This list is rather generous -- many people on this list can also claim other nationalities; some were born in Austria, but spent the most important part of their lives outside Austria (e.g. Hitler, Schwarzenegger), others were born outside Austria or even outside of Austria-Hungary, but spent the most important part of their lives in Austria (e.g. Beethoven, Elisabeth of Austria).
* Alfred Adler father of Individual Psychology* Marie Antoinette born in Vienna, became Queen of France* Leon Askin, actor* Ingeborg Bachmann, poet, 1926-1973* Ludwig van Beethoven composer, born in Bonn but spent most of his life in Vienna* Alban Berg, composer, 1885-1935, born in Vienna* Thomas Bernhard, dramatist, novelist, poet, 1931-1989, born in Cloister Heerlen, Netherlands* Ludwig Boltzmann, physicist, 1844-1906, born in Vienna* Klaus Maria Brandauer actor* Martin Buber, philosopher, 1878-1965, born in Vienna* Fritjof Capra, physicist* Heimito von Doderer, writer, 1896-1966, born in Hadersdorf-Weidlingau near Vienna* Engelbert Dolfuss, politician, 1892-1934, born in Texing* Christian Andreas Doppler, physicist, 1803-1853, born in Salzburg* Paul Ehrenfest, physicist & mathematician* Elisabeth of Austria ("Sisi") born in Munich (Bavaria)* Falco, pop musician* Viktor Frankl father of logotherapy* Sigmund Freud father of psychoanalysis* Ernst Fuchs, painter and sculptor, born in Vienna, 1930* Kurt Gödel mathematician (born in Austria-Hungary, became naturalized U.S. citizen)* Heinrich Gomperz, philosopher, 1873-1942, born in Vienna* Friedrich Gulda, pianist and composer, born in 1930 in Vienna* Eduard Haas inventor of PEZ* Otto Habsburg-Lothringen* Liane Haid, first Austrian movie star* Peter Handke, author, born in 1942 in Griffen (Carinthia)* Rudolf Hausner, painter and graphic artist, 1914-1995* Joseph Haydn Composer of the former "Imperial Hymn" now German Hymn* Friedrich Hayek, nobel prize winner (economics)
* Gottfried Helnwein, artist, born in Vienna, 1948
* Theodor Herzl "founder" of Israel, lived most of his life in Austria* Adolf Hitler, dictator of Germany from 1933-1945, born on April 20, 1889 in Braunau am Inn* Alfred Hrdlicka, sculptor and graphic artist, born in Vienna, 1928* Friedensreich Hundertwasser, artist, 1928-2000, born in Vienna* Udo Jürgens, singer-songwriter* Walter Jurmann, composer* Ludwig von Köchel writer, composer, botanist, music historian* Gustav Klimt artist, helped found Vienna Secession* Viktor Kaplan inventor of turbines for river power plants* Franz Klammer, skier, born in Mooswald (Carinthia), 1953* Franz Cardinal König, Archbishop of Vienna (1956-1985)* Oskar Kokoschka, painter, 1886-1980, born in Pöchlarn (Lower Austria)* Johann Korbuly inventor of matador (special wooden toy)* Karl Kraus, essayist, poet, dramatist, 1874-1936* Bruno Kreisky, Chancellor of Austria (1970-1983)* Hedy Lamarr actress* Karl Landsteiner, physician, serologist, Nobel Prize winner, 1886-1943* Niki Lauda race car driver* Konrad Zacharias Lorenz zoologist, Nobel prize 1973 (physiology/medicine)* Josef Madersberger invented the sewing-machine in 1818* Alma Mahler* Gustav Mahler composer* Sigfried Marcus inventor of automobile in 1864 in Vienna, lived most of his life in Austria* Lise Meitner physicist* Gregor Mendel pioneer of genetics* Klemens Wenzel von Metternich diplomat* Ludwig von Mises free-market economist* Inge Morath, photographer* Leopold Mozart composer & musician* Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composer & musician* Robert Musil writer* Hermann Nitsch, artist, painter, born in Vienna, 1938* Wolfgang Pauli Nobel prize winner (Physics, 1945)* Alf Poier artist and stand-up comedian* Karl Popper philosopher (born in Austria, became British)* Ferdinand Porsche automotive engineer, designed the Volkswagen (the "people's car"), born in Austria-Hungary* Otto Preminger, film director* Arnulf Rainer, painter, born 1929* Otto Rank pioneer psychologist* Jochen Rindt race car driver* Toni Sailer, 1956 Olympic Games - Won all three gold medals earning himself the Triple Crown of alpine skiing; born 1935* Egon Schiele, painter, 1890-1918* Günther Schifter, radio personality* Arthur Schnitzler writer* Erwin Schrödinger physicist and Nobel Prize winner* Franz Schubert composer & musician* Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, architect and political activist* Arnold Schwarzenegger, bodybuilder, actor, and politician, born 1955, in Graz (became naturalized U.S. citizen)* Romy Schneider, actress (Sissi)* Paul Schwarzkopf, inventor of powder metallurgy* Othmar Spann, philosopher and economist* Fritz Spiegl, journalist* Rudolf Steiner mystic & philosopher* Josef von Sternberg, film director, 1894-1969* Johann Strauss, Sr., 1809-1849, Johann Strauss, Jr., 1825-1899, and Josef Strauss, 1827-1870, the "Waltz Kings" of the latter 19th century* Berta von Suttner, Nobel Prize winner* Friedrich Torberg, narrative writer, essayist, script author 1908-1979, born in Vienna* Georg Trakl poet* Georg Ritter von Trapp head of Sound of Music family* Kurt Waldheim, diplomat and politician; former Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1972 to 1982, former President of Austria from 1986 to 1992 born 1918* Otto Weininger, philosopher* Auer von Welsbach inventor of gaslight* Oskar Werner, actor* Simon Wiesenthal, b.1908, Nazi hunter* Billy Wilder, film director, 1906-2002, born in Austria-Hungary* Ludwig Wittgenstein, philosopher, born 1889 in Vienna* Fritz Wotruba, sculptor, 1907-1975, born in Vienna* Joe Zawinul, jazz musician, composer, born in Vienna, 1932* Fred Zinnemann film director* Stefan Zweig, writer, 1881-1942, born in Vienna