List of Famous people born in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Sabine Braun is a German former athlete in track and field. Because she had talents in several disciplines, Sabine Braun competed in the heptathlon and had a number of successes. Her international sport career began in August 1983 with the European Junior Championships where she won second place.

Thomas Kessler is a German footballer who last played for 1. FC Köln.

Florian Schnorrenberg is a German football manager and former player. He currently manages Hallescher FC.

Ill-Young Kim is a Korean actor. He appeared in more than twenty films since 1999 including Ninja Assassin.

Uta Briesewitz is a German cinematographer and television director. She is known for her collaborations with film director Brad Anderson.

Silke Rottenberg is a former German football goalkeeper.

Bärbel Dieckmann is a German politician who was elected mayor of Bonn in 1994 and was in office until 2009. She is the first woman and Social Democrat to become mayor of Bonn.

Karin Beier is a German theatre director.

Heinz Stücke is a long-distance itinerate cyclist from Hövelhof, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany — noted for setting the world record for bicycle touring in 1995.

Ute Frevert is a German historian. She is a specialist in modern and contemporary German history, as well as social and gender history. In January 2008, she was appointed managing director of the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and director of the Institute's Center for History of Emotions in Berlin.