Aristocracy
George III, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (1507–1553), prince
Bernhard VII, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst (1540–1570), prince
John Casimir, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (1596–1660), prince
John George II, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (1627–1693), prince and Prussian field marshal
Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (1676–1747), ruler of Anhalt-Dessau from 1693 to 1747.

Leopold II, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (1700–1751), prince and Prussian general
Dietrich of Anhalt-Dessau (1702–1769), prince and Prussian field marshal
Princess Adelheid-Marie of Anhalt-Dessau (1833–1916), Duchess of Nassau and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg
Eduard, Duke of Anhalt (1861–1918) Prince of the House of Ascania and the penultimate ruler of the Duchy of Anhalt in 1918
Joachim Ernst, Duke of Anhalt (1901–1947) the last ruler of the Duchy of Anhalt
Science & Philosophy
Moses Mendelssohn (1729–1786), German Jewish philosopher, father of Haskalah
Heinrich Schwabe (1789–1875), astronomer and botanist, worked on sunspots
Karl Adolph von Basedow (1799–1854) a German physician
Max Müller (1823–1900), philologist and Orientalist
Franz Woepcke (1826–1864) an historian, Orientalist and mathematician
Friedrich Preisigke (1856–1924) a German Egyptologist and papyrologist
Hugo Junkers (1859–1935), German engineer and airplane designer, constructed first airplane made from metal, founded the Junkers & Co
Gustav Lindau (1866–1923), mycologist and botanist
Johannes Winkler (1897–1947), launched the first liquid-fuelled rocket in Europe at Dessau
Hans von Ohain (1911–1998), physicist, designer of the first jet engine
Gernot Böhme (born 1937), philosopher and author
The Arts
Wilhelm Karl Rust (1787–1855) a German pianist
Friedrich von Olivier (1791–1859), a German history painter in the Romantic style
Wilhelm Müller (1794–1827), lyric poet, best known for the Lieder of Franz Schubert
Ludwig Philippson (1811–1889), writer and rabbi, founder of Allgemeine Zeitung des Judentums
Wilhelm Rust (1822–1892), composer, musicologist, Bach researcher and choirmaster
Bernhard Cossmann (1822–1910) a German cellist
Friedrich Grützmacher (1832–1903) cellist and composer
Leopold Grützmacher (1835-1900) a German cellist and composer.

Julius Schubring (1839–1914), classical scholar
Henriette Johanne Marie Müller (1841–1916), a street character identified with Hamburg
August Klughardt (1847–1902), composer and conductor 
Kurt Weill (1900–1950), composer, grew up in Dessau, worked with Bertolt Brecht,
Gerhard Nebel (1903–1974), writer, essayist and cultural critic
Ursula Herking (1912–1974), actress and cabaret artist 
Anne-Marie Lauenstein (1923–2010), first German war bride to emigrate to the US in 1946
Herbert Tobias (1924–1982), fashion photographer
Horst Bollmann (1925–2014) a German film and television actor 
Gerhard Stolze (1926–1979), a German operatic tenor
Karl-Heinz Kämmerling (1930–2012), professor of piano
Brigitte Grothum (born 1935) a German film actress 
Dieter Hallervorden (born 1935), comedian, cabaret artist and singer, hon.
citizen of Dessau 
Imi Knoebel (born 1940) a German artist of minimalist, abstract painting and sculpture
Emil Schult (born 1946), painter, poet and musician
Thomas Kretschmann (born 1962), actor 
Annette Schlünz (born 1964), a German musician and composer
Michael Flade (born 1975), German composer of electronic music
Sport
Ameli Koloska (born 1944), javelin thrower, competed in the 1968 Summer Olympics
Danny Fuchs (born 1976), retired Bundesliga football player
Carsten Rump (born 1981) a retired German footballer with 436 club caps
Aristocracy
George III, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (1507–1553), prince
Bernhard VII, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst (1540–1570), prince
John Casimir, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (1596–1660), prince
John George II, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (1627–1693), prince and Prussian field marshal
Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (1676–1747), ruler of Anhalt-Dessau from 1693 to 1747.
Leopold II, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (1700–1751), prince and Prussian general
Dietrich of Anhalt-Dessau (1702–1769), prince and Prussian field marshal
Princess Adelheid-Marie of Anhalt-Dessau (1833–1916), Duchess of Nassau and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg
Eduard, Duke of Anhalt (1861–1918) Prince of the House of Ascania and the penultimate ruler of the Duchy of Anhalt in 1918
Joachim Ernst, Duke of Anhalt (1901–1947) the last ruler of the Duchy of Anhalt
Science & Philosophy
Moses Mendelssohn (1729–1786), German Jewish philosopher, father of Haskalah
Heinrich Schwabe (1789–1875), astronomer and botanist, worked on sunspots
Karl Adolph von Basedow (1799–1854) a German physician
Max Müller (1823–1900), philologist and Orientalist
Franz Woepcke (1826–1864) an historian, Orientalist and mathematician
Friedrich Preisigke (1856–1924) a German Egyptologist and papyrologist
Hugo Junkers (1859–1935), German engineer and airplane designer, constructed first airplane made from metal, founded the Junkers & Co
Gustav Lindau (1866–1923), mycologist and botanist
Johannes Winkler (1897–1947), launched the first liquid-fuelled rocket in Europe at Dessau
Hans von Ohain (1911–1998), physicist, designer of the first jet engine
Gernot Böhme (born 1937), philosopher and author
The Arts
Wilhelm Karl Rust (1787–1855) a German pianist
Friedrich von Olivier (1791–1859), a German history painter in the Romantic style
Wilhelm Müller (1794–1827), lyric poet, best known for the Lieder of Franz Schubert
Ludwig Philippson (1811–1889), writer and rabbi, founder of Allgemeine Zeitung des Judentums
Wilhelm Rust (1822–1892), composer, musicologist, Bach researcher and choirmaster
Bernhard Cossmann (1822–1910) a German cellist
Friedrich Grützmacher (1832–1903) cellist and composer
Leopold Grützmacher (1835-1900) a German cellist and composer.
Julius Schubring (1839–1914), classical scholar
Henriette Johanne Marie Müller (1841–1916), a street character identified with Hamburg
August Klughardt (1847–1902), composer and conductor 
Kurt Weill (1900–1950), composer, grew up in Dessau, worked with Bertolt Brecht,
Gerhard Nebel (1903–1974), writer, essayist and cultural critic
Ursula Herking (1912–1974), actress and cabaret artist 
Anne-Marie Lauenstein (1923–2010), first German war bride to emigrate to the US in 1946
Herbert Tobias (1924–1982), fashion photographer
Horst Bollmann (1925–2014) a German film and television actor 
Gerhard Stolze (1926–1979), a German operatic tenor
Karl-Heinz Kämmerling (1930–2012), professor of piano
Brigitte Grothum (born 1935) a German film actress 
Dieter Hallervorden (born 1935), comedian, cabaret artist and singer, hon. citizen of Dessau 
Imi Knoebel (born 1940) a German artist of minimalist, abstract painting and sculpture
Emil Schult (born 1946), painter, poet and musician
Thomas Kretschmann (born 1962), actor 
Annette Schlünz (born 1964), a German musician and composer
Michael Flade (born 1975), German composer of electronic music
Sport
Ameli Koloska (born 1944), javelin thrower, competed in the 1968 Summer Olympics
Danny Fuchs (born 1976), retired Bundesliga football player
Carsten Rump (born 1981) a retired German footballer with 436 club caps
Dessau