Surprising vintage colleagues: These celebrities are as old as the Pope

Often you associate a frail, old man with the holy chair. But the new Pope with its currently 69 Lenzen makes a refreshingly young – almost sporty – impression. Pope Leo XIV, who was elected head of the Catholic Church a few days ago, saw the light of day in 1955. He shares this year with numerous personalities who have written world history in their areas.

Nina Hagen stormed the music world with her unique voice and her rebellious appearance. The artist is considered the veteran of the German punk rock and still impresses with her unmistakable mix of artistic freedom, provocative performance and deep spirituality.

Heintje touched millions of hearts with his angelic voice at the end of the 1960s. The children’s star landed an unforgettable hit with “Mama” and was seen in numerous “Lümmel” films on the cinema screen. Today he appears as Hein Simons.

Martin Semmelrogge wrote film history with his striking Raspels voice. The character actor is particularly remembered by his role in the cult film “Das Boot” and kept making headlines away from the camera – be it through his open way or participation in reality shows.

Helge Schneider embodies like no second anarchic humor and jazzy absurdity. As a musician, comedian, filmmaker and author, the multi -artist inspires a loyal fan base with his unmistakable style between improvised ingenuity and calculated chaos.

Jan Fedder embodied the heart of the “Großstadtrevier” as Northern German police officer Dirk Matthies for decades. The “Hamburger Jung ‘” blossomed with his incomparable manner to the absolute crowd favorite. At the end of 2019, Germany lost its popular folk actor after a serious illness.

After years in business, Friedrich Merz has put a spectacular comeback in politics. After his election as party chairman in 2022, the CDU politician now rose to the Federal Chancellor and has headed Germany’s fortunes with its market economy-oriented policy since 2025.

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge shaped German football for decades. The two -time European footballer of the year only shone as an elegant striker and later, as CEO, formed FC Bayern Munich into a global club that combines sporting success with economic solidity.

Steve Jobs fundamentally revolutionized the everyday life of people with Apple. With iMac, iPod, iPhone and iPad, the tech pioneer not only changed the way we use technology, but also how we communicate, work and live. The charismatic visionary, which also founded the film studio Pixar, succumbed to cancer in 2011.

With Microsoft, Bill Gates made the digital revolution of our time decisively. The entrepreneur led the list of the richest people in the world for years. Today he devotes his assets and influence on the Gates Foundation of Humanitarian Projects and is particularly committed to global health issues.

Bruce Willis conquered the cinema walls of the world as a tough John McClane in “Die Slow”. The action star, who was surprisingly born in the German Idar-Oberstein, showed his remarkable acting range in films such as “Pulp Fiction” or “The Sixth Sense” and is one of the most successful actors in Hollywood. In recent years he has had to withdraw because of his dementia disease.

Roland Emmerich is considered the “Master of Disaster” of Hollywood. With “Independence Day”, “The Day After Tomorrow” and “2012”, the director from Stuttgart created spectacular blockbusters who made billiRes worldwide and made him the most successful German filmmaker in the international dream factory.

Kevin Costner is one of those Hollywood icons who can do almost everything on the screen. The Oscar winner enchanted with romantic films such as “Bodyguard”, delighted with epic works such as “who dances with the wolf” and, as a modern “Robin Hood”, demonstrated his feeling for timeless adventures.

Whoopi Goldberg is one of the few artists who could reach the coveted egot status (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony). The actress, who is actually called Caryn Elaine Johnson, conquered Hollywood with her authentic way and is committed to the talk show presenter and activist for civil rights.

As a clumsy “Mr. Bean”, Rowan Atkinson enchanted millions of people worldwide with his almost wordless comedy. The British actor and comedian also demonstrated his enormous comedic talent as a sharp-tongued “blackadder” and charming-chaotic “Johnny English”.

With his unmistakable guitar sound, Angus Young created the DNA one of the most successful rock bands ever. The AC/DC guitarist, known for his trademark-the school uniform-and its energetic stage shows, created timeless rock hymns such as “Highway to Hell” and “Back in Black” with his late brother Malcolm (1953-2017).