Unsere Besten

Unsere Besten ("Our Best") was a television series shown in German public television (ZDF) in 2003. The series was the German version of the BBC series 100 Greatest Britons.

The German public was allowed to vote for the most important Germans historic or contemperary figures from a list of more than 300 people. This list was created for two reasons

• to exclude controversial figures from certain eras of German history, like Austrian-born Adolf Hitler and the former leader of communist East Germany (GDR), Erich Honecker.
• to decide beforehand who was to be considered as German in the first place, due to the complicated German history, which exclude e.g. also Mozart

The final list appeared as shown below: (in order of who received the most votes). It features several rather unknown entertainment celebrities in relative high ranks who obviously got pushed by fan groups, especially no. 125.

1. Konrad Adenauer, the first chancellor of West Germany (1876-1967)
2. Martin Luther, leader of the reformation, father of Protestantism (1483-1546)
3. Karl Marx, social thinker, philosopher (1818-1883)
4. Sophie and Hans Scholl, White Rose young anti-Nazi students (1921/1918-1943)
5. Willy Brandt, West German chancellor in the 1970s (1913-1992)
6. Johann Sebastian Bach, composer (1685-1750)
7. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, writer (1749-1832)
8. Johannes Gutenberg, inventor of the modern printing press (1400-1468)
9. Otto von Bismarck, politician (1815-1898)
10. Albert Einstein, scientist (1879-1955)
11. Adolph Kolping, cleric (1813-1865)
12. Ludwig van Beethoven, composer (1770-1827)
13. Helmut Kohl, politician (*1930)
14. Robert Bosch, industrialist (1861-1942)
15. Konrad Zuse, inventor (1910-95)
16. Daniel Küblböck, singer (*1985)
17. Josef Kentenich, cleric (1885-1968)
18. Albert Schweitzer, physician (1875-1965)
19. Karlheinz Böhm, actor (*1928)
20. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, composer (1756-91)
21. Helmut Schmidt, politician (*1918)
22. Regine Hildebrandt, politician (-)
23. Alice Schwarzer, feminist journalist (-)
24. Thomas Gottschalk, TV showmaster (*1950)
25. Herbert Grönemeyer, musician (*1956)
26. Michael Schumacher, sportsman (auto racing) (1969)
27. Ludwig Erhard, politician (1897-1977)
28. Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, physicist (1845-1923)
29. Günther Jauch, TV journalist (*1956)
30. Dieter Bohlen, music producer (*1954)
31. Jan Ullrich, sportsman (cycling) (*1973)
32. Steffi Graf, sportswoman (tennis) (*1969)
33. Samuel Hahnemann, medic (1755-1843)
34. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, theologian (1906-1945)
35. Boris Becker, sportsman (tennis) (*1967)
36. Franz Beckenbauer, sportsman (football) (*1945)
37. Oskar Schindler, anti Nazi industrialist (1908-1974)
38. Nena, singer (*1960)
39. Hans-Dietrich Genscher, politician (*1927)
40. Heinz Rühmann, actor (1902-1994)
41. Harald Schmidt, cabaret artist (*1957)
42. Frederick II of Prussia (1712-1786)
43. Immanuel Kant, philosopher (1724-1804)
44. Patrick Lindner, singer (-)
45. Hartmut Engler, singer (Pur) (-)
46. Hildegard von Bingen, writer and musician (1098-1179)
47. Heino, singer (-)
48. Richard von Weizsäcker, politician (*1920)
49. Claus Graf Schenk von Stauffenberg, military officer (1907-1944)
50. Marlene Dietrich, actress and singer (1901-1992)
51. Robert Koch, medic (1843-1910)
52. Joschka Fischer, politician (*1948)
53. Karl May, writer (1842-1921)
54. Loriot (Vicco von Bülow), satirist (*1923)
55. Albertus Magnus, scholar (-)
56. Rudi Völler, sportsman (football) (*1960)
57. Heinz Erhardt, comedian (1909-1979)
58. Roy Black, singer (-)
59. Heinz-Harald Frentzen, sportsman (auto racing) (-)
60. Wolfgang Apel, animal welfare activist (-)
61. Alexander von Humboldt, scientist (1769-1859)
62. Peter Kraus, singer (-)
63. Wernher von Braun, rocket scientist (1912-1977)
64. Dirk Nowitzki, sportsman (basketball) (*1978)
65. Campino, singer (Die Toten Hosen) (-)
66. Franz Josef Strauß, politician (1915-1988)
67. Sebastian Kneipp, medic (-)
68. Friedrich Schiller, writer (1759-1805)
69. Richard Wagner, composer (1813-1883)
70. Katarina Witt, sportswoman (figure skating) (*1965)
71. Fritz Walter, sportsman (football) (1920-2002)
72. Nicole, singer (-)
73. Friedrich von Bodelschwingh, cleric (1831-1910)
74. Otto Lilienthal, flying pioneer (1848-1896)
75. Marion Gräfin Dönhoff, editor (1909-2002)
76. Thomas Mann, writer (1875-1955)
77. Hermann Hesse, writer (1877-1962)
78. Romy Schneider, actress (1938-1982)
79. Sven Hannawald, sportsman (ski jumping) (-)
80. Elisabeth ("Sissi"), monarch (-)
81. Willy Millowitsch, actor (1909-1999)
82. Gerhard Schröder, politician (*1944)
83. Joseph Beuys, artist (1921-1986)
84. Friedrich Nietzsche, philosopher (1844-1900)
85. Rudi Dutschke, student leader (1940-1979)
86. Karl Kardinal Lehmann, cleric (-)
87. Beate Uhse, erotica entrepreneur (1919-2001)
88. Die Trümmerfrauen ("rubble women")
89. Carl Friedrich Gauß, mathematician and physicist (-)
90. Helmut Rahn, sportsman (football) (1929-2003)
91. Albrecht Dürer, artist (1471-1528)
92. Max Schmeling, sportsman (boxing) (*1905)
93. Carl Benz, automobile pioneer (1844-1929)
94. Friedrich II, emperor (-)
95. Reinhard Mey, singer-songwriter (*1942)
96. Heinrich Heine, writer (1797-1856)
97. Georg Elser, Hitler assassin (1903-1945)
98. Konrad Duden, linguist (-)
99. James Last, composer (*1929)
100. Uwe Seeler, sportsman (football) (*1936)
101. Jenny de la Torre Castro, "Angel of the Homeless" (-)
102. Erich Gutenberg, economist (-)
103. Emanuel Lasker, chess player (-)
104. Rudolf Steiner, philosopher (-)
105. Edith Stein, theologian (-)
106. Farin Urlaub, musician (Die Ärzte) (-)
107. Xavier Naidoo, singer (-)
108. Nikolaus Kopernikus, astronomer (-)
109. Adam Riese, mathematician (-)
110. Gottlieb Daimler, automobile pioneer (-)
111. Erich Kästner, writer (-)
112. Rosa Luxemburg, politician (-)
113. Bertolt Brecht, writer (-)
114. Theodor Heuss, politician (-)
115. Otto I the Great, monarch (-)
116. Sigmund Freud, psychoanalyst (-)
117. Christine Licci, Citibank chief (-)
118. Wilhelm Busch, writer (-)
119. Hildegard Hamm-Brücher, politician (-)
120. Udo Lindenberg, musician (-)
121. Eugen Drewermann, cleric (-)
122. Ferdinand Sauerbruch, physician (-)
123. Peter Maffay, musician (-)
124. Joseph Kardinal Frings, cleric (archbishop of Cologne) (1887-1978)
125. Silke Fritzen, generally unknown student (*1984)
126. Max Planck, natural scientist (-)
127. Johannes Rau, politician (-)
128. Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Brothers Grimm (-), linguists
129. Baron Münchhausen, entertainer (-)
130. Wilhelm II, emperor (-)
131. Rudolf Augstein, journalist and publisher (-)
132. Heinrich Böll, writer (-)
133. Ralf Schumacher, sportsman (auto racing) (-)
134. Anne Frank, writer and Nazi victim (-)
135. Friedrich I. Barbarossa, monarch (-)
136. Sigmund Jähn, kosmonaut (-)
137. Franziska van Almsick, sportswoman (swimming) (-)
138. Clemens August Graf von Galen, theologian and resistance fighter (-)
139. Ludwig II, king of Bavaria (-)
140. Carl Friedrich Zeiss, optician (-)
141. Hildegard Knef, actress and singer (-)
142. Levi Strauss, entrepreneur (jeans) (-)
143. Sepp Herberger, football coach (-)
144. Klaus Kinski, actor (-)
145. Werner von Siemens, entrepreneur and physicist (-)
146. Ferdinand Porsche, automobile engineer (-)
147. Peter Scholl-Latour, journalist (-)
148. August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben, writer (-)
149. Siegfried and Roy, illusionists and tamers (-)
150. Christoph Langen, sportsman (bobsledding) (-)
151. Michelle, singer (-)
152. Manfred von Ardenne, physicist (1907-1997)
153. Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz, universal scholar (-)
154. Arthur Schopenhauer, philosopher (-)
155. Kurt Tucholsky, writer (-)
156. Karl and Theo Albrecht, entrepreneurs (Aldi (-))
157. Joseph Ratzinger, cardinal (*1927)
158. Werner Heisenberg, physicist (-)
159. Harald Juhnke, actor (*1929)
160. Till Eulenspiegel, entertainer (-)
161. Götz George, actor (-)
162. Rudolf Diesel, inventor (-)
163. Stefan Raab, musician and TV showmaster (-)
164. Hans Albers, singer and actor (-)
165. Nina Hagen, singer (-)
166. Johannes Kepler, astronomer (-)
167. Hans Rosenthal, TV showmaster (-)
168. Rupert Neudeck, Cap Anamur founder (-)
169. Dieter Hildebrandt, cabaret artist (-)
170. Marie-Theres Kroetz Relin, actress and housewife (-)
171. Pater Kilian Saum, cleric (-)
172. Hans Söllner, singer (-)
173. Gregor Gysi, politician (-)
174. Arminius, der Cherusker, Germanic leader (-)
175. Günter Grass, writer (*1927)
176. Inge Meysel, actress (1910-2004)
177. Hans Hartz, musician (-)
178. Karl Lagerfeld, fashion designer (-)
179. Oliver Kahn, sportsman (football) (-)
180. Gerd Müller, sportsman (football) (-)
181. Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin, airship pioneer (-)
182. Nikolaus August Otto, inventor (-)
183. Grete Schickedanz, Quelle mail-order entrepreneur (1911-1984)
184. Clara Zetkin, women's rights activist (-)
185. Hannah Arendt, writer (-)
186. Roman Herzog, politician (-)
187. Hermann Oberth, space physicist (1894-1984)
188. Karl Valentin, cabaret artist (-)
189. Frank Schöbel, singer (-)
190. Jakob Fugger, entrepreneur (1459-1525)
191. Henry Maske, sportsman (boxing) (-)
192. Helmut Zacharias, violinist (-)
193. Michael Ballack, sportsman (football) (-)
194. Bernhard Grzimek, animal filmer (1909-1987)
195. Richard Strauss, composer (-)
196. Edmund Stoiber, politician (-)
197. Klaus Störtebeker, pirate (-)
198. Peter Frankenfeld, TV showmaster (-)
199. Mildred Scheel, physician (-)
200. Claudia Schiffer, model (-)