List of people from Silesia
This is a list of notable people from Silesia.
Nobel laureates
- Theodor Mommsen (1902, literature)
- Philipp Lenard (1905, physics)
- Eduard Buchner (1907, chemistry)
- Paul Ehrlich (1908, medicine)
- Gerhart Hauptmann (1912, literature)
- Fritz Haber (1918, chemistry)
- Friedrich Bergius (1931, chemistry)
- Gerhard Domagk (1939, medicine)
- Otto Stern (1943, physics)
- Kurt Alder (1950, chemistry)
- Max Born (1954, physics)
- Maria Goeppert-Mayer (1963, physics)
- Konrad Bloch (1964, medicine)
- Johannes Georg Bednorz (1987, physics)
- Hans Georg Dehmelt (1989, physics)
- Reinhard Selten (1994, economics)
- Günter Blobel (1999, medicine)
Alphabetical order
A
B
- Paul Baender, politician and chess player
- Adolf Aron Baginsky, pediatrician
- John Baildon, a Scottish pioneer in metallurgy in Silesia
- Michael Ballack, soccer player
- Hans Baluschek, painter
- Jan Banaś, soccer player
- Franz Bardon, occultist
- Walter Bathe, swimmer
- bishop Herbert Bednorz
- Johannes Georg Bednorz, physicist
- Hans Bellmer, painter and sculptor
- Benedykt Polak ca.1200-ca.1280, explorer
- Henryk Bereska; pl, de, translator and poet
- Max Berg 1870–1947, architect
- Friedrich Bergius 1884–1949, chemist
- Gottfried Bermann, publisher
- cardinal Adolf Bertram
- countess Valeska von Bethusy-Huc, writer
- Petr Bezruč, poet
- von Bibran-Modlau family
- Albert Bielschowsky, literary historian
- Max Bielschowsky, neuropathologist
- Horst Bienek, writer
- Stanisław Bieniasz, writer; pl
- rev. Franciszek Blachnicki
- William Blandowski, zoologist and mining engineer
- Leszek Blanik, gymnast
- Barbara Blida, 1949–2007, politician
- Konrad Emil Bloch, biochemist
- Josef Block, painter
- Günter Blobel 1936- biologist
- Fannie Bloomfield Zeisler, pianist
- Maurice Bloomfield, philologist
- Friedrich Blühmel; de
- Krystyna Bochenek, politician
- Hermann Boehm, admiral
- Sebastian Boenisch, soccer player
- bishop Bernard Bogedain; pl
- Lothar Bolz, politician
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer, theologian
- Max Born 1882–1970, physicist
- Arka Bożek, Silesian politician; pl
- Ernst-Joachim Bradel, colonel
- Walter Brom, soccer player
- Lucjan Brychczy, soccer player
- Ignatz Bubis, politician
- Andrzej Buncol, soccer player
- Agata Buzek, actress
- Jan Buzek, physician and politician
- Jerzy Buzek, engineer and politician, prime minister of Poland
- Józef Buzek, economist and politician
C
- Ernst Cassirer, philosopher
- Ewald Cebula, soccer player
- Blessed Ceslaus; (bł. Czesław Odrowąż), Dominican friar
- Dietrich von Choltitz, general
- Jerzy Chromik, long distance runner
- Claudia Ciesla, female model
- Gerard Cieślik, soccer player
- Ferdinand Cohn 1828–1898, biologist
- Maria Cunitia (Cunitz) 1610-1664, astronomer
- Richard Courant, mathematician
- Johannes Crato von Krafftheim, 1519–1585, imperial physician
- bishop Andrzej Czaja; pl
- Herbert Czaja, politician
- Richard Czaya; de, chess master
D
- Kurt Daluege, SS-general, Deputy Protector of Bohemia and Moravia
- Frank Damrosch, music conductor and educator
- Ernst Degner, motorcycle road racer
- Hans Georg Dehmelt, physicist, Nobel Prize laureate
- count Hans Karl von Diebitsch (Graf Ivan Ivanovich Dibich-Zabalkansky), Russian Field Marshal
- cardinal Melchior von Diepenbrock, Prince-Bishop of Breslau
- Leopold Wilhelm von Dobschütz, general
- the House of Henckel von Donnersmarck
- Hans-Jürgen Dörner, soccer player and coach
- Bernard Drzyzga; pl, colonel
- Ireneusz Dudek; pl, blues vocalist
- Jerzy Dudek, soccer player
- Rafał Dutkiewicz, politician
- Ewald Dytko, soccer player
- Wojciech Dzieduszycki; pl, count
- Johann Dzierzon, apiarist
E
- Franz Eckert, musician who composed the national anthem of Japan
- Paul Ehrlich 1854–1915, physiologist
- Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff, poet
- Bernd Eistert, chemist
- Norbert Elias 1897–1990, sociologist
- Józef Elsner, composer, music teacher and theoretician
- Emin Pasha (Edward Schnitzer), physician
- Leszek Engelking, writer, poet, translator, scholar
- Berthold Englisch, chess master
- Anzelm Ephorinus; pl, physician
- Johann Samuel Ersch, bibliographer
F
- Nikolaus von Falkenhorst, general
- Gottfried Bermann Fischer, publisher
- Grzegorz Fitelberg, conductor, violinist and composer
- Walenty Fojkis; pl, politician
- Jan Foltys, chess master
- Emanuel Aloys Förster, composer
- Marta Fox, writer
- Rudolf Fränkel, architect
- Heinz Fraenkel-Conrat, biochemist
- Egon Franke, fencer
- Zacharias Frankel, historian
- Gustav Freytag, writer
- Fritz von Friedlaender-Fuld, industrialist; de
- Johnny Friedlaender, painter
- Max Friedlaender, musicologist
- Carl Friedländer, bacteriologist
- Max Friedländer, journalist
- Walter Friedländer, art historian
- Anni Friesinger, speed skater
- Willy Fritsch, actor
- Jan Furtok, soccer player
G
- Hubert Gad, soccer player
- Christian Ganczarski, terrorist
- archbishop Józef Gawlina; pl
- Adam Gdacjusz, writer
- Gunther Gebel-Williams, circus performer, animal trainer
- Oscar Gelbfuhs, chess master
- Eugeniusz Get-Stankiewicz; pl, sculptor
- Edmund Giemsa, soccer player
- Karl Gilg, chess master
- Krzysztof Globisz, actor
- rev. Joseph Glowatzki; de, politician
- Karl Godulla, industrialist
- Maria Goeppert-Mayer, physicist
- Eugen Goldstein, physicist
- Kurt Goldstein, neurologist
- Robert Gonera, actor
- Jerzy Gorgoń, soccer player
- Grzegorz Gerwazy Gorczycki, composer, musician
- Jerzy Gorzelik, Silesian politician
- Rudolf von Gottschall, poet, dramatist, chess master
- Wilhelm Góra, soccer player
- Halina Górecka, athlete (sprinter)
- Henryk Mikołaj Górecki, composer
- Joachim Grallert, watchmaker and jeweler
- Heinrich Graetz, historian
- Barnard Gratz, merchant
- Michael Gratz, merchant
- Jerzy Grotowski, theatre director
- Friedrich Grundmann; pl, businessman, co-founder of Katowice
- Ignatz Grünfeld; pl, architect
- Andreas Gryphius, poet
- Karol Grzesik; pl, politician
- Bernhard Grzimek, zoologist
- Antoni Gucwiński, zoologist
- Hanna Gucwińska, zoologist
- cardinal Henryk Gulbinowicz
- Torsten Gütschow, soccer player
H
- the House of Habsburg; Branch of Toscania/Teschen
- Fritz Haber, chemist
- Stanisław Hadyna; pl, composer
- Daniel Harrwitz, chess master
- Alfred Hauptmann; de, neurologist
- Gerhart Hauptmann, dramatist
- Felix Hausdorff, mathematician
- Saint Hedwig of Andechs; (św. Jadwiga Śląska), Duchess of Silesia (1174–1243)
- Saint Hyacinth; (św. Jacek Odrowąż), Dominican friar, called the Apostle of the North
- Henry I the Bearded, Duke
- Henry II the Pious, Duke
- Henry III the White, Duke
- Henry IV Probus, Duke
- Lothar Herbst; pl, poet
- Max Herrmann-Neisse; pl, de, writer
- Richard Herrmann, soccer player
- Dieter Hildebrandt, cabaret artist
- Moses Hirschel, writer and chess master
- Ludwik Hirszfeld, microbiologist
- cardinal August Hlond; Primate of Poland
- John Henry XV Count of Hochberg, 3rd Prince of Pless; pl, de, Prince
- Karl Höfer, general
- the House of Hohenzollern; Brandenburg branch
- Carl von Holtei; de, writer
- Richard Holtze; szl, politician, co-founder of Katowice
- Walther von Holzhausen, chess master
- Bernhard von Hülsen, general
- Herbert Hupka, politician
I
- Salomon Isaac; pl, merchant
J
K
- Helmut Kajzar, playwright, theatre director
- Theodor Erdmann Kalide; de, sculptor
- bishop Maximilian Kaller
- Theodor Kaluza, mathematician and physicist
- Tomasz Kamusella, linguist
- Manfred Kanther, politician
- Anna Louisa Karsch, poet
- Adolf Kaschny; pl, Silesian politician
- Georg Katzer, composer
- Lars Kaufmann, handball player
- Alfred Kelbassa, soccer player
- Alfred Kerr, art critic
- Leon Kieres, historian
- Wojciech Kilar, composer
- Gustav Kirchhoff, physicist
- Eckart Klein; de, social scientist
- Otto Klemperer, conductor and composer
- Miroslav Klose, soccer player
- Baladine Klossowska, painter
- Bernhard Adalbert Emil Koehne, botanist
- Alexander Kohut, orientalist
- Jan Jakub Kolski, film director and writer
- cardinal Bolesław Kominek
- Jerzy Konikowski, chess master
- Richard Konwiarz; architect
- cardinal Georg von Kopp
- Wojciech Korfanty, politician
- Hubert Kostka, soccer player
- Jan Kotrč, chess master
- Józef Kożdoń, Silesian autonomist
- Adolf Kramer, chess master
- Paul Krause; de (December 27, 1905, † October 19, 1950), politician
- Jan Kropidło, Duke of Opole, bishop of Chełmno, Kamień Pomorski, Kuyavia, Poznań, archbishop of Gniezno, Primate of Poland
- Rafał Kubacki, judo fighter and politician
- Marek Krajewski, classical philologist and crime-story writer
- Rodolphe Kreutzer (father was born in Silesia), violinist and composer
- Henryk Kroll, politician
- bishop Teodor Kubina; pl
- Wojciech Kuczok, writer
- Hans Kudlich, politician
- Friedrich Wilhelm Kuhnert, painter
- Jerzy Kukuczka; alpine and high-altitude climber
- Theofil Kupka, Silesian politician
- Jan Kustos, Silesian politician
- Martin Wilhelm Kutta, mathematician
- Kazimierz Kutz, film director and politician
L
- Fritz Laband, soccer player
- Piotr Lachmann, poet, writer, theatre artist
- Ferdinand Lassalle, politician
- Maciej Łagiewski; pl, historian
- Hans Lammers, politician
- Georg Landsberg de, mathematician
- Otto Landsberg de, politician
- Benno Landsberger (1890–1968), linguist
- Franz Landsberger de, art historian
- Julius Landsberger de, orientalist and rabbi
- Horst Lange; de, writer
- Walter Laqueur, historian
- Ewald Latacz, Silesian politician
- Waldemar Legień, judoist
- Philipp Lenard, physicist
- Jan Liberda, soccer player
- the House of Lichnowsky
- the House of Liechtenstein
- Felix Liebrecht, folklorist
- Paul Löbe, politician
- Friedrich von Logau, epigrammatist
- Daniel Casper von Lohenstein, diplomat and writer
- Stanisław Ligoń; pl, writer and painter
- Józef Lompa; pl, poet
- rev. Józef Londzin; pl, politician
- Fritz London, physicist
- Fred Lowen, designer
- Włodzimierz Lubański, soccer player
- Emil Ludwig, writer
- Hans Lukaschek; de, Silesian politician
- Bobby E. Lüthge; de, screenwriter
- Mariusz Łukasiewicz; pl, businessman
- Olgierd Łukaszewicz, actor
- Ondra Łysohorsky, poet
M
- Gottlieb Machate, chess master
- Wacław Maciejowski, historian
- Lech Majewski, film and theatre director
- Franz Graf von Magnis; id A missionary man and Indonesian public figure.
- Adam Małysz, ski jumper
- Andrzej Markowski; pl, linguist
- Martin of Opava, historian, archbishop of Gniezno, Primate of Poland
- Kurt Masur, conductor
- Michael Graf von Matuschka, politician
- Martin Max, soccer player
- Ludwig Meidner, painter
- cardinal Joachim Meisner
- Erich Mende, German politician of the FDP and CDU
- Gregor Mendel, biologist
- Adolph Menzel, painter
- Wolfgang Menzel, poet
- Blessed Maria Merkert
- Zbigniew Messner, economist, politician, prime minister of People's Republic of Poland
- Ewa Michnik, conductor
- Mieszko I Tanglefoot, Duke of Upper Silesia
- Jan Miodek, linguist
- Fr. Leopold Moczygemba, founder of the first Silesian-American parish in Panna Maria, Texas.
- Helga Molander, actress
- Helmuth James Graf von Moltke, jurist and politician
- Theodor Mommsen, historian and writer
- Gustaw Morcinek, writer
- Oskar Morgenstern, economist
- Ludwig Moshamer; de, architect
- Czesław Mozil, singer
- Paul Mross, chess master
- Bogdan Musiol, bobsledder
- Joseph Musiol, politician
- bishop Jan Muskata
N
O
P
- Helmuth von Pannwitz, general and ataman
- Rudolf Pannwitz, writer and philosopher
- Eduard Pant, politician
- Ildefons Pauler, Grand Master of the Teutonic Order (1970-1988)
- rev. Paul Peikert; pl
- Teodor Peterek, soccer player
- the House of Piast
- Ryszard Piec, soccer player
- Wilhelm Piec, soccer player
- Antoni Piechniczek, soccer player and coach
- Franciszek Pieczka, actor
- bishop Tadeusz Pieronek
- Józef Pinior, politician
- Ferdinand Piontek; de, vicar
- Hans Piontek; de, Silesian politician
- Heinz Piontek; de, poet and writer
- Klaus Piontek; de, actor
- Leonard Piontek, soccer player
- Sepp Piontek, soccer player and coach
- Richard Pipes, historian
- Bartholomaeus Pitiscus, mathematician and astronomer
- Marek Plawgo, athlete
- the House of Pless
- Lukas Podolski, soccer player
- Ernest Pohl, soccer player
- Hugo von Pohl, admiral
- Yosef Porath, chess master
- Hans Poelzig, architect
- Vincenz Priessnitz, hydrotherapist
- Alfred Pringsheim, mathematician
- Ernst Pringsheim, Sr., physicist
- Ernst Pringsheim, Jr., biochemist and botanist
- Nathanael Pringsheim, botanist
- Rudolf Pringsheim de, railway magnate
- the House of Promnitz; de
- Alfons Proske; de, Silesian politician
- Igor Przegrodzki; pl, actor
R
- Friedrich Wilhelm von Reden, engineer
- Jan Reginek; pl, politician
- rev. Tomasz Reginek; pl, politician
- Eva Gabriele Reichmann, historian and sociologist
- Johannes Reinelt, known as Philo vom Walde, de, poet
- Hanna Reitsch, aviator
- Erwin Respondek; de, politician
- Bolko von Richthofen, archeologist
- Manfred von Richthofen, fighter pilot
- Ryszard Riedel, blues/rock vocalist
- Fritz Riemann, chess master
- Günther Rittau, camera operator and film director
- Horst Rittner, chess master
- Abraham Robinson, mathematician
- Ottomar Rosenbach, physician
- Philipp Roth, cellist
- Walenty Roździeński; pl, industrialist and poet
- Tadeusz Różewicz, poet
- Otto Rüster, chess master
- Johann Christian Ruberg - pioneer in the metallurgy of zinc
- Wanda Rutkiewicz, mountain climber
- Józef Rymer, politician
S
- Julius von Sachs, botanist
- Otto Sackur, chemist
- Valery Salov, chess grandmaster
- the House of Schaffgotsch
- cardinal Leo Scheffczyk, theologian
- Theodor von Scheve, chess master
- Joshua M. Schlesinger
- Friedrich Schleiermacher
- Ludwig Schmitt, chess master
- August Schneider; de, politician
- August Scholtis; de, pl, writer
- Arnold Schottländer, chess master
- Peter Schumann, artist, puppeteer, theatre director
- Caspar Schwenckfeld, theologian and writer
- Hanna Schygulla, actress
- Karl Sczodrok; pl, writer
- Joseph Sedlnitzky (Sedlnicky, Sedlnicki)
- Paul Segieth; de, painter
- Oskar Seidlin, writer
- Reinhard Selten, economist
- Gustavus Sidenberg, financier
- Arthur Silbergleit (1881–1943), poet
- Heinrich Silbergleit (1858–1930), statistician
- Angelus Silesius, poet
- Edward Simoni; de, pan flute musician
- Gerhard Skrobek, sculptor
- archbishop Wiktor Skworc; pl
- Aleksandra Śląska, actress
- Tadeusz Sławek, writer, literary historian, scholar
- Henryk Sławik, diplomat
- Franciszek Smuda, soccer player and coach
- Monika Soćko, chess grandmaster
- Emil Sojka, chess master
- Emanuel Sperner, mathematician
- Edith Stein, philosopher, Roman Catholic saint
- Hugo Steinhaus, mathematician
- Fritz Stern, historian
- Otto Stern, physicist
- Ernst Steinitz, mathematician
- Feliks Steuer, Silesian educationist
- Hyazinth Graf Strachwitz, general
- Moritz von Strachwitz, writer
- Pavle Jurišić Šturm, Serbian general
- Dariusz Świercz, chess grandmaster
- rev. Józef Szafranek; pl, politician
- Thomas Szczeponik, Silesian politician
- Sławomir Szmal, handball player
- Józef Szmidt, athlete
- Zygfryd Szołtysik, soccer player
- Edward Szymkowiak, soccer player
T
- Siegbert Tarrasch, chess grandmaster
- Max Tau, writer
- Adam Taubitz, musician
- Johannes Thiele, chemist
- Wolfgang Thierse, politician
- Georg Thomalla, actor
- Harry Thürk, writer
- Henryk Tomaszewski, mime
- Klaus Töpfer, politician
- Ludwig Traube, physician
- Moritz Traube, biochemist
- Wilhelm Traube, chemist
- Oscar Troplowitz, pharmacist, inventor of Nivea
- Jiří Třanovský, pastor and hymnwriter, the "Luther of the Slavs"
- Paul Tschackert, theologian and historian
U
V
- Ingmar Villqist; sv, writer
W
- Andrzej Waligórski; pl, actor and poet
- Henryk Waniek; pl, painter and writer
- Walter Warzecha, admiral
- Krzysztof Warzycha, soccer player
- Franz Waxman, composer
- Karl Weigert, pathologist
- Erich Weinitschke, chess master
- Edmund Weiss, astronomer
- Friedrich Weißler, lawyer
- rev. Augustin Weltzel; pl, historian
- Henry Wenceslaus, Duke of Oels-Bernstadt, Governor of Silesia (1629-1639)
- Carl Wernicke, neurologist
- archbishop Stefan Wesoły; pl
- Ernest Wilimowski, soccer player
- Wincenty of Kielcza, poet
- Franz von Winckler; de, businessman
- Walter Winkler, soccer player
- Witelo ca.1230-ca.1300, physicist
- Paul Wittich, mathematician and astronomer
- Piotr Włostowic, palatine
- Gerard Wodarz, soccer player
- Erich Peter Wohlfarth, physicist
- Rafał Wojaczek, poet
- Balduin Wolff, drawer and painter
- Konstanty Wolny; pl, politician
- Jerzy Wostal, soccer player
- Tomasz Wylenzek, canoer
- Klaus Wyrtki, geophysicist
Y
Z
The major Silesian cities
Literature
- Norman Davies and Roger Moorhouse: Microcosm: Portrait of a Central European City, London: Jonathan Cape, 2002. ISBN 0-224-06243-3
- Marek Czapliński, Elżbieta Kaszuba, Gabriela Wąs, Rościsław Żerelik: Historia Śląska, Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego, 2002. ISBN 83-229-2213-2
- Hugo Weczerka: Handbuch der historischen Stätten: Schlesien. Stuttgart: Alfred Kröner Verlag, 2003. ISBN 3-520-31602-1.
See also