Berlichingen, Götz von, 1480-1562, German knight and adventurer. The head of a band of free soldiers, he lost (1504) his right hand in the battle of Landshut and wore an iron one in its place. His forays against various cities earned him popular fame. He reluctantly agreed to lead the peasants of Franconia during the Peasants' War (1524-26) but deserted them before their defeat. In 1542 he served with Holy Roman Emperor Charles V against the Turks and two years later fought against the French. His memoirs inspired Goethe's drama Götz von Berlichingen (1773).

Götz or Goetz (pronounced gets, originating from Gottfried) is a name of many notable people.

Origin

"Götz" is a diminutive form, or pet name, of God or Gottfried vgl. Gotfrid. The word comes from 15th Century Middle High German as a diminutive form of what translates into English as a lesser god or Idol.

Deutsches Namenlexikon, Hans Bahlow, 1988

Surnames

Goetz

• Bernhard Goetz, New York City's "subway vigilante"
• Curt Goetz, Swiss-German writer and actor
• Eric Goetz, world renowned yacht builder
• Hermann Goetz, German composer
• Leo Goetz, the 20th-century German painter
• Marie Josephine Goetz, French nun
• Meg Goetz, the first woman reading clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives
• Peter Goetz, German Teacher
• Walter Goetz, German historian
• William Goetz, the American film producer

Götz

• Hermann Götz, German politician
• Johann Nikolaus Götz (1721-1781), German religious figure, writer and translator
• Paul Götz, German astronomer
• Peter Götz, German politician (CDU)
• Rainald Götz, German writer
• Franz Götz, German toymaker

First name

• Götz von Berlichingen
• Götz Alsmann, German musician and entertainer
• Götz Aly, German journalist and historian
• Götz Briefs, German Catholic social ethicist, social philosopher, and political economist
• Götz Fritsch, German theater and radio play director
• Götz Friedrich, German film and theater director
• Götz George, German actor
• Götz Otto, German actor
• Götz Spielmann, Austrian film director

Place names

• Goetz, Chippewa County, Wisconsin, a small town

See also

• Goetzman