The Most Famous
Explorers from Germany
Top 10 Explorers
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Germans Explorers of all time. This list of famous Germans Explorers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Germans Explorers.
- #1
Martin Behaim
1459 - 1507
HPI 72.7036 langsMartin Behaim is most famous for inventing the first globe.
- #2
Heinrich Barth
1821 - 1865
HPI 67.3939 langsHeinrich Barth was a German explorer and missionary who traveled to Africa in the 1800s. He is most famous for his explorations of the...Read moreShow less
Heinrich Barth was a German explorer and missionary who traveled to Africa in the 1800s. He is most famous for his explorations of the Sahara, including the Niger River, and for his translations of Arabic texts.
- #3
Carsten Niebuhr
1733 - 1815
HPI 67.0929 langsCarsten Niebuhr was a German physician and explorer who was the first Westerner to visit the ruins of Palmyra, Syria.
People by Birth Decade
Browse notable Germans Explorers grouped by birth decade. Each decade shows the top 10 by HPI; expand to see everyone.
1860s(1)
1850s(2)
1780s(1)
1730s(1)
1670s(1)
1600s(1)
1540s(1)
1520s(1)
1500s(1)
1450s(1)
1400s(1)
Unknown(1)
Overlapping Lives
Which Explorers were alive at the same time? This visualization shows the lifespans of the 19 most globally memorable Explorers since 1700.
