Homegrown stars
Every region has
its homegrown talents,
but you’ll be surprised by
the diversity of our stars!
The Pioneers
The pioneering spirit in Alsace reveals itself in innovative ways:
- Gutenberg: invented the printing press during his 20-years residence in Strasbourg
- Frédéric Bartholdi: from Colmar created the Statue of Liberty, a gift from France to America
- Hervé This: co-invented molecular cuisine here
- Dr Albert Schweitzer: was awarded a Nobel Prize in 1952 crowning his life of humanitarian dedication in Africa
- 4 Nobel prizes for Chemistry have been awarded to Alsace including Jean-Marie Lehn in 1987
- Louis Pasteur and Marguerite Perey, the 1st female member of the Academy of Science, worked here as well as many others famous scientists
Famous Chefs
Gastronomic region ‘par excellence’, Alsace is the cradle of numerous famous Chefs:
- Pierre Hermé: who revolutionized the art of macaroon baking the world over
- Jean Joho: Chef at the “l’Everest” in Chicago and co-founder of the Corner Bakery
- the Haeberlin family: Chef at “l’Auberge de l’Ill” in Alsace, a 3-star restaurant spreading its best practices as far as Japan
- Hubert Keller: Chef at “la Fleur de Lys” in San Francisco and head of an original chain of luxury burgers, the Burger Bar, a phenomenal success in the US!
- Christine Ferber: the queen of preserves and pastries from Alsace
Sports Heroes
- Sébastien Loeb: 8 time world rally champion
- Arsène Wenger: elected best soccer coach by the English Premiership league
- Thierry Omeyer: three-time handball world champion and world’s best player in 2008
- Nicola Karabatic: world’s best handball player in 2007, scored his first goals in Alsace
- Thomas Voeckler: France’s favourite cyclist and bearer of the Tour de France’s yellow jersey
Fashion Artists
And then there are the arts and fashion…
- Did he make you laugh and cry? Mime Marceau was born in Strasbourg
- Tomi Ungerer: a well-known contemporary illustrator is captivating, eclectic and offbeat!
- Thierry Mugler: from Strasbourg created “Angel” perfume, n°1 in sales in France and n°3 in Europe!
- The Marx Brother’s family: migrated from Alsace to the US in 1878
