215,950 profiles ranked

← Fame through time1980-1989

The 1980s

Whose names filled the books of the 1980s - anyone at all, however long dead - counted as mentions per million words printed, so a period that simply published more does not inflate anyone.

Talked about then

Whose names appeared most in German books during the 1980s, whenever they lived.

  1. 1Thomas Mann1875-1955 · 20th century · United States · Writers12
  2. 2Karl Marx1818-1883 · 19th century · Germany · Academics9.8
  3. 3Novalis1772-1801 · 19th century · Germany · Writers7.8
  4. 4Jean Paul1763-1825 · 18th century · Germany · Writers6.4
  5. 5Erich Honecker1912-1994 · 20th century · Germany · Politicians5.7
  6. 6Max Weber1864-1920 · 19th century · Germany · Academics4.9
  7. 7Friedrich Engels1820-1895 · 19th century · United Kingdom · Academics4.8
  8. 8Heinrich Mann1871-1950 · 20th century · Germany · Writers3.9
  9. 9Martin Luther1483-1546 · 16th century · Germany · Religious Figures3.8
  10. 10Adolf Hitler1889-1945 · 20th century · Austria · Politicians3.4
  11. 11Karl Kraus1874-1936 · 20th century · Austria · Writers3.3
  12. 12Richard Wagner1813-1883 · 19th century · Germany · Musicians3.3
  13. 13Heinrich Heine1797-1856 · 19th century · France · Writers3.2
  14. 14Bertolt Brecht1898-1956 · 20th century · Austria · Writers3.1
  15. 15Friedrich Schlegel1772-1829 · 19th century · Germany · Writers3.1
  16. 16Helmut Schmidt1918-2015 · 20th century · Germany · Politicians3.1
  17. 17Maria Theresa1717-1780 · 18th century · Austria · Historical Figures3.0
  18. 18Rosa Luxemburg1871-1919 · 20th century · Germany · Activists2.8
  19. 19Willy Brandt1913-1992 · 20th century · Germany · Politicians2.7
  20. 20Anna Seghers1900-1983 · 20th century · Germany · Writers2.7
  21. 21Christa Wolf1929-2011 · 20th century · Germany · Writers2.7
  22. 22Konrad Adenauer1876-1967 · 20th century · Germany · Politicians2.5
  23. 23Helmut Kohl1930-2017 · 20th century · Germany · Politicians2.4
  24. 24Walter Benjamin1892-1940 · 20th century · Academics2.2
  25. 25George Frederick of Waldeck-Eisenberg1620-1692 · 17th century · Models2.1
  26. 26Paracelsus1493-1541 · 16th century · Switzerland · Doctors2.1
  27. 27Charles Augustus, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach1757-1828 · 18th century · Politicians2.1
  28. 28Jacob Grimm1785-1863 · 19th century · Germany · Academics2.0
  29. 29Ernst Thälmann1886-1944 · 20th century · Germany · Politicians1.9
  30. 30Karl Liebknecht1871-1919 · 20th century · Politicians1.9
  31. 31Richard Strauss1864-1949 · 19th century · Germany · Musicians1.9
  32. 32Ernst Bloch1885-1977 · 20th century · Germany · Academics1.9
  33. 33Gerhart Hauptmann1862-1946 · 19th century · Germany · Writers1.9
  34. 34Tannhäuser1300-1300 · 14th century · Germany · Writers1.8
  35. 35Günter Grass1927-2015 · 20th century · Germany · Writers1.8
  36. 36Franz Kafka1883-1924 · 20th century · Czechia · Writers1.8
  37. 37William IV, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel1532-1592 · 16th century · Germany · Scientists1.8
  38. 38Klaus Mann1906-1949 · 20th century · Germany · Writers1.7
  39. 39Sigmund Freud1856-1939 · 19th century · Austria · Doctors1.7
  40. 40Hermann Hesse1877-1962 · 20th century · Switzerland · Writers1.7
  41. 41Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor1741-1790 · 18th century · Austria · Historical Figures1.7
  42. 42Karl May1842-1912 · 19th century · Germany · Writers1.7
  43. 43Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor1316-1378 · 14th century · Historical Figures1.7
  44. 44Stefan George1868-1933 · 20th century · Germany · Writers1.7
  45. 45Ingeborg Bachmann1926-1973 · 20th century · Austria · Writers1.6
  46. 46Hugo von Hofmannsthal1874-1929 · 20th century · Austria · Writers1.6
  47. 47Hans Sachs1494-1576 · 16th century · Germany · Writers1.6
  48. 48Wilhelm Pieck1876-1960 · 20th century · Germany · Politicians1.6
  49. 49Frederick Charles, Duke of Württemberg-Winnental1652-1698 · 17th century · Politicians1.6
  50. 50Rudolf Steiner1861-1925 · 19th century · Switzerland · Writers1.5
  51. 51Theodor Fontane1819-1898 · 19th century · Germany · Writers1.5
  52. 52Gottfried Benn1886-1956 · 20th century · Germany · Writers1.5
  53. 53Max Frisch1911-1991 · 20th century · Switzerland · Writers1.5
  54. 54Heinrich von Kleist1777-1811 · 19th century · Germany · Writers1.5
  55. 55Gottfried Keller1819-1890 · 19th century · Switzerland · Writers1.5
  56. 56Jürgen Habermas1929-2026 · 20th century · Germany · Academics1.5
  57. 57Stefan Zweig1881-1942 · 20th century · Austria · Writers1.5
  58. 58Frederick William IV of Prussia1795-1861 · 19th century · Politicians1.5
  59. 59Walter Ulbricht1893-1973 · 20th century · Politicians1.4
  60. 60Johann Sebastian Bach1685-1750 · 18th century · Germany · Musicians1.4
  61. 61Friedrich Nietzsche1844-1900 · 19th century · Germany · Academics1.4
  62. 62Friedrich Schiller1759-1805 · 18th century · Germany · Writers1.4
  63. 63Carl Schmitt1888-1985 · 20th century · Germany · Academics1.4
  64. 64Robert Musil1880-1942 · 20th century · Austria · Writers1.3
  65. 65Clara Zetkin1857-1933 · 19th century · Germany · Activists1.3
  66. 66Wilhelm Grimm1786-1859 · 19th century · Germany · Writers1.3
  67. 67Wilhelm von Humboldt1767-1835 · 19th century · Germany · Academics1.3
  68. 68Georg Büchner1813-1837 · 19th century · Germany · Writers1.3
  69. 69Theodor Heuss1884-1963 · 20th century · Germany · Journalists1.3
  70. 70Clemens Brentano1778-1842 · 19th century · Germany · Writers1.3
  71. 71Thomas Bernhard1931-1989 · 20th century · Austria · Writers1.2
  72. 72August Bebel1840-1913 · 19th century · Germany · Politicians1.2
  73. 73Gustav Adolph, Duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow1633-1695 · 17th century · Germany · Writers1.2
  74. 74Karl, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst1652-1718 · 17th century · Historical Figures1.2
  75. 75Theodor W. Adorno1903-1969 · 20th century · United States · Academics1.2
  76. 76Ernst Jünger1895-1998 · 20th century · Germany · Writers1.1
  77. 77Karl Barth1886-1968 · 20th century · Switzerland · Academics1.1
  78. 78Immanuel Kant1724-1804 · 18th century · Academics1.1
  79. 79Alfred Döblin1878-1957 · 20th century · Germany · Writers1.1
  80. 80Karl Jaspers1883-1969 · 20th century · Germany · Doctors1.1
  81. 81Arthur Schnitzler1862-1931 · 19th century · Austria · Writers1.1
  82. 82Peter Handkeborn 1942 · 20th century · Austria · Writers1.1
  83. 83Martin Heidegger1889-1976 · 20th century · Germany · Academics1.0
  84. 84Robert Schumann1810-1856 · 19th century · Germany · Musicians1.0
  85. 85Rainer Maria Rilke1875-1926 · 20th century · Germany · Writers1.0
  86. 86E. T. A. Hoffmann1776-1822 · 19th century · Germany · Writers1.0
  87. 87Albrecht Dürer1471-1528 · 16th century · Germany · Artists1.0
  88. 88Adalbert Stifter1805-1868 · 19th century · Artists1.0
  89. 89Walther von der Vogelweide1170-1230 · 13th century · Austria · Musicians1.00
  90. 90Ludwig Erhard1897-1977 · 20th century · Germany · Politicians0.99
  91. 91Max Brod1884-1968 · 20th century · Israel · Writers0.99
  92. 92Martin Buber1878-1965 · 20th century · Germany · Academics0.98
  93. 93Gustav Mahler1860-1911 · 19th century · Musicians0.97
  94. 94Max Ernst1891-1976 · 20th century · Germany · Artists0.96
  95. 95Paul Klee1879-1940 · 20th century · Switzerland · Artists0.96
  96. 96Johannes Brahms1833-1897 · 19th century · Germany · Musicians0.95
  97. 97August Wilhelm Schlegel1767-1845 · 19th century · Germany · Writers0.94
  98. 98Lion Feuchtwanger1884-1958 · 20th century · Germany · Writers0.93
  99. 99Albert Einstein1879-1955 · 20th century · Switzerland · Scientists0.93
  100. 100Franz Mehring1846-1919 · 19th century · Germany · Writers0.92

Lived then

The most notable people whose working lives fell in the 1980s, ranked where coverage and readership agree.

  1. 1Donald Trumpborn 1946 · United States · Politicians4 decades
  2. 2Vladimir Putinborn 1952 · Russia · Politicians3 decades
  3. 3George W. Bushborn 1946 · United States · Politicians4 decades
  4. 4Xi Jinpingborn 1953 · China · Politicians3 decades
  5. 5Bill Clintonborn 1946 · United States · Politicians4 decades
  6. 6Benjamin Netanyahuborn 1949 · Israel · Politicians4 decades
  7. 7Freddie Mercury1946-1991 · United Kingdom · Musicians3 decades
  8. 8Robin Williams1951-2014 · United States · Actors7 decades
  9. 9Steven Spielbergborn 1946 · United States · Directors5 decades
  10. 10Arnold Schwarzeneggerborn 1947 · Austria · Actors4 decades
  11. 11Narendra Modiborn 1950 · India · Politicians2 decades
  12. 12Jackie Chanborn 1954 · United States · Actorsnot measured-
  13. 13David Bowie1947-2016 · United Kingdom · Musicians5 decades
  14. 14Meryl Streepborn 1949 · United States · Actors4 decades
  15. 15Bob Marley1945-1981 · Jamaica · Musicians5 decades
  16. 16Dolly Parton1946-2026 · United States · Musicians5 decades
  17. 17Stephen Kingborn 1947 · United States · Writers8 decades
  18. 18Sylvester Stalloneborn 1946 · United States · Actors5 decades
  19. 19Hugo Chávez1954-2013 · Venezuela · Politicians3 decades
  20. 20Hillary Clintonborn 1947 · United States · Politicians3 decades
  21. 21Cherborn 1946 · United States · Musiciansnot measured-
  22. 22Elton Johnborn 1947 · United Kingdom · Musicians5 decades
  23. 23Ozzy Osbourne1948-2025 · United Kingdom · Musicians3 decades
  24. 24Pablo Escobar1949-1993 · Colombia · Politicians4 decades
  25. 25John Travoltaborn 1954 · United States · Actors5 decades
Show 75 more

How to read these rankings

  • Attention, not reputation. A place on these lists reflects the attention a person still draws in the public record. It is not a judgement on the life.
  • Fame in print. The curves show how often a name appeared in the books of each decade from 1800 to 2019, drawn from the Google Books Ngram corpus.
  • Gaps are left as gaps. Where the record is too thin to be fair, we would rather show nothing than guess.