# Werner Koch > German free software developer **Wikidata**: [Q3567326](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3567326) **Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Werner_Koch) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/werner-koch ## Summary Werner Koch is a German computer scientist, cryptographer, mathematician, engineer, and free software developer. He is best known as the author/maintainer of GNU Privacy Guard (GnuPG) and has served as the GnuPG maintainer since 1997, working within the GNU Project and the free software movement. ## Biography - Born: 1961-07-11, Düsseldorf, Germany - Nationality: Germany - Known for: GNU Privacy Guard (GnuPG); long-term maintenance of GnuPG - Employer(s): GNU Project (member); GnuPG maintainer (position held since 1997) - Field(s): Computer science; cryptography; mathematics; engineering ## Contributions Werner Koch developed and has maintained GNU Privacy Guard (GnuPG), the software listed as his notable work. He has held the position of GnuPG maintainer beginning in 1997 and is a member of the GNU Project, aligning his work with the free software movement. Koch also maintains cryptographic signature keys for identification; public OpenPGP key fingerprints associated with him include D869 2123 C406 5DEA 5E0F 3AB5 249B 39D2 4F25 E3B6 (listed with a start date of 2011-01-12), D238 EA65 D64C 67ED 4C30 73F2 8A86 1B1C 7EFD 60D9 (start date 2014-10-19), 7B96 D396 E647 1601 754B E4DB 53B6 20D0 1CE0 C630 (active 2006-01-01 to 2011-06-30), and 6BD9 050F D8FC 941B 4341 2DCC 68B7 AB89 5754 8DCD (active 1998-07-07 to 2005-12-31). His work has been formally recognized by the Free Software Foundation with the FSF Award for the Advancement of Free Software on 2016-03-19. Koch publishes and maintains an official personal website at https://werner.eifzilla.de/, and he operates within the GNU Project and broader free software movement. ## FAQs ### Q: Who is Werner Koch? A: Werner Koch is a German free software developer and computer scientist known primarily as the author and long-term maintainer of GNU Privacy Guard (GnuPG). ### Q: What is his role with GnuPG? A: He has served as the GnuPG maintainer since 1997 and is listed as a member of the GNU Project in connection with that work. ### Q: Has Werner Koch received any awards? A: Yes. He received the Free Software Foundation's Award for the Advancement of Free Software on 2016-03-19. ### Q: Where is he from and where does he live? A: He was born in Düsseldorf, Germany (1961-07-11) and is recorded as residing in Erkrath, Germany. ## Why They Matter Werner Koch’s authorship and long-term maintenance of GNU Privacy Guard establish him as a central technical contributor within the GNU Project and the free software movement. GnuPG is listed as his primary notable work, and his stewardship of the project since 1997 represents sustained technical leadership over multiple decades. Koch’s issuance and maintenance of OpenPGP signature keys, documented by specific fingerprints and validity periods, reflect an operational role in cryptographic identity and software signing. The Free Software Foundation recognized his contributions with its Award for the Advancement of Free Software in 2016, indicating peer acknowledgment from a leading organization in the movement he works within. His combination of roles — developer, cryptographer, and GNU Project member — ties practical software development to the goals of free software advocacy and project stewardship. Without his continued maintenance role, the explicit continuity and authorship recorded for GnuPG would be different; his work provides a documented locus of responsibility and recognition within the GNU ecosystem. ## Notable For - Author and long-term maintainer of GNU Privacy Guard (GnuPG); position held since 1997. - Member of the GNU Project and active participant in the free software movement. - Recipient of the Free Software Foundation Award for the Advancement of Free Software on 2016-03-19. - Maintainer of multiple OpenPGP signature keys with documented fingerprints and active periods. - Professional occupations listed as cryptographer, mathematician, engineer, and computer scientist. ## Body ### Personal details - Full name: Werner Koch. - Born: 1961-07-11 in Düsseldorf, Germany. - Residence: Erkrath, Germany. - Citizenship: Germany. - Languages: German. - Website: https://werner.eifzilla.de/ ### Professional identity and fields - Occupations recorded: cryptographer; mathematician; engineer; computer scientist. - Member of the GNU Project. - Associated movement: free software movement. ### GNU Privacy Guard (GnuPG) - Notable work: GNU Privacy Guard (GnuPG). - Role: GnuPG maintainer — position held starting in 1997. - The project is listed as his principal technical contribution. ### Cryptographic identity - Public OpenPGP key fingerprints associated with Werner Koch: - D869 2123 C406 5DEA 5E0F 3AB5 249B 39D2 4F25 E3B6 (start: 2011-01-12; determination method: OpenPGP). - D238 EA65 D64C 67ED 4C30 73F2 8A86 1B1C 7EFD 60D9 (start: 2014-10-19; determination method: OpenPGP). - 7B96 D396 E647 1601 754B E4DB 53B6 20D0 1CE0 C630 (active: 2006-01-01 to 2011-06-30; determination method: OpenPGP). - 6BD9 050F D8FC 941B 4341 2DCC 68B7 AB89 5754 8DCD (active: 1998-07-07 to 2005-12-31; determination method: OpenPGP). - Reference for signature keys: https://www.gnupg.org/signature_key.html ### Awards and recognition - Award received: FSF Award for the Advancement of Free Software (point in time: 2016-03-19). - The award is listed with a Free Software Foundation reference. ### Identifiers and metadata - Wikimedia Commons image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Werner_Koch_Portrait_01.2015-2.jpg (point in time: 2015-01-29). - Website language qualifier: English. - External identifiers: prabook_id 1742779; freebase_id /m/027mks. - Wikidata description: German free software developer. ## References 1. [Source](https://www.fsf.org/news/library-freedom-project-and-werner-koch-are-2015-free-software-awards-winners) 2. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013 3. [Signature Key](https://www.gnupg.org/signature_key.html)