54.3504° N, 18.6660° E

GDANSK

Most Famous People Born in Gdansk, Poland

Notable people
1,102
Peak decade
1920s
Median birth year
1910
Most distinctive
Fencer 6.2×

German Danzig for most of its history — a Hanseatic and later Prussian seaport whose Lutheran and scientific footprint still dominates the roster. The disproportionate Theologian and Academic counts point to the Gymnasium Academicum tradition, while an outsized Fencer bench and a thick Rower count come from the interwar student corps and the Baltic rowing clubs. Most of this panel belongs to the German-speaking city that vanished in 1945.

Through the Centuries

One face per century — the most globally famous figure born in Gdansk during each.

What Gdansk Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Politician is Gdansk's biggest profession — 10% of all notables (114).

Gdansk over-indexes on fencer6.2× the global rate.

Gdansk under-produces football — only 0.3× the global rate.

  1. Politician114
  2. Actor66
  3. Painter46
  4. Football37
  5. Writer35
  6. Academic32
  7. Historian32
  8. Composer28
  1. Fencer136.2×
  2. Theologian184.5×
  3. Rower174.2×
  4. Academic322.9×
  5. Officer202.8×
  6. Historian322.8×
  7. Mathematician132.4×
  8. Author222.3×
  1. Football370.3×

Profession Mix Over Time

Each band shows a profession family's share of Gdansk's notable births by decade. Hover the chart for the breakdown at any decade.

1500155016001650170017501800185019001950
  • Sports
  • Politics & Law
  • Science
  • Writing
  • Art & Design
  • Film & TV
  • Other
All1,102
Sort By

Showing 56 of 1,102 notable people

0048 MYSTIC

Bruno Gröning

1906 - 1959

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0055 PHYSICIST

Fritz Houtermans

1903 - 1966

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0108 PAINTER

Suzanne Eisendieck

1906 - 1998

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0145 BIOLOGIST

Salome Gluecksohn-Waelsch

1907 - 2007

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0146 ATHLETIC

Emil Hirschfeld

1903 - 1968

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0172 ENGINEER

Semi Joseph Begun

1905 - 1995

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0232 RESISTANCE

Hermann Diamanski

1909 - 1976

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0233 FILM

Georg Zoch

1902 - 1944

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0256 CONDUCTOR

Heinz Freudenthal

1905 - 1999

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0263 NAZI

Gerhard Krüger (politician)

1908 - 1994

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0279 MINISTER

Józef Tusk

1907 - 1987

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0316 WRITER

Kurt Zube

1905 - 1991

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0386 JOURNALIST

Joachim Nehring

1903 - 1991

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0426 WRITER

Benno Voelkner

1900 - 1975

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0432 OFFICER

Johann Pauls

1908 - 1946

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0444 ASSESSOR

Hans-Günther Sohl

1906 - 1989

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0453 ACTOR

Traute Rose

1904 - 1997

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0506 POLITICIAN

Meta Preuß

1903 - 1981

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0545 COMPOSER

Hans Zander (Komponist)

1905 - 1985

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0558 PHILOSOPHER

Erwin Metzke

1906 - 1956

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0565 LEHRER

Lydia Gottschewski

1906 - 1989

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0591 FILM

Willy Sommerfeld

1904 - 2007

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0592 OFFICER

Hans Georg Schmidt von Altenstadt

1904 - 1944

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0602 DESIGNER

Hans Wocke

1908 - 1967

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0666 ENGINEER

Rudolf L’Orange

1902 - 1958

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0699 ECOLOGIST

Hans Baatz

1906 - 1996

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0716 PAINTER

Theo M. Landmann

1903 - 1978

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0727 CINEMA

Erich Nitzschmann

1901 - 1980

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0729 FILM

Alfred Norkus

1901 - 1982

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0744 ACTOR

Erika Körner

1902 - 1979

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0800 POLITICIAN

Friedrich Boschmann

Born 1903

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0817 THEOLOGIAN

Walter Franz Uhsadel

1900 - 1985

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0841 ENGINEER

Albin Sawatzki

1909 - 1945

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0848 HISTORIAN

Hermann Wendt (Militärhistoriker)

1909 - 1940

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0853 PAINTER

Willy Lütcke

1905 - 1982

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0876 LAWYER

Herbert Lauffer

1900 - 1980

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0894 WORLD WAR

Alfred Zeidler

Born 1902

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0920 SCIENTIST

Willi Taschenmacher

1902 - 1988

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0924 MONK

Aloïs Stanke

1904 - 1975

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0944 COMPOSER

Hans Borlisch

1909 - 1979

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0952 ECONOMIST

Otto Bail

1904 - 1987

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0970 BANK

Walter Nickel (Bankmanager)

1902 - 1973

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0971 VIOLIN

Herbert Fröhlich (Musiker)

Born 1901

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0974 MITARBEITER

Johannes Post (SS-Mitglied)

1908 - 1948

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0996 POLITICIAN

Kurt Herholz

1905 - 1983

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0998 THEOLOGIAN

Hans Hohlwein

1902 - 1996

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0999 ATHLETE

Helmuth Naudé

1904 - 1943

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1003 WIDERSTAND

Käte Voelkner

1906 - 1943

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1005 MOTO

Rudi Knees

1907 - 1982

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1010 JUDGE

Johann Dannegger

Born 1905

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1014 POLITICIAN

Erich Henschke

1907 - 1988

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1015 LAWYER

Karl Schmidt-Römer

1905 - 1975

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1025 LAWYER

Walter Renken

Born 1905

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1033 ECOLOGIST

Erich Großmann

1902 - 1948

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1034 LAWYER

Georg Lippke

1906 - 1999

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1098 POLITICIAN

Ernst Kalitzke

Born 1903

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