Nobel laureates

• Philipp Lenard – Nobel Prize for Physics 1905
• Wilhelm Wien – Nobel Prize for Physics 1911
• Johannes Stark – Nobel Prize for Physics 1919
• Peter Debye – Nobel Prize for Chemistry 1936
• Karl Ziegler – Nobel Prize for Chemistry 1963

Leibniz Prize

This is a list of scientists who awarded the Leibniz Prize while they were working at the RWTH Aachen.

• Peter R. Sahm - foundry science 1986
• Norbert Peters - combustion engineering 1990
• Dieter Enders - organic chemistry 1993
• Siegfried Bethke - elementary particle physics 1995
• Wolfgang Marquardt - process engineering 2001
• Wolfgang Dahmen - mathematics 2002
• Martin Beneke - theoretical particle physics 2008

Scientist

Engineering science

• Bodo von Borries – Professor of Electrical Engineering, co-inventor of electron microscope
• Philipp Forchheimer (1852-1933) Civil Engineering
• Otto Intze – Professor of Hydraulic engineering
• Theodore von Kármán – Pioneer of modern Aerodynamics
• Georg Menges - Former leader of Institute for Plastics engineering and creator of Georg-Menges Prize
• Herwart Opitz - Professor of Machine tools and Production engineering
• Jesco von Puttkamer – Rocket engineer, space exploration technology
• August Ritter – Professor of Mechanics and Astrophysics
• F.A.F. Schmidt - Professor of Internal combustion engines
• Rolf Göpfert – Architect
• JB Mangun Wijaya - Indonesian architect and novelist

Natural sciences and medicine

• Otto Blumenthal – Mathematician
• Martin Wilhelm Kutta - Mathematician
• Hans von Mangoldt – Mathematician
• Friedrich Robert Helmert – Mathematician and Geodesist
• Helmut Zahn - Chemist, first synthesis of insulin
• Hans-Harald Bolt - Director of the Max-Planck Institute for Plasma Physics
• Wilhelm Keim - Chemist, former director of the Institute for Technical and Petrol Chemistry
• Otto Lehmann – Father of liquid crystal research
• Walter Metzner - CEO of the Max-Planck Institute for Solid State Research
• Claus Müller - Mathematician
• Horst Niemeyer - Mathematician
• Ryoji Noyori - Japanese Nobel Laureate, RWTH-Honorary doctor
• Dierk Raabe - Director of the Max-Planck Institute for Iron Research
• Ranga Yogeshwar - Physicist and science journalist
• Lu Yongxiang - President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
• Arnold Sommerfeld - Professor of applied mathematics, 1900-1906. Furthered the theory of hydrodynamics while at RWTH
• Rudolf Schulten (1923-1996) Physicist and father of the Pebble bed reactor

Humanities

• Walter Biemel – Philosopher
• Arnold Gehlen – Sociologist
• Hans Glinz – Germanist and Linguist
• Lutz F. Hornke – Psychological Assessment, Organizational Psychology
• Klaus Mehnert – Journalist and Professor of political science
• Hartwig Neumann (1942-1992) Historian for old buildings and fortresses

Politicians and public figures

Politicians

• Necmettin Erbakan - Former Turkish Prime minister
• Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie – Former President of Indonesia
• Ulrich Daldrup – Professor of International Law, former Mayor of the City of Aachen
• Ulla Schmidt – Politician, Federal minister
• Rangin Dadfar Spanta – Afghanistan Secretary of State (since March 2006)

Public figures

• Wolfgang Back – TV journalist
• Young-Sup Huh – President of the Green Cross Corporation, RWTH-Honorary senator
• Andreas Jiman - IT Consultant for Indonesian National Police - National Crime Information Center
• Arno Joentgen - Magician
• Hugo Junkers – Industrialist and academic
• Karlheinz Kaske – CEO of Siemens AG (1982-1991)
• Theo Lieven – Entrepreneur (founder of Vobis)
• Jürgen von der Lippe – Comedian
• Sonia Mikich – TV correspondent and top editor
• Franz-Josef Paefgen – CEO of Bentley Motors, former CEO of Audi AG
• Wolfgang Rudolph – TV Journalist
• Hans Wilhelm Schlegel – Astronaut
• Christoph Schmallenbach – CEO of AMB Generali
• Hans Ernst Schneider/Hans Schwerte – Rector of RWTH under fake name (1970-1973). Identified as a former SS member, and all his rights were revoked
• Ulrich Schumacher – former CEO of Infineon (2000-2004)
• Kemal Şahin – Turkish entrepreneur (Şahinler Group)
• Mario Theissen - Boss of BMW's Formula One racing division
• Wendelin Wiedeking - CEO of Porsche, member in the supervisory board of Volkswagen