List of Austrians
This is a list of notable Austrians.
Actors/actresses
- Helmut Berger, actor
- Senta Berger, actress
- Klaus Maria Brandauer, actor
- Wolfgang Cerny, actor
- Marie Geistinger, actress and opera singer
- Gilla, also known as Gisela Wuchinger; singer and actor from the disco era
- Käthe Gold, stage actress
- Liane Haid, first Austrian movie star
- Attila Hörbiger, actor
- Christiane Hörbiger, actress
- Paul Hörbiger, actor
- Maria Hofstätter, actress
- Boris Kodjoe, actor
- Melanie Kogler, television and theatre actress
- Brigitte Kren, actress
- Hedy Lamarr, actress; also co-inventor of spread spectrum radio technology; became U.S. citizen
- Karl Merkatz, actor
- Birgit Minichmayr, actress
- Hans Moser, comedy actor
- Reggie Nalder, actor
- Nina Proll, actress
- Maximilian Schell, actor
- Arnold Schwarzenegger, bodybuilder, actor, became U.S. citizen, governor of the U.S. state of California
- Ursula Strauss, actress
- Erich von Stroheim, actor and film director
- Christoph Waltz, actor
- Maria Weiss, mezzo-soprano and actress
- Oskar Werner, actor
- Sybil Danning 1952 Actor, producer, writer
Artists/architects
- Maria Auböck, landscape architect
- Bernhard Cella, conceptual artist
- Johann Georg Danninger, 19th-century bronzesmith
- Karl Duldig, Austrian-Australian sculptor
- Albin Egger-Lienz, painter
- Karl Ehn, architect, designer of the Karl-Marx-Hof
- Trude Fleischmann, photographer
- Ernst Fuchs, artist
- Xenia Hausner, painter
- Gottfried Helnwein, artist, born in Vienna
- Kurt Hentschlager, new media artist
- Friedensreich Hundertwasser, artist
- Gustav Klimt, artist, helped found Vienna Secession
- Oskar Kokoschka, painter
- Alfred Kubin, graphic artist
- Adolf Loos, architect, born in Brno
- Josef Lorenzl, sculptor
- Hans Makart, history painter, designer and decorator
- Inge Morath, photographer
- Richard Neutra, architect
- Josef Pögl, painter, winner of the Vienna Arts Prize
- Wolf Prix, architect, co-founder of Coop Himmelb(l)au
- Willy Puchner, photographer
- Arnulf Rainer, painter
- Johann Michael Rottmayr, Baroque painter
- Egon Schiele, painter
- Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, architect and political activist
- De Es Schwertberger, artist
- Harry Seidler, architect
- Helmut Swiczinsky, architect, co-founder of Coop Himmelbau
- Aloys Wach, painter
- Otto Wagner, Jugendstil architect behind much of turn-of-the-century Viennese architecture
- Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller, painter
- Felix de Weldon, sculptor
- Franz West, artist
- Olga Wisinger-Florian, painter
Composers/musicians
- Wolfgang Ambros, pop musician
- Louie Austen, composer and musician
- Ernst Bachrich, composer and conductor
- Caroline Bayer, 18th-century violinist and composer
- Alban Berg, composer
- Alfred Brendel, pianist
- Anton Bruckner, composer
- Friedrich Cerha, composer and conductor
- Carl Czerny, pianist and composer
- Anton Diabelli, publisher, editor and composer
- Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf, composer
- Karlheinz Essl, composer and electronic musician
- Falco, pop musician
- Christian Fennesz, electronic musician
- Bernhard Gál, composer and artist
- Georg Friedrich Haas, composer
- Natascha Hagen, singer-songwriter
- Nikolaus Harnoncourt, conductor
- Joseph Haydn, composer
- Michael Haydn, composer, younger brother of Joseph Haydn
- Yung Hurn, hip-hop musician
- Udo Jürgens, singer-songwriter
- Herbert von Karajan, conductor
- Bernhard Lang, composer
- Thomas Lang, drummer and composer
- Joseph Lanner, composer
- Left Boy, singer
- Elisabeth Leonskaja, pianist, Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, First Class, in 2006
- Gustav Mahler, composer
- Marianne von Martinez, composer, singer
- Penny McLean, singer with the disco group Silver Convention
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, musician and composer
- Olga Neuwirth, composer
- Gerhard Potuznik, electronic musician
- César Sampson, singer
- Franz Schmidt, composer
- Arnold Schoenberg, composer
- Franz Schubert, composer and musician
- Parov Stelar, electronic musician
- Eduard Strauss, composer
- Johann Strauss Jr., composer
- Johann Strauss Sr., composer
- Josef Strauss, composer
- Franz von Suppé, composer
- Nathan Trent, singer
- Anton Webern, composer
- Franz Welser-Möst, conductor
- Hugo Wolf, composer
- Conchita Wurst, pop musician
- Joe Zawinul, jazz musician, composer
- Eric Zeisl, composer
- Alexander von Zemlinsky, composer
Entrepreneurs
- Hannes Androsch, former minister of finance in the government of Bruno Kreisky
- Hikmet Ersek, CEO of The Western Union Company, a Fortune 500 company
- Ignaz Glaser, entrepreneur
- Gaston Glock, inventor, founder of Glock Ges.m.b.H.
- Niki Lauda, Formula One race car driver and aviation entrepreneur
- Richard Lugner, entrepreneur and society figure
- Dietrich Mateschitz, businessman behind the Red Bull brand
- Ludwig (Louis) von Nathaniel, banker
- Ferdinand Porsche, automotive engineer, designed the Volkswagen, born in Vratislavice nad Nisou
- Ferdinand Anton Ernst Porsche, automotive engineer and entrepreneur, he expanded the sports car manufacturer Porsche AG to what it is now
- Johann Puch, inventor, mechanic, co-founder of Steyr-Daimler-Puch
- Albert Salomon von Rothschild, banker
- Anselm von Rothschild, banker
- Ferdinand James von Rothschild, investor
- Nathaniel Mayer Anselm von Rothschild, banker
- Salomon Mayer von Rothschild, banker
- Robert Schlumberger, entrepreneur
- Frank Stronach, entrepreneur, born in Austria
- Daniel Swarovski, founder of Swarovski AG, world-famous crystals, born in Jiřetín pod Bukovou,
Filmmakers
- Barbara Albert, film director, producer and writer
- Franz Antel, director, actor and writer
- Axel Corti, director
- Elfi von Dassanowsky, film producer, singer, pianist
- Andrea Maria Dusl, film director and writer
- Amir Esmann, director, director of photography, writer
- Max Fleischer, animator
- Michael Haneke, film director
- Fritz Lang, film director
- Francis Lawrence, Austrian-American film director
- Otto Preminger, film director
- Stefan Ruzowitzky, film director and writer
- Arnold Schwarzenegger, actor and politician
- Ulrich Seidl, film director and writer
- Josef von Sternberg, film director
- Erich von Stroheim, film director
- Wolfgang Suschitzky, director of photography
- Edgar G. Ulmer, film director
- Hans Weingartner, film director, producer and writer
- Virgil Widrich, film director, producer and writer
- Billy Wilder, film director, born in Austria-Hungary
- Fred Zinnemann, film director
Mountaineers
- Peter Aufschnaiter, mountaineer and co-traveller of Heinrich Harrer
- Karl Blodig, mountaineer
- Hermann Buhl, first ascent of Nanga Parbat on the 1953 German–Austrian Nanga Parbat expedition, first ascent of Broad Peak
- Kurt Diemberger, first ascents of Broad Peak and Dhaulagiri
- Peter Habeler, first ascent of Mount Everest without oxygen
- Heinrich Harrer, mountaineer and writer
- Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner, first woman to ascend all eight-thousanders without oxygen
- Fritz Moravec, first ascent of Gasherbrum II
- Ludwig Purtscheller, first ascent of Kilimanjaro in 1889
- Marcus Schmuck, first ascent of Broad Peak in 1957 as expedition leader
- Herbert Tichy, geologist, journalist and mountaineer
- Luis Trenker, mountaineer, film director and writer
- Fritz Wintersteller, first ascent of Broad Peak in 1957
Military leaders
- Haim Bar-Lev, Israeli general and government minister
- Leopold Josef Graf Daun, field marshal
- Joseph Radetzky von Radetz, military leader
- Prince Eugene of Savoy, general in the war against the Turks
- Philipp von Stadion und Thannhausen, field marshal
- Wilhelm von Tegetthoff, admiral
- Georg von Trapp, navy officer
- Alfred I, Prince of Windisch-Grätz, general
- Archduke Charles of Austria, fought against Napoleon
Politicians
- Kasimir Felix Graf Badeni, statesman and diplomat
- Leopold Graf Berchtold, foreign minister at the outbreak of the First World War
- Brigitte Bierlein, Chancellor 2019–2020
- Richard von Coudenhove-Kalergi, politician and writer
- Engelbert Dollfuß, Chancellor 1932–1934, established Austrofascism
- Leopold Figl, Chancellor 1945–1953, foreign minister 1953–1959
- Heinz Fischer, former President
- Werner Faymann, former Chancellor
- Jörg Haider, politician, governour of Carinthia until his death in 2008
- Adolf Hitler, leader of Nazi Germany 1933–1945, gained German citizenship in 1932, and became German Chancellor in 1933. In 1938, he annexed Austria with the Anschluß
- Joseph Hormayr Freiherr zu Hortenburg, statesman and historian
- Theodor Innitzer, cardinal archbishop of Vienna 1932–1955, minister of social affairs 1929–1930
- Ernst Kaltenbrunner, NSDAP politician
- Wenzel Anton Graf Kaunitz, statesman
- Christian Kern, Chancellor 2016–2017
- Rudolf Kirchschläger, judge, diplomat and President 1974–1986
- Thomas Klestil, diplomat, President 1992–2004
- Teddy Kollek, Israeli Mayor of Jerusalem
- Bruno Kreisky, Chancellor 1970–1983, foreign minister 1959–1966
- Sebastian Kurz, Chancellor 2017–2019, 2020–2021
- Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, diplomat and statesman
- Julius Raab, Chancellor 1953–1961
- Adolf Schärf, President 1957–1965
- Anton von Schmerling, statesman
- Kurt Schuschnigg, Chancellor 1934–1938
- Wolfgang Schüssel, Chancellor 2000–2007
- Arnold Schwarzenegger, former governor of California
- Ignaz Seipel, Catholic priest, Chancellor 1922–1924 and 1926–1929
- Arthur Seyß-Inquart, NSDAP politician, last Chancellor before the Anschluss in 1938
- Johann Philipp von Stadion, statesman, foreign minister and diplomat 1763–1824
- Alexander Van der Bellen, former chairman of the Austrian Green Party and President since 2017
- Kurt Waldheim, diplomat and politician, UN Secretary-General 1972–1982, President of Austria 1986–1992
Religious leaders
- Theodor Innitzer, cardinal archbishop of Vienna 1932–1955, minister of social affairs 1929–1930
- Gertraud Knoll, Lutheran pastor, superintendent and politician
- Franz König, Cardinal Archbishop of Vienna
- Christoph Schönborn, archbishop and cardinal
- Ignaz Seipel, Catholic priest, Chancellor 1922–1924 and 1926–1929
Royalty
- Elisabeth, Empress-Consort of Austria, wife of Francis Joseph I
- Ferdinand I, Emperor of Austria
- Francis Joseph I, Emperor of Austria
- Francis II/I, Holy Roman Emperor, first Emperor of Austria
- Franz Ferdinand, Archduke
- Frederick II of Austria, last Babenberger duke of Austria
- Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor, reformer 1780–1790
- Karl I, last Emperor of Austria
- Karl V, Holy Roman Emperor
- Leopold V, Babenberg duke of Austria, participated in the Third Crusade
- Maria Leopoldina, Archduchess, became Empress of Brazil
- Maria Theresia, Archduchess of Austria, Holy Roman Empress-Consort, last male-line Habsburg
- Marie Antoinette, Archduchess, became Queen of France
- Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor
- Maximilian I, Emperor of Mexico, Archduke of Austria
- Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria, Archduke of Austria
- Rudolph I, King of Germany, first Habsburg king
- Rudolf IV of Austria, Duke of Austria, self-styled archduke 1358–1365
Scientists
Economists
- Eugen von Böhm-Bawerk, economist and early member of the Austrian School of Economics
- Gottfried von Haberler, Austrian-American economist, born in Purkersdorf, Austria-Hungary
- Friedrich Hayek, economist and social scientist, Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 1974
- Leopold Kohr, economist, jurist and political scientist
- Fritz Machlup, Austrian-American economist, born in Wiener Neustadt, Austria-Hungary
- Carl Menger, founder of the Austrian School of economics
- Ludwig von Mises, free-market economist
- Oskar Morgenstern, co-founder of game theory
- Otto Neurath, socialist, economist and philosopher
- Joseph Schumpeter, economist, born in Triesch, Austria-Hungary
- Friedrich von Wieser, economist of the Austrian School
Engineers/inventors
- Thomas Feichtner, industrial designer
- Anselm Franz, pioneer in jet engine engineering, designed the world's first turbojet
- Gaston Glock, inventor, founder of firearms company GLOCK GmbH
- Eduard Haas, inventor of the Pez candy
- Viktor Kaplan, inventor of turbines for river power plants
- Wilhelm Kress, aviation pioneer, inventor of the stick control for airplanes
- Hedy Lamarr, co-inventor of spread spectrum wireless communications, along with George Antheil
- Ernst Lauda, hydraulic and bridge engineer
- Josef Madersperger, invented the sewing machine in 1818
- Siegfried Marcus, automobile pioneer, inventor of the first gasoline powered automobile
- Alois Negrelli, engineer and railroad pioneer
- Ferdinand Porsche, automotive engineer, designed the Volkswagen, inventor of the hybrid car, contributed to the design of the Tiger I and Tiger II tanks
- Josef Ressel, inventor of the marine screw propeller, pneumatic post and ball bearing
- Theodor Scheimpflug, inventor of Scheimpflug photography
- Alois Senefelder, inventor of the printing technique of lithography
- Josef Singer, Israeli aeronautical engineer and President of Technion – Israel Institute of Technology
- Max Valier, rocketry pioneer
- Carl Auer von Welsbach, inventor of gaslight
Philosophers
- Franz Brentano, philosopher and psychologist
- Martin Buber, philosopher
- Christian von Ehrenfels, philosopher
- Herbert Feigl, philosopher
- Paul Feyerabend, philosopher
- Philipp Frank, philosopher and physicist
- Edmund Husserl, philosopher
- Wilhelm Jerusalem, philosopher, born in Drenitz, died in Vienna
- Hans Köchler, philosopher, born in Schwaz
- Georg Kreisel, philosopher and mathematician
- Alexius Meinong, philosopher
- Otto Neurath, socialist, economist and philosopher
- Karl Popper, philosopher
- Friedrich Waismann, mathematician, philosopher and physicist
- Otto Weininger, philosopher
- Felix Weltsch, journalist, philosopher, student of Christian von Ehrenfels
- Ludwig Wittgenstein, philosopher, born in Vienna
Physicists, mathematicians and chemists
- Emil Artin, mathematician
- Ludwig Boltzmann, physicist, born in Vienna
- Fritjof Capra, physicist, born in Vienna
- Carl Cori, born in Prague, Austria-Hungary, biochemist, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1947
- Carl Djerassi, chemist, inventor of the pill
- Christian Doppler, physicist, born in Salzburg
- Paul Ehrenfest, physicist and mathematician
- Felix Ehrenhaft, maverick physicist
- Josef Finger, physicist and mathematician
- Heinz von Foerster, cyberneticist
- Kurt Gödel, mathematician
- Hans Hahn, mathematician
- Friedrich Hasenöhrl, physicist
- Victor Franz Hess, physicist, Nobel Prize in Physics
- Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin, chemist
- Walter Kohn, Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1998
- Georg Kreisel, philosopher and mathematician
- Hans Kronberger, nuclear physicist
- Richard Kuhn, chemist, Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1938
- Robert von Lieben, physicist
- Johann Josef Loschmidt, physicist and chemist
- Ernst Mach, physicist and philosopher
- Lise Meitner, physicist, discovered nuclear fission of uranium with * Otto Hahn, namegiver of element 109 * meitnerium
- Richard von Mises, physicist
- John von Neumann, mathematician
- Wolfgang Pauli, physicist, Nobel Prize in Physics 1945
- Max Ferdinand Perutz, chemist, Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1962
- Johanna Piesch, physicist, mathematician, pioneer in switching algebra
- Fritz Pregl, chemist, Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1923
- Erwin Schrödinger, physicist, Nobel Prize in Physics
- Heinrich Franz Friedrich Tietze, mathematician
- Leopold Vietoris, mathematician
- Victor Frederick Weisskopf, physicist; during World War II, worked at Los Alamos on the Manhattan Project to develop the atomic bomb; later campaigned against the proliferation of nuclear weapons
- Carl Auer von Welsbach, chemist
- Gernot Zippe, physicist
- Richard Adolf Zsigmondy, chemist, Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1925
Physicians
- Alfred Adler, psychiatrist, father of Individual Psychology
- Hans Asperger, pediatrician who studied autism, person for whom Asperger syndrome is named
- Leopold Auenbrugger, physician
- Robert Bárány, physician, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
- Josef Breuer, physician
- Ernst von Fleischl-Marxow, physician and physiologist
- Viktor Frankl, psychiatrist, father of logotherapy
- Sigmund Freud, psychiatrist, father of psychoanalysis
- Karl von Frisch, physician, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
- Leo Kanner, child psychiatrist
- Helen Singer Kaplan, sex therapist
- Karl Landsteiner, physician, serologist, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
- Otto Loewi, pharmacologist Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
- Karol Ignacy Lorinser, physician
- Franz Mesmer, physician, developed an early form of hypnotism
- Paracelsus,, alchemist and physician
- Clemens von Pirquet, pediatrician and scientist in bacteriology and immunology
- Wilhelm Reich, psychiatrist
- Erwin Ringel, Austrian psychiatrist
- Ignaz Semmelweis, physician
- Julius Wagner-Jauregg, physician, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1927
Psychologists
- Alfred Adler, founding member of the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society and founder of the school of individual psychology
- Viktor Frankl, psychiatrist and psychologist
- Anna Freud, Vienna-born child psychologist and daughter of Sigmund Freud
- Sigmund Freud, Moravian-born founder of psychoanalysis and neurologist
- Marie Jahoda, psychologist
- Helen Singer Kaplan, sex therapist
- Melanie Klein, psychotherapy
- Heinz Kohut, psychiatrist and psychoanalyst
- Wilhelm Reich, psychiatry and psychoanalysis
- Paul Watzlawick, communication theory
Other scientists
- Othenio Abel, paleontologist
- Karl von Czyhlarz, Czech-Austrian jurist
- Sir Otto Frankel, geneticist
- Martin Gerzabek, ecologist and soil scientist
- Helene Gröger-Wurm, Austrian-born Australian ecologist
- Hans Hass, biologist and diving pioneer
- Max Hecker, Austrian-born Israeli President of the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology
- Eric Kandel, neuroscientist, winner of 2000 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
- Hans Kelsen, jurist
- Konrad Lorenz, zoologist, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
- Gregor Mendel, pioneer of genetics
- Karl Koller, ophthalmologist; first to use cocaine as an anaesthetic
- Julius Pokorny, linguist
- Leo Reinisch, linguist, Africanist and Egyptologist
- Rupert Riedl, zoologist
- Maria Wähnl, astronomer
Sports
- Margarete Adler, swimmer, Olympic bronze medalist
- David Alaba, footballer, winner of 2012–13 UEFA Champions League with FC Bayern Munich
- Felix Baumgartner, world record setting skydiver
- Gerhard Berger, racing driver
- Richard Bergmann, seven-time world table tennis champion, ITTF Hall of Fame
- Hedy Bienenfeld, Austrian-American Olympic swimmer
- Albert Bogen, saber fencer, Olympic silver medalist
- Fritzi Burger, figure skater, two-time Olympic silver medalist, two-time World silver medalist
- Hans Dobida, inductee into the IIHF Hall of Fame
- Michaela Dorfmeister, alpine skier
- Eva Duldig, Austrian-born Australian and Dutch tennis player, author
- Erich Eliskases, chess grandmaster
- Robert Fein, Olympic Champion weightlifter
- Otto Fischer, footballer and coach
- Siegfried Flesch, sabre fencer, Olympic bronze medalist
- Toni Fritsch, soccer and football player who won the Super Bowl in 1972
- Michael Grabner, NHL player
- Ernst Grünfeld, chess grandmaster
- Gunther (wrestler), professional wrestler signed to WWE
- Alfred Guth, Austrian-born American water polo player, swimmer, and Olympic modern pentathlete
- Hans Haas, Olympic champion weightlifter, silver medalist
- Tunç Hamarat, correspondence chess world champion
- Ernst Happel, football player and coach
- Judith Haspel, held every Austrian women's middle and long-distance freestyle record in 1935
- Otto Herschmann, two-time Olympic silver medalist
- Hansi Hinterseer, skier, singer, actor, entertainer
- Nickolaus Hirschl, two-time Olympic bronze medalist in wrestling, shot put and discus junior champion, weightlifting junior champion, and pentathlon champion
- Felix Kaspar, figure skater, Olympic bronze medalist
- Franz Klammer, Olympic alpine ski champion
- Alfred König, Austrian-Turkish Olympic sprinter
- Hans Krankl, football player and coach
- Ruth Langer, Austrian national champion swimmer who refused to attend the 1936 Summer Olympics, along with Judith Haspel and Lucie Goldner
- Niki Lauda, Formula One race car driver and aviation entrepreneur
- Fritzi Löwy, Austrian Olympic swimmer
- Hermann Maier, Olympic alpine ski champion
- Alex Manninger, professional footballer for Arsenal F.C., winner of 1997–98 FA Premier League title
- Helmut Marko, former driver and current advisor to Red Bull Racing
- Klara Milch, swimmer, Olympic bronze medalist
- Uberto De Morpurgo, Austrian-born Italian tennis player
- Annemarie Moser-Pröll, alpine skier
- Thomas Muster, tennis champion
- Paul Neumann, Olympic champion swimmer
- Fred Oberlander, wrestler; world champion ; Maccabiah champion
- Eva Pawlik, European figure skating Champion, World and Olympic runner-up, show star, actress, the world's first female sports commentator on TV
- Felix Pipes, tennis player, Olympic silver medalist
- Maxim Podoprigora, Olympic swimmer
- Jakob Pöltl, basketball player; played two seasons of U.S. college basketball at Utah before declaring for the 2016 NBA draft
- Ellen Preis, foil fencer, three-time world champion, Olympic champion, 17-time Austrian champion
- Herbert Prohaska, football player and coach
- Roland Ratzenberger, race car driver, Formula One driver
- Jochen Rindt, race car driver, 1970 Formula One World Champion
- Marcel Sabitzer, footballer
- Toni Sailer, Alpine skier, earned the Triple Crown of Alpine Skiing at 1956 Olympic Games
- Otto Scheff, Olympic champion swimmer and two-time bronze medalist
- Max Scheuer, footballer; national team
- Werner Schlager, 2003 Table Tennis World Champion
- Carl Schlechter, chess grandmaster
- Gregor Schlierenzauer, ski jumper, Olympic bronze medalist, World and 4 Hills Tournament champion
- Heinrich Schönfeld, football player
- Matthias Sindelar, footballer
- Wilhelm Steinitz, winner of first-ever world chess championship in 1886
- Josephine Sticker, swimmer, Olympic bronze medalist
- Rudolf Spielmann, chess grandmaster
- Herma Szabo, Olympic and five-time World figure skating champion
- Dominic Thiem, top-20 tennis player and Grand Slam Champion
- Nicole Trimmel, kickboxing champion
- Thomas Vanek, NHL hockey player for the Montreal Canadiens
- Anita Wachter, Olympic alpine ski champion
- Otto Wahle, swimmer, two-time Olympic silver medalist and Olympic bronze medalist ; inducted into International Swimming Hall of Fame
- Walter Wasservogel, inductee into the IIHF Hall of Fame
- Toto Wolff, motorsport executive, currently team principle of Mercedes-Benz
Writers
- Ingeborg Bachmann, poet
- Hermann Bahr, playwright, novelist
- Ludwig Bemelmans, author of the Madeline books
- Thomas Bernhard, dramatist, novelist, poet, born in Cloister Heerlen, Netherlands
- Hermann Broch, novelist
- Max Brod, writer, born in Prague, Austria-Hungary,, wrote in German
- Heimito von Doderer, writer, born in Hadersdorf-Weidlingau near Vienna
- Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach, writer
- Franz Grillparzer, poet, Vienna
- Robert Hamerling, poet
- Peter Handke, author, born in Griffen
- Hugo von Hofmannsthal, dramatist, writer
- Martin Horváth, writer
- Franz Kafka, novelist, born in Prague, Austria-Hungary
- Marie-Thérèse Kerschbaumer, novelist, poet
- Werner Kofler, novelist and dramatist
- Karl Gottfried Ritter von Leitner, poet, writer, born in Graz
- Alexander Lernet-Holenia, novelist, poet, dramatist, critic
- Olga Misař, peace activist, feminist, writer
- Robert Musil, writer
- Johann Nestroy, playwright
- Christine Nöstlinger, writer
- Ferdinand Raimund, writer and dramatist
- Christoph Ransmayr, writer
- Rainer Maria Rilke, poet and novelist, born in Prague,
- Peter Rosegger, writer, teacher & Styrian hero and visionary
- Joseph Roth, novelist
- Arthur Schnitzler, novelist and playwright
- Adalbert Stifter, poet and artist
- Bertha von Suttner, writer and pacifist Nobel Peace Prize winner, born in Prague,
- Georg Trakl, poet
- Josef Weinheber, poet and essayist
- Marion Wiesel, Austrian-American Holocaust survivor, humanitarian, writer, and translator
People of the Nazi Party and regime
- Critic of the Nazi Regime: Stefan Zweig, novelist and playwright
- Amon Göth, commandant of the Kraków-Płaszów concentration camp and executed Nazi war criminal
- Aribert Heim, physician in the Mauthausen concentration camp
- Adolf Hitler, leader of the Nazi Party and Nazi Germany
- Ernst Kaltenbrunner, high ranking SS officer and Nazi war criminal
- Arthur Seyss-Inquart, Reich Commissioner of the Netherlands
Other notables
- Maria Altmann, niece of Adele Bloch-Bauer
- Oscar Baumann, explored the interior of German East Africa
- Robert Bernardis, resistance fighter during WW2
- Edward Bernays, Austrian-American pioneer in public relations, referred to in his obituary as "the father of public relations"
- Adele Bloch-Bauer, subject of famous painting by Gustav Klimt
- Josefine Brunner, socialist, resistance member and victim of the Nazi regime
- Josef Fritzl, notorious rapist
- Hugo Haberfeld, Jewish art dealer and gallery owner
- Otto von Habsburg, politician, writer, heir to the thrones of Austria-Hungary
- Theodor Herzl, founder of the ideology of Zionism, lived most of his life in Austria
- Alois Hitler, father of Adolf Hitler
- Klara Hitler, mother of Adolf Hitler
- Andreas Hofer, Tyrolian freedom fighter
- Sylvie di Giusto, professional Speaker, Consultant and Author
- Heinrich Kanner, journalist and editor of the newspaper "Die Zeit" in the k.u.k. Monarchy
- Alma Mahler, wife and muse to Mahler, Gropius, Werfel
- Andreas Maislinger, founder of the Austrian Holocaust Memorial Service
- Erna Patak, Zionist, social worker
- Julius von Payer, polar explorer
- Wolfgang Puck, celebrity chef and restaurateur
- Max Reinhardt, renowned theatre director
- Sister Maria Restituta, nun and nurse murdered by the Nazis
- Günther Schifter, radio personality
- Oskar Schindler, industrialist and famous World War II hero, born in Svitavy, Moravia
- Otto Skorzeny, Nazi commando
- Wolfgang Streitenberger, European Commission senior official
- Carl Szokoll, resistance fighter, author and film producer
- Georg Ludwig von Trapp, head of The Sound of Music family
- Franz Viehböck, cosmonaut
- Hede von Trapp, painter artist
- Karl Weyprecht, polar explorer
- Simon Wiesenthal, pre-eminent Nazi hunter
- Walter Wolf, business person