total war. Subsequently, Hitler appointed him as Reich Plenipotentiary for Total War.

Retired Borussia footballer and manager Jupp Heynckes is known as the man who turned Bayern Munich’s fortunes around, with his combination of discipline and tactics, winning four Bundesliga titles with them as a coach. He has also won two UEFA Champion Leagues, one with Bayern and another with Real Madrid.

Hans Heyer went down in history for a funny incident at his only attempt at Formula 1. He, apparently, wasn’t qualified to race at the 1977 German Grand Prix, for being too slow, but began the race anyway and was then disqualified. He was also known for his signature Tyrolean hat.