List of German Canadians

This is a list of notable German Canadians.

Academics

• Heribert Adam – political sociologist with a focus on ethnonationalism, born in Germany
• Hans Heilbronn – mathematician born in Berlin
• Fritz Heichelheim – German Jewish historian of ancient economics, born in Giessen, Hesse

Scientists

• Abraham Pineo Gesner – physician and geologist, inventor of kerosene
• Gerhard Herzberg – physicist and physical chemist; Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1971)
• David H. Hubel – neurophysiologist; Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1981)
• Heinz Lehmann – psychiatrist, known for his use of chlorpromazine in treating schizophrenia
• Walter Mandler – lens designer for ELCAN, pioneer in computer-aided design
• Georg Naumann – trapper, explorer, and self-taught scientist who studied the Athabasca oil sands, born in Radeberg, Saxony

• Bernhard Schlegel – computational and theoretical chemist born in Frankfurt am Main
• Henry Taube – chemist; Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1983)

Artists

• Eric Bergman – artist primarily known for his engraving work, born in Dresden
• Emanuel Hahn – sculptor and coin designer, co-founder and first president of the Sculptors' Society of Canada, brother of Gustav Hahn, born in Reutlingen, Baden-Württemberg
• Ulrich "Fred" Herzog – photographer notable for capturing Vancouver street scenes, born in Stuttgart

Musicians

• Andrea Ludwig mezzo-soprano
• Justin Bieber – musician, paternal great grandfather was of German ancestry.
• Matt Brouwer – gospel singer
• Deadmau5 (Joel Thomas Zimmerman) – electronic music producer and DJ
• Joe Hall (born Hans Joachim Boenke) – folk rock musician born in Wuppertal
• John Kay rock star, singer and composer
• Tate McRae – singer born to a German mother
• Lights – singer and rock artist
• K.D. Lang singer, composer

Painters

• Gustav Hahn – painter, muralist, and interior decorator associated with the Art Nouveau movement, brother of Emanuel Hahn, born in Reutlingen, Baden-Württemberg
• Otto Reinhold Jacobi – painter, president of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, born in Königsberg

Businesspeople

• Philip Ludwig "Louis" Breithaupt – tanner and mayor of Berlin, Ontario, born in Allendorf, Hesse
• Friedrich Gaukel – innkeeper, distiller, hotelier born in Württemberg
• Thorsten Heins – businessman and former chief executive officer of BlackBerry, born in Gifhorn, Lower Saxony
• Jacob Hespeler – founder of Hespeler, Ontario, born in Ehningen, Württemberg
• William Hespeler – founder of Niverville, Manitoba
• Stephen A. Jarislowsky – business magnate and investor born in Berlin
• John Adam Rittinger – proprietor and editor of Berliner Journal (1904–1915), Pennsylvania German humorist
• Tobias Lütke – founder and CEO of Shopify, born in Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate

Politicians

• Adam Beck – politician and hydroelectricity advocate
• Henry Eilber – early Ontario businessman and political figure, born to a German father
• John Diefenbaker – 13th Prime Minister of Canada
• Ralph Klein 12th premier of Alberta
• Hugo Kranz – member of parliament for Waterloo North, mayor of Berlin, Ontario, born at Lehrbach, Hesse
• John Motz – mayor of Berlin, Ontario, 1880–1881. Co-founder of Berliner Journal newspaper.
• William Steeves – merchant, lumberman, and politician; Father of Canadian Confederation

Sportspeople

• Sven Butenschön – ice hockey player and coach born in Itzehoe
• Sven Habermann – soccer player, former member of the Canada men's national soccer team, born in West Berlin
• Hermann Kerckhoff – slalom canoeist born in Berlin
• Brock Lesnar – American born professional wrestler and former MMA fighter, obtained Canadian citizenship during the 2010s
• Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty – professional soccer player
• Heinz Poenn – slalom canoeist born in Fürth, Bavaria
• Alfred Wurr – wrestler who competed for Canada in the 1972 Summer Olympics, member of the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame, born in Hamburg

References

Citations

Sources