Events in the year 1979 in Germany.

• President – Walter Scheel (until 30 June), Karl Carstens (starting 1 July)
• Chancellor – Helmut Schmidt

• 20 February - 3 March - 29th Berlin International Film Festival
• March 17 - Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 1979
• March 18 - Rhineland-Palatinate state election, 1979
• March 18 - West Berlin state election, 1979
• June 10 - European Parliament election, 1979 (West Germany)

• undated: Neue Deutsche Welle, a pop musical genre, spreads throughout the land.

• 7 January - Christian Lindner, German politician
• 10 January - Maximilian Brückner, German actor
• 13 January - Joko Winterscheidt, German television presenter
• 21 January - Sebastian Schindzielorz, German footballer
• 29 January - Sarah Kuttner, German television presenter and author
• 2 February - Klaus Mainzer, German rugby player
• 6 February - Alice Weidel, German politician
• 12 March - Tim Wieskötter, German canoeist
• 20 April - Fady Maalouf, Lebanese-born singer and runner-up of Deutschland sucht den Superstar (season 5)
• 25 May - Elli Erl, singer and winner of Deutschland sucht den Superstar (season 2)
• 26 May - Jonas Reckermann, German beach volleyball player
• 29 May - Arne Friedrich, German football player
• 14 June - Constantin Schreiber, German journalist
• 10 July - Tobias Unger, German athlete
• 14 July - Robin Szolkowy, pair skater
• 24 August - Markus Walger, rugby player
• 24 August - Markus Walger, German rugby player
• 25 August - Philipp Mißfelder, German politician (died 2015)
• 27 August - Ole Bischof, German judoka
• 5 November - Colin Grzanna, German rugby player and surgeon
• 2 December - Yvonne Catterfeld, German singer
• 21 December - Bert Tischendorf, German actor
• Undated: Dennis Rudolph, conceptual artist^[1]

• 4 January - Peter Frankenfeld, German comedian (born 1913)
• 22 March - Paul Nevermann, German politician (born 1902)
• 2 April - Erich Rademacher, German swimmer (born 1901)
• 14 May - Heinz Pollay, German equestrian (born 1908)
• 1 June - Werner Forssmann, German physician (born 1904)
• 3 June - Arno Schmidt, German author and translator (born 1914)
• 5 June - Heinz Erhardt, German comedian (born 1909)
• 8 June - Reinhard Gehlen, German general and intelligent officer (born 1902)
• 15 June - Ernst Meister, German writer (born 1911)
• 26 June - Franz-Josef Röder, German politician (born 1909)
• 28 June - Paul Dessau, German conductor and composer (born 1894)
• 6 August - Feodor Felix Konrad Lynen, German biochemist (born 1911)
• 12 August - Ernst Boris Chain, German biochemist (born 1906)
• 24 August – Hanna Reitsch, German soldier and pilot (born 1912)^[2]
• 12 September - Josef Müller, German politician (born 1898)
• 1 December - Max Jacobson, German physician (born 1900)
• 4 December - Friedrich Ebert Jr., German politician (born 1894)
• 11 December - Carlo Schmid, German politician (born 1896)
• 13 December - Alfred Bengsch, German cardinal of Roman Catholic Church (born 1921)
• 19 December - Wilhelm Kaisen, German politician (born 1887)
• 24 December - Rudi Dutschke, German radical student leader (born 1940)

• 1979 in German television