The following is a list of events from the year 2019 in

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

Incumbents

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

Frank-Walter Steinmeier Frank-Walter Steinmeier (; born 5 January 1956) is a German politician who has served as President of Germany since 2017. He was previously Minister for Foreign Affairs (Germany), federal minister for foreign affairs from 2005 to 2009 and again f ...

Chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...

Angela Merkel Angela Dorothea Merkel (; ; born 17 July 1954) is a German retired politician who served as Chancellor of Germany from 2005 to 2021. She is the only woman to have held the office. She was Leader of the Opposition from 2002 to 2005 and Leade ...

Events

January

* 29 December 2018 to 6 January – The 2018–2019 Four Hills Tournament * 22 January – Signing of the

Aachen Treaty The Aachen Treaty, formally Treaty on Franco-German Cooperation and Integration, and also known as the Treaty of Aachen (, , ), is a bilateral agreement between Germany and France concerning mutual cooperation across major subjects, which ente ...

Aachen Aachen is the List of cities in North Rhine-Westphalia by population, 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, 27th-largest city of Germany, with around 261,000 inhabitants. Aachen is locat ...

, 56 years to the day after the signing of the

Élysée Treaty The Élysée Treaty was a treaty of friendship between France and West Germany, signed by President Charles de Gaulle and Chancellor Konrad Adenauer on 22 January 1963 at the Élysée Palace in Paris. With the signing of this treaty, Germ ...

* 26 January – The

Commission on Growth, Structural Change and Employment Commission on Growth, Structural Change and Employment (German: (WSB), originally , commonly just called ''Kohlekommission'', that is ''coal commission'', in Germany) is a commission created by the German federal government on 6June 2018, after ...

by the German government recommends Germany to entirely phase out and shut down

coal-fired plant A coal-fired power station or coal power plant is a thermal power station which burns coal to generate electricity. Worldwide there are about 2,500 coal-fired power stations, on average capable of generating a gigawatt each. They generate ab ...

s on its territory by 2038.

February

* 7 to 17 February – The annual

69th Berlin International Film Festival The 69th annual Berlin International Film Festival took place from 7 to 17 February 2019. French actress Juliette Binoche served as the Jury President. Lone Scherfig's drama film '' The Kindness of Strangers'' opened the festival. The Golden ...

takes place, with French actress

Juliette Binoche Juliette Binoche (; born 9 March 1964) is a French actress. She has appeared in more than 60 films, particularly in French and English, and has been the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Juliette Binoche, numerous accolades, ...

as the Jury President. The

Golden Bear The Golden Bear () is the highest prize awarded for the best film at the Berlin International Film Festival and is, along with the Palme d'Or and the Golden Lion, the most important international film festival award. The bear is the heraldic an ...

is awarded to Israeli-French film ''

Synonyms A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means precisely or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are a ...

'', directed by

Nadav Lapid Nadav Lapid () is an Israeli screenwriter and film director. Film critics consider him to be among the most internationally acclaimed filmmakers from Israel. Early life Lapid was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, to a family of Ashkenazi Jewish descent. ...

. * 21 February – A German court fines two ex-employers of German gun maker

Heckler & Koch Heckler & Koch GmbH (HK or H&K; ) is a German firearms manufacturer that produces handguns, rifles, submachine guns, and grenade launchers. The company is located in Oberndorf am Neckar, Baden-Württemberg and also has subsidiaries in the United ...

for illegal gun sales to

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

May

* 26 May – 2019 Bremen state election * 26 May –

2019 European Parliament election in Germany The 2019 European Parliament election in Germany was held on 26 May 2019, electing the List of members of the European Parliament for Germany, 2019–2024, 96 members of the national Germany (European Parliament constituency), Germany constitue ...

June

* 2 June –

Murder of Walter Lübcke The murder of Walter Lübcke occurred on 2 June 2019 in Wolfhagen-Istha, Germany, near the city of Kassel. Walter Lübcke, the head of the public administration of the Kassel region, was killed in front of his home by a shot to the head at clo ...

, a German politician and a member of the

Christian Democratic Union of Germany The Christian Democratic Union of Germany ( , CDU ) is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is the major party of the centre-right in German politics. Friedrich Merz has been federal chairman of the CDU since 31 ...

who is found shot in the head at close range on the terrace of his residence.

July

* 28 July –

Formula One Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...

grand prix occurs in Hockenheim, Germany.

September

* 1 September **

2019 Brandenburg state election Nineteen or 19 may refer to: * 19 (number) * One of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019 Films * ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film * ''Nineteen'' (1987 film), a 1987 science fiction film * '' 19-Nineteen'', a 2009 South Korean film * '' Dic ...

: The SPD declines 5.7% with 26.2% of the vote and AfD becomes the second largest party in

Brandenburg Brandenburg, officially the State of Brandenburg, is a States of Germany, state in northeastern Germany. Brandenburg borders Poland and the states of Berlin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony. It is the List of Ger ...

with 23.5%. **

2019 Saxony state election Nineteen or 19 may refer to: * 19 (number) * One of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019 Films * ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film * ''Nineteen'' (1987 film), a 1987 science fiction film * '' 19-Nineteen'', a 2009 South Korean film * '' D ...

: The CDU declines 7.3% with 32.1% of the vote and AfD becomes the second largest party in

Saxony Saxony, officially the Free State of Saxony, is a landlocked state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Bavaria, as well as the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. Its capital is Dresden, and ...

with 27.5%. * 5 September – The (NPD)

National Democratic Party of Germany National Democratic Party of Germany (, NPD), officially called The Homeland () since 2023, is a Far-right politics, far-right, Neo-Nazism, neo-Nazi and Ultranationalism, ultranationalist political party in Germany. It was founded in 1964 as ...

Stefan Jagsch becomes the Mayor of the Waldsiedlung. The unanimous election of the NPD politician in the local council shocks other parties including Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), and the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP), whose local council members voted for Jagsch.

October

* 9 October –

Halle synagogue shooting The Halle synagogue shooting occurred on 9 October 2019 in Halle (Saale), Halle, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, and continued in nearby Landsberg, Saxony-Anhalt, Landsberg. After unsuccessfully trying to enter the synagogue in Halle during the Jewish h ...

* 27 October –

2019 Thuringian state election The 2019 Thuringian state election was held on 27 October 2019 to elect the members of the 7th Landtag of Thuringia. The outgoing government was a coalition consisting of The Left, the Social Democratic Party (SPD), and The Greens, led by Minis ...

: The Die Linke wins the election with 31.0% of the vote, the AfD becomes the second largest party in Thuringia with 23.4% of the vote.

November

* 25 November –

2019 Dresden heist On 25 November 2019, Crown jewels, royal jewellery was stolen from the Green Vault museum within Dresden Castle in Dresden, Saxony, Germany. The stolen items included the 49-Carat (mass), carat Dresden White Diamond, the diamond-laden breast sta ...

Deaths

January

*1 January **

Bernd Kröplin Bernd-Helmut Kröplin (11 November 1944, in Schleswig, Germany – 1 January 2019) was a German engineer and academic. Life After a trade apprenticeship as a bricklayer, Kröplin studied Civil Engineering at the Technical University of Braunsc ...

, engineer and academic (b. 1944). **, German theologist and church historian (b. 1937). *2 January **, German sculptor (b. 1933). **, German writer (b. 1933). *3 January – Wulf Steinmann, physicist (b. 1930). *6 January **

Gebhardt von Moltke Gebhardt is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Deborah Gebhardt, American basketball coach and scientist * Dixie Cornell Gebhardt (1866–1955), American designer of the state flag of Iowa * Eric "Red Mouth" Gebhardt, A ...

, diplomat (b. 1938). ** Gustav Andreas Tammann, astronomer (b. 1932). *7 January – Helmut Berding, historian (b. 1930). *8 January – Giorgio Zur, Roman Catholic prelate, Apostolic Nuncio (b. 1930). *10 January **

Theo Adam Theo Adam (1 August 1926 – 10 January 2019) was a German operatic bass-baritone and bass singer who had an international career in opera, concert and recital from 1949. He was a member of the Staatsoper Dresden for his entire career, and s ...

, opera singer (b. 1926). **

Gerd Jaeger Gerd Jaeger (16 September 1927 – 10 January 2019) was a German sculptor and painter. Life Gerd Jaeger was born in Förderstedt, a small village near the lignite mines in the countryside south of Magdeburg. In 1943, aged 16, he was conscr ...

, sculptor and painter (b. 1927). *13 January – Susanne Neumann, author and trade unionist (b. 1959). *14 January –

Rainer Stadelmann Rainer Stadelmann (24 October 1933 – 14 January 2019) was a German Egyptology, Egyptologist. He was considered an expert on the archaeology of the Giza Plateau. Biography After studying in Neuburg an der Donau in 1953, he studied Egyptology, ...

, egyptologist (b. 1933). *16 January –

Mirjam Pressler Mirjam Pressler, born Mirjam Gunkel (18 June 1940 – 16 January 2019) was a German novelist and translator. Being the author of more than 30 children's and teenage books, she also translated into German more than 300 works by other writers from ...

, writer (b. 1940). *20 January –

Klaus Enders Klaus Enders (2 May 1937 – 20 January 2019) was a German Sidecar racer. He was a six-time FIM Sidecar World Champion and a four-time winner of the sidecar class at the Isle of Man TT The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annu ...

, sidecar racer, World Champion (b. 1937). *21 January – Lothar Kobluhn, footballer (b. 1943). *22 January – Wolfgang Thonke, military officer (b. 1938). *27 January –

Countess Maya von Schönburg-Glauchau Countess Maria Felicitas von Schönburg-Glauchau (; 15 August 1958 – 27 January 2019), also known as Maya von Schönburg, was a German socialite. Early life and family Countess Maya von Schönburg-Glauchau was born on 15 August 1958 to Joac ...

, socialite (b. 1958). *29 January –

Alf Lüdtke Alf Lüdtke (18 October 1943, Dresden – 29 January 2019) (also Alf Luedtke) was a historian and a leading German representative of the history of everyday life ('' Alltagsgeschichte'' in German). He said his main fields of interest and research ...

, historian (b. 1943).

February

* 1 February – Ursula Karusseit, actress (b.

1939 This year also marks the start of the World War II, Second World War, the largest and deadliest conflict in human history. Events Events related to World War II have a "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 ** Coming into effect in Nazi Ger ...

) * 2 February – William Davis, German-born British journalist (BBC) (b.

1933 Events January * January 11 – Australian aviator Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand. * January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independen ...

) * 4 February ** , historian (b.

1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly demonstrating that DNA is the genetic material. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris B ...

) ** Leonie Ossowski, writer (Zwei Mütter) (b.

1925 Events January * January 1 – The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria (1925–1930), State of Syria. * January 3 – Benito Mussolini m ...

) * 6 February ** Rudi Assauer, football player and coach (b.

1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free France, Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command First Army (France), French Army B, part of the Sixt ...

) **

Manfred Eigen Manfred Eigen (; 9 May 1927 – 6 February 2019) was a German biophysical chemist who won the 1967 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for work on measuring fast chemical reactions. Eigen's research helped solve major problems in physical chemistry and ...

, biophysical chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b.

1927 Events January * January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the BBC, British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith, 1st Baron Reith, John Reith becomes the first ...

) * 7 February **

Heidi Mohr Heidi Mohr (29 May 1967 – 7 February 2019) was a German association football, footballer who played as a forward (association football), forward. She was renowned for her speed and her ability to shoot with both feet. In 1999 she was voted Eur ...

, footballer (TuS Niederkirchen, TuS Ahrbach, national team) (b.

1967 Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 6 – Vietnam War: United States Marine Corps and Army of ...

) **

Jörg Schönbohm Jörg Schönbohm (2 September 1937 – 7 February 2019) was a German politician ( CDU) and a retired lieutenant general. He was the first commander of the so called Bundeswehr Kommando Ost (short: BwKdo Ost) Federal Armed Forces Command East (co ...

, military officer and politician, Inspector of the Army, and Deputy Minister President of Brandenburg (b.

1937 Events January * January 1 – Anastasio Somoza García becomes President of Nicaragua. * January 5 – Water levels begin to rise in the Ohio River in the United States, leading to the Ohio River flood of 1937, which continues into Feb ...

) * 8 February **

Seweryn Bialer Seweryn Bialer (November 3, 1926 in Berlin – February 8, 2019 in New York City) was a German-born American academic. He was emeritus professor of political science at Columbia University and an expert on the Communist parties of the Soviet Union ...

, German-born American political scientist (b.

1926 In Turkey, the year technically contained only 352 days. As Friday, December 18, 1926 ''(Julian Calendar)'' was followed by Saturday, January 1, 1927 '' (Gregorian Calendar)''. 13 days were dropped to make the switch. Turkey thus became the ...

) ** Kurt Sommerlatt, football player (Karlsruher SC, Bayern Munich) and manager (Borussia Neunkirchen). (b.

) * 9 February – Katharina Lindner, German-born Scottish footballer (Glasgow City F.C.) (b.

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...

) * 10 February **

Heinz Fütterer Heinrich Ludwig Fütterer (; 14 October 1931 – 10 February 2019) was a German athlete, who mainly competed in sprint events. Early life He was born in Illingen. Fütterer competed for the United Team of Germany in the 1956 Summ ...

, sprinter, Olympic bronze medalist (b.

1931 Events January * January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics. * January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa. * January 22 – Sir I ...

) **

Maximilian Reinelt Maximilian Reinelt (24 August 1988 – 9 February 2019) was a German rower and physician. He won a gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics, and a silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics, as well as two World Championships and four European Champ ...

, rower, Olympic champion and silver medalist (b.

1988 1988 was a crucial year in the early history of the Internet—it was the year of the first well-known computer virus, the Morris worm, 1988 Internet worm. The first permanent intercontinental Internet link was made between the United State ...

) * 12 February **

Rolf Böhme Rolf Böhme (6 August 1934, Konstanz – 12 February 2019) was a German politician and mayor of the southwestern city of Freiburg for twenty years, between 1982 and 2002. He is a former member of the Social Democratic Party. Before becoming m ...

, politician (b.

1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...

) ** Christoph Broelsch, surgeon (b.

) **

Georg Jann Georg Jann (17 January 1934 – 12 February 2019) was a German organ builder. Early life Jann was born in Kalkberge. In 1948, he began his apprenticeship in Potsdam with organ builder Alexander Schuke. He moved to Switzerland in 1961, three ...

, organ builder (b.

) * 15 February –

Erika Simon Erika Simon (27 June 1927 – 15 February 2019) was a German scholar of classical archaeology and professor emeritus of the University of Würzburg. She was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 2002. Simon died in February 2019 at the ...

, archaeologist (b.

) * 16 February –

Bruno Ganz Bruno Ganz (; 22 March 1941 – 16 February 2019) was a Swiss actor whose career in German stage, television and film productions spanned nearly 60 years. He was known for his collaborations with the directors Werner Herzog, Éric Rohmer, Franc ...

, German-speaking Swiss actor (b.

1941 The Correlates of War project estimates this to be the deadliest year in human history in terms of conflict deaths, placing the death toll at 3.49 million. However, the Uppsala Conflict Data Program estimates that the subsequent year, 1942, wa ...

) * 19 February –

Karl Lagerfeld Karl Otto Lagerfeld also called Kaiser Karl (; 10 September 1933 – 19 February 2019) was a German fashion designer, photographer, and creative director. Lagerfeld began his career in fashion in the 1950s, working for several top fashion hous ...

, fashion designer (b.

) * 20 February ** Peter Rüchel, music journalist and founder of

Rockpalast ''Rockpalast'' (''Rock Palace'') is a German music television show that broadcasts live on German television station Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR). ''Rockpalast'' started on 4 October 1974. Hundreds of rock, heavy metal and jazz bands have perf ...

(b.

) ** Ekkehard Wlaschiha, operatic baritone, Grammy winner (b.

1938 Events January * January 1 – state-owned enterprise, State-owned railway networks are created by merger, in France (SNCF) and the Netherlands (Nederlandse Spoorwegen – NS). * January 20 – King Farouk of Egypt marries Saf ...

) * 21 February –

Hilde Zadek Hildegard Zadek (15 December 1917 – 21 February 2019) was a German operatic soprano. She was Kammersängerin at the Vienna State Opera and performed internationally. Early life Zadek, the oldest of three daughters of Elizabeth (Freundlich) an ...

, soprano (b.

1917 Events Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 9 – WWI – Battle of Rafa: The last substantial Ottoman Army garrison on the Sinai Peninsula is captured by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force's ...

) * 24 February – Lothar Zenetti, theologian (b.

) * 25 February – Ernst-Wolfgang Böckenförde, judge (b.

) * 28 February –

André Previn André George Previn (; born Andreas Ludwig Priwin; April 6, 1929 – February 28, 2019) was a German-American pianist, composer, and conductor. His career had three major genres: Hollywood films, jazz, and classical music. In each he achieved ...

, German-born American composer (b.

1929 This year marked the end of a period known in American history as the Roaring Twenties after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushered in a worldwide Great Depression. In the Americas, an agreement was brokered to end the Cristero War, a Catholic ...

)

March

* 2 March – Arnulf Baring, German lawyer, historian, journalist and political scientist (born

1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...

) * 4 March –

Klaus Kinkel Klaus Kinkel (17 December 1936 – 4 March 2019)
1936 Events January–February * January 20 – The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King Edward VIII, following the death of his father, George V, at Sandringham House. * January 28 – Death and state funer ...

) * 13 March –

Andrea Pollack Andrea Pollack (later Pinske; 8 May 1961 – 13 March 2019) was a butterfly swimmer from East Germany who won three Olympic gold medals. Pollack was born in 1961 in Schwerin. She was a member of SC Dynamo Berlin. She who won two gold medals a ...

, German butterfly swimmer (born

1961 Events January * January 1 – Monetary reform in the Soviet Union, 1961, Monetary reform in the Soviet Union. * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and cons ...

) * 15 March –

Okwui Enwezor Okwui Enwezor (23 October 1963 – 15 March 2019) was a Nigerian curator, art critic, writer, poet, and educator, specializing in art history. Enwezor served as artistic director of several major exhibitions, including Documenta11 (2002) and th ...

, Nigerian curator, art critic, writer, poet, and educator (born

1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cove ...

)

April

* 2 April – Rosemarie Springer, German Olympic equestrian (b.

1920 Events January * January 1 ** Polish–Soviet War: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20. ** Kauniainen in Finland, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its ow ...

) * 19 April **

Martin Böttcher Martin Böttcher (17 June 1927 – 20 April 2019) was a German composer, arrangement, arranger and conducting, conductor. The beginning Böttcher (on foreign records and articles often written "Bottcher" or "Boettcher", the latter being the corre ...

, German composer, arranger and conductor (b.

** Verena Wagner Lafferentz, German associate of

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

(b.

) * 21 April –

Hannelore Elsner Hannelore Elsner (; born Hannelore Elstner; 26 July 1942 – 21 April 2019) was a German actress with a long career in television and film. She first performed on stage in Munich, and later starred in popular films and television series such as ' ...

, German actress (b.

1942 The Uppsala Conflict Data Program project estimates this to be the deadliest year in human history in terms of conflict deaths, placing the death toll at 4.62 million. However, the Correlates of War estimates that the prior year, 1941, was th ...

) * 25 April – Michael Wolf, German photographer (b.

1954 Events January * January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting. * January 7 – Georgetown–IBM experiment: The first public demonstration of a machine translation system is held in New York, at the head ...

) * 26 April –

Ellen Schwiers Ellen Schwiers (11 June 1930 – 26 April 2019) was a German actress of stage, film, and television. She was featured in world premieres of plays by Dürrenmatt and Frisch at the Schauspielhaus Zürich, and appeared as Buhlschaft in '' Jed ...

, German actress (b.

1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will be on J ...

)

May

* 1 May – Beatrix Philipp, German politician (born

1945 1945 marked the end of World War II, the fall of Nazi Germany, and the Empire of Japan. It is also the year concentration camps were liberated and the only year in which atomic weapons have been used in combat. Events World War II will be ...

) * 7 May –

Georg Katzer Georg Katzer (; 10 January 1935 – 7 May 2019) was a German composer and teacher. The last master student of Hanns Eisler, he composed music in many genres, including works for the stage. Katzer was one of the pioneers of electronic new music ...

, German composer (born

1935 Events January * January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims. * January 12 – Amelia Earhart ...

) * 7 May – Michael Wessing, German javelin thrower (born

1952 Events January–February * January 26 – Cairo Fire, Black Saturday in Kingdom of Egypt, Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. * February 6 ** Princess Elizabeth, ...

) * 8 May –

Jens Beutel Jens Beutel (12 July 1946– 8 May 2019) was a German judge and politician. A member of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), he served as Oberbürgermeister (mayor) of Mainz, the state capital of Rheinland-Pfalz, from 1997 to 2011. During his tenur ...

, German politician (born

1946 1946 (Roman numerals, MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1946th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 946th year of the 2nd millennium, the 46th year of the 20th centur ...

) * 10 May –

Paul-Werner Scheele Paul-Werner Scheele (6 April 1928 – 10 May 2019) was a German Catholic prelate and theologian. Born in Olpe, Scheele was ordained to the priesthood in 1952, and appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Paderborn in 1975. In 1979, he became the Bishop of W ...

, German Roman Catholic bishop (born

) * 10 May –

Anatol Herzfeld Anatol Herzfeld (born Karl-Heinz Herzfeld; 21 January 1931 – 10 May 2019) was a German sculptor and mixed-media artist, and also a policeman. A student of Joseph Beuys, he primarily used wood, iron and stone as materials. As an artist, he simpl ...

, German sculptor (born

) * 13 May – Jörg Kastendiek, German politician (born

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 – In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patria ...

) * 14 May – Remig Stumpf, German cyclist (born

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...

)

June

* 2 June – Walter Lübcke, German politician (b.

1953 Events January * January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma. * January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a Estonian government-in-exile, government-in-exile in Oslo. * January 14 ** Marshal Josip Broz Tito ...

) * 3 June – Duchess Woizlawa Feodora of Mecklenburg, German royal (b.

1918 The ceasefire that effectively ended the World War I, First World War took place on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of this year. Also in this year, the Spanish flu pandemic killed 50–100 million people wor ...

) * 8 June – Karl Hurm, German painter (b.

) * 13 June –

Wilhelm Wieben Wilhelm Wieben (2 June 1935 – 13 June 2019) was a German journalist, actor and author, best known for presenting the daily news in '' Tagesschau'', the most-watched news program on German television, from 1973 to 1998. Biography Wieben was ...

, German television moderator (born

) * 15 June –

Heinrich Lummer Heinrich Lummer (21 November 1932 – 15 June 2019) was a German politician and member of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany, Christian Democratic Union (CDU). Life At the Free University of Berlin, Lummer studied German law and philos ...

, German politician (b.

) * 16 June –

Rolf von Sydow Rolf von Sydow (18 June 1924 – 16 June 2019) was a German film director and author. Life Von Sydow worked as a film director in Germany. He married on three occasions. As an author, Sydow wrote several books and audible books. Works by Syd ...

, German film director (b.

1924 Events January * January 12 – Gopinath Saha shoots Ernest Day, whom he has mistaken for Sir Charles Tegart, the police commissioner of Calcutta, and is arrested soon after. * January 20–January 30, 30 – Kuomintang in Ch ...

) * 20 June – Wibke Bruhns, German journalist (born

) * 28 June – Lisa Martinek, German actress (born

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...

)

July

* 2 July – Lis Verhoeven, German actress (born

) * 7 July –

Artur Brauner Artur "Atze" Brauner (born Abraham Brauner; 1 August 1918 – 7 July 2019) was a German film producer and entrepreneur of Polish origin. He produced more than 300 films from 1946. Life and career He was born the oldest son of a Jewish family ...

, Polish-born German film producer (b.

) * 22 July –

Brigitte Kronauer Brigitte Kronauer (29 December 1940 – 22 July 2019) was a German writer who lived in Hamburg. Her novels, written in the tradition of Jean Paul with artful writing and an ironic undertone, were awarded several prizes, including in 2005 the Geo ...

, German writer (born

1940 A calendar from 1940 according to the Gregorian calendar, factoring in the dates of Easter and related holidays, cannot be used again until the year 5280. Events Below, events related to World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January *Janu ...

)

August

* 7 August – Helmut Bez, German writer (born

) * 26 August – Helmut Krauss, German actor (born

) * 30 August –

Udo Schaefer Udo Schaefer (October 19, 1926 – August 30, 2019) was a German lawyer and a theologian of the Baháʼí Faith. Education Schafer received a Doctor of Law degree in church law from Heidelberg University, Rupert Carola University. Career Scha ...

, German writer, jurist and theologian of Bahai (born

)

September

* 2 September – Tom Zickler, German film producer (born

) * 3 September –

Peter Lindbergh Peter Lindbergh (born Peter Brodbeck; 23 November 1944 – 3 September 2019) was a German fashion photographer and film director. He had studied arts in Berlin and Krefeld, and exhibited his works before graduation. In 1971, he turned to phot ...

, German fashion photographer (born

) * 9 September –

Lissy Gröner Liselotte Carola Gröner (31 May 1954 – 9 September 2019) was a German politician and, from 1989 to 2009, was a Member of the European Parliament with the Social Democratic Party of Germany, part of the Socialist Group. She sat on the European ...

, German politician (born

) * 21 September –

Sigmund Jähn Sigmund Werner Paul Jähn (; 13 February 1937 – 21 September 2019) was a German Aircraft pilot, pilot, cosmonaut, and ''Generalmajor#Generalmajor in East Germany, Generalmajor'' (equivalent to a Brigadier General in Western armies) in the Nat ...

, German cosmonaut and pilot (born

)

October

* 9 October – Inge Hecht, German politician (born

1947 It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Events January * January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country i ...

) * 14 October – Anke Fuchs, German politician (born

) * 19 October –

Erhard Eppler Erhard Eppler (9 December 1926 – 19 October 2019) was a German politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, Social Democratic Party (SPD) and founder of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ). He studied Englis ...

German politician (born

) * October – Volker Hinz, German photograph (born

)

November

* 2 November –

Norbert Eder Norbert Alban Eder (7 November 1955 – 2 November 2019) was a German footballer who played mainly as a defender. In a 14-year professional career, he played in 433 games (33 goals) both major levels of German football combined (286/11 in th ...

, German footballer (born

1955 Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut. * January 18– 20 – Battle of Yijian ...

) * 16 November – Walter Freiwald, German television moderator (born

)

December

2015-12 Manfred Stolpe SPD Bundesparteitag by Olaf Kosinsky-5

* 2 December –

Johann Baptist Metz Johann Baptist Metz (5 August 1928 – 2 December 2019) was a German Catholic priest and theologian. He was Ordinary Professor of Fundamental Theology at the University of Münster, and a consultant to the synod of German dioceses. He is regarded ...

, German Roman Catholic theologian and priest (born

) * 7 December – Herbert Joos, German jazz trumpeter and graphic designer (born

) * 17 December –

Karin Balzer Karin Balzer (''née'' Richert; 5 June 1938 – 17 December 2019) was an East German hurdler who competed in the 80 m hurdles event at the 1960, 1964 and 1968 Olympics, and in the 100 m hurdles in 1972. She won a gold medal in 1964 and a bronz ...

, German hurdler (born

) * 20 December –

Hermann L. Gremliza Hermann Ludwig Gremliza (20 November 1940 – 20 December 2019) was a German Far-left politics, radical left journalist. Gremliza was born in Cologne. In the 1960s he studied in Tübingen. He learned the profession working at ''Der Spiegel'', and ...

, German journalist (born

) * 20 December –

Roland Matthes Roland Matthes (, ; 17 November 1950 – 20 December 2019) was a German swimmer and the most successful backstroke swimmer of all time. Between April 1967 and August 1974 he won all backstroke competitions he entered. He won four European champ ...

, German swimmer (born

1950 Events January * January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed. * January 5 – 1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash, Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 ...

) * 29 December –

Manfred Stolpe Manfred Stolpe (16 May 1936 – 29 December 2019) was a German Canon law, canonist, Theology, theologian and politician who served as Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs (Germany), Federal Minister of Transport, Building an ...

, German politician (born

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King Edward VIII, following the death of his father, George V, at Sandringham House. * January 28 – Death and state funer ...

) * 30 December –

Jan Fedder Jan Fedder (; 14 January 1955 – 30 December 2019) was a German actor, born in Hamburg. He was best known for his role as police officer Dirk Matthies in the German television show '' Großstadtrevier''. He was also known for his role as the cr ...

, German actor (born

) * 30 December –

Harry Kupfer Harry Alfred Robert Kupfer (12 August 1935 – 30 December 2019) was a German opera director and academic. A long-time director at the Komische Oper Berlin, he worked at major opera houses and at festivals internationally. Trained by Walter Fe ...

, German opera director and academic.(born

)

References

{{Year in Europe, 2019 2010s in Germany Years of the 21st century in Germany

Incumbents

Events

January

February

May

June

July

September

October

November

Deaths

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

See also

References