List of German Canadians explained

This is a list of notable German Canadians.

Academics

• Heribert Adam – political sociologist with a focus on ethnonationalism, born in Germany^[1]
• Hans Heilbronn – mathematician born in Berlin
• Fritz Heichelheim – German Jewish historian of ancient economics, born in Giessen, Hesse^[2]

Scientists

• Abraham Pineo Gesner – physician and geologist, inventor of Kerosene^[3]
• Gerhard Herzberg – physicist and physical chemist born in Hamburg^[4]
• David H. Hubel – Nobel Prize-winning neurophysiologist^[5]
• Heinz Lehmann – psychiatrist, known for his use of chlorpromazine in treating schizophrenia^[6]
• 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^[7]
• Henry Taube – chemist, awarded the 1983 Nobel Prize in Chemistry^[8]

Artists

See also: List of German artists and List of Canadian artists.

• Eric Bergman – artist primarily known for his engraving work, born in Dresden^[9]
• 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^[10]
• Ulrich "Fred" Herzog – photographer notable for capturing Vancouver street scenes, born in Stuttgart^[11]

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^[12]
• Joe Hall (born Hans Joachim Boenke) – folk rock musician born in Wuppertal^[13]
• 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

See also: List of German painters and List of Canadian 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^[14]
• Friedrich Gaukel – innkeeper, distiller, hotelier born in Württemberg
• Thorsten Heins – businessman and former chief executive officer of BlackBerry, born in Gifhorn, Lower Saxony^[15]
• 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^{[16] [17]}

Politicians

• Adam Beck – politician and hydroelectricity advocate
• John Diefenbaker – 13th Prime Minister of Canada^[18]
• 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.

• Ralph Klein 12th premier of Alberta

Sportspeople

• Sven Butenschön – ice hockey player and coach born in Itzehoe^[19]
• Sven Habermann – soccer player, former member of the Canada men's national soccer team, born in West Berlin^[20]
• Hermann Kerckhoff – slalom canoeist born in Berlin^[21]
• 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^[22]
• Alfred Wurr – wrestler who competed for Canada in the 1972 Summer Olympics, member of the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame, born in Hamburg^[23]

References

Sources

• Cassels . John William Scott . Fröhlich . Albrecht . Hans Arnold Heilbronn 8 October 1908 -- 28 April 1975 . 10.1098/rsbm.1976.0005 . . 22 . 119–135 . 1976 . free .
• Book: McMann . Evelyn de Rostaing . Roberts . Charles G. D. . Tunnell . Arthur L. . 1987 . The Canadian Who's Who . . 9780802046390.
• Book: Quantrell, Jim . 1998 . Cambridge Mosaic: An Inquiry into Who's Who in the History of Cambridge . registration . City of Cambridge . Cambridge, Ontario . 0-9693153-1-7.
• Encyclopedia: Richardson . Lynn Elizabeth . Motz, John . . 14 . . 1998 . 8 June 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210516140745/http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/motz_john_14E.html . 16 May 2021 . live.
• Encyclopedia: Rose . George Maclean . 1886 . A Cyclopæedia of Canadian biography . Rose Publishing Company .
• Encyclopedia: Tötösy de Zepetnek. Steven . Rittinger, John Adam . . 14 . . 1998 . 8 June 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210428101530/http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/rittinger_john_adam_14E.html . 28 April 2021 . live.
• Weissenborn . Georg K. . Jacobi, Otto Reinhold . 13 . 1994.
• Wust . Klaus . Gaukel, Friedrich . 8 . 1985.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Heribert Adam . . 15 May 2021.
2. Web site: HEICHELHEIM, Fritz Moritz . Database of Classical Scholars . . Chambers . Mortimer . 28 April 2021.
3. Web site: Abraham Gesner - Conventional Oil - Alberta's Energy Heritage . 2024-05-25 . www.history.alberta.ca . He was born in Cornwallis Township, Nova Scotia, to a family of Germanic origin..
4. Web site: Gerhard Herzberg: The Person. GCS Research Society. 2011-01-01.
5. Wurtz . Robert H. . 2014 . David H. Hubel 1926–2013 . Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences . His paternal grandfather had emigrated from Germany to Detroit, where he had invented the first process for the mass production of gelatin pill capsules. . January 20, 2024.
6. Web site: Heinz Edgar Lehmann by Barry Blackwell . Blackwell . Barry . November 5, 2015 . inhn.org . International Network for the History of Neuropsychopharmacology . January 22, 2024 . a refugee from Nazi Germany.
7. Web site: H. Bernhard Schlegel . International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science . 26 April 2021.
8. Peter C. Ford . Thomas J. Meyer. Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society . 2020 . 70 . Henry Taube. 30 November 1915—16 November 2005 . His parents were ethnic German farmers who escaped from Russian-controlled Ukraine in 1911 for Canada. . 10.1098/rsbm.2020.0042 . free.
9. Web site: Goldsborough . Gordon . 17 January 2021 . Memorable Manitobans: Henry Eric Bergman (1893-1958) . Manitoba Historical Society . 26 April 2021.
10. Encyclopedia: Emanuel Otto Hahn . . . Victoria . Baker . 15 December 2013 . 15 May 2021.
11. News: John . Mackie . 15 May 2021 . Canada 150: Fred Herzog, colourful street photographer. Vancouver Sun. 22 June 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20180925104549/https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/canada-150/canada-150-fred-herzog-colourful-street-photographer. 25 September 2018. live.
12. Encyclopedia: German Canadians . The Canadian Encyclopedia . July 30, 2013 . Bassler . Gerhard P. . . January 18, 2024 .
13. http://nationalpost.remembering.ca/obituary/joe-hall-1947-2019-1073714960 "Joe Hall: Obituary", National Post, March 29, 2019
14. Web site: Philip Ludwig "Louis" Breithaupt . Waterloo Region Generations . . 16 March 2020.
15. Web site: 10 Things to Know About RIM's New CEO, Thorsten Heins . Sacco . Al . 23 January 2012 . CIO . 20 March 2020.
16. News: Cole. Trevor. 2014-11-27. Our Canadian CEO of the year you've probably never heard of. en-CA. The Globe and Mail. 2021-12-05.
17. Web site: 2014-05-02. Shopify: Koblenzer revolutioniert Onlineshops. 2021-12-05. www.rhein-zeitung.de. de.
18. Web site: The Canadian Bill of Rights . 2012 . Diefenbaker Canada Centre . . January 18, 2024 . His mother was Scottish and his father, a German immigrant, experienced discrimination during the First World War..
19. News: Ein Fremder in der Heimat, oder: Willkommen in der Fremde . Stolpe . Daniel . 20 October 2004 . Welt Online . 26 April 2021 . de.
20. Web site: Canadian Olympic Committee. https://web.archive.org/web/20070929102824/http://72.232.38.190/EN/athletes/query/details2.php?id=36001. 2007-09-29.
21. Hermann Kerckhoff . https://web.archive.org/web/20121022153605/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ke/hermann-kerckhoff-1.html . 2012-10-22 . dead.
22. Web site: Heinz Poenn . Sports-Reference.com . 25 October 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20161026004343/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/po/heinz-poenn-1.html . 26 October 2016 .
23. https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/wu/alfred-wurr-1.html . https://web.archive.org/web/20200418062641/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/wu/alfred-wurr-1.html . dead . 18 April 2020 . 19 June 2012.