1978 in Germany

Incumbents

• President – Walter Scheel
• Chancellor – Helmut Schmidt

  Events

• 20 February - Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 1978
• 22 February - March 5 - 28th Berlin International Film Festival
• 16/17 July - 4th G7 summit in Bonn
• 25 July - Celle Hole
• undated: Die Tageszeitung is first published.

  Catastrophes

• 13 December - the motor ship MS München sank.

  Births

• January 18 - Katja Kipping, German politician
• January 18 - Stev Theloke, German swimmer
• January 21 - Sven Schmid, German fencer
• February 1 - Tobias Hans, German politician
• February 18 - Oliver Pocher, German television presenter
• February 20 - Julia Jentsch, German actress
• February 26 - Tom Beck, German actor
• March 6 - Thomas Godoj, Polish-born German singer and winner of Deutschland sucht den Superstar
• March 16 - Annett Renneberg, German actress
• April 5 - Franziska van Almsick, German swimmer
• April 27 - Pinar Atalay, German radio and television presenter
• May 3 - Franziska Giffey, German politician
• May 20 - Nils Schumann, German athlete
• May 21 - Katharina Wagner, German opera director
• June 9 - Miroslav Klose, German football player
• June 16 - Daniel Brühl, German actor
• June 19 - Dirk Nowitzki, German basketball player
• July 9 - Mark Medlock, German singer and winner of Deutschland sucht den Superstar
• July 20 - Ludwig Hartmann, German politician
• August 10 - Oliver Petszokat, German singer and actor
• August 15 - Adel Tawil, German singer-songwriter
• August 18 - Daniel Hartwich, German television presenter

  Deaths

• January 3 - Alfred Braun, German actor and film director
• January 14 - Robert Heger, German conductor
• February 13 - Willi Domgraf-Fassbaender, German opera singer
• March 5 - Adolf Metzner, German athlete
• March 14 - Carl Vincent Krogmann, German politician
• May 30 - Gotthard Handrick, German athlete and fighter pilot
• June 4 - Ernst Langlotz, German archaeologist
• July 1 - Kurt Student, German paratroop general in the Luftwaffe during World War II.
• July 20 - Gertrud Morgner, German politician
• September 6 - Adolf Dassler, founder of the Adidas shoe company
• September 15 - Willy Messerschmitt, German aircraft designer and manufacturer
• September 24 - Hasso von Manteuffel, German general during World War II
• September 24 - Ida Noddack, German chemist
• December 17 - Josef Frings, German cardinal of Roman-Catholic Church