Petersen
Petersen, also nobilized as von Petersen, is a German and north Germanic (Denmark, Norway, Sweden) surname and may refer to:
- Balthasar Petersen (1703–1787), German provost and founder of the first seminar for school teachers in Schleswig-Holstein
- Erich Petersen (1889–1963), German General der Flieger in World War II
- Hans Ritter von Petersen (1850–1914), German marine painter
- Heinrich Petersen (1902–1963), German naval officer and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross in World War II
- Heinrich Petersen (1904–1945), SS-Standartenführer of the Waffen-SS and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross in World War II
- Heinrich Petersen (b. 5 August 1909 in Neumünster), administrative official, SA (until 1938), NSDAP (since 1932), Reichswehr (1937), SS (SS-Hauptsturmführer, RSHA), bank clerk (post-WWII); father of 5
- Heinrich "Hein" Petersen (1911–1943), German Major of the Wehrmacht and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross in World War II
- Heinrich "Heinz" Petersen (1923–2024), German Oberleutnant of the Wehrmacht (Infanterie-Regiment 26, later 2. Marine-Infanterie-Division), Dr. med., author, father
- Jacob Baron von Petersen, Councilor, Officer, Commissioner and Commissioner General in the Netherlands
- Jens Peter Petersen (1893–1971), German General of the Luftwaffe
- Johann Wilhelm Petersen (1814–1865), Prussian Major General
- Karl-August Petersen (1912–1980), German officer and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross in World War II
- Oskar von Petersen (1849–1919), Baltic German dermatologist from Riga (studied in Vienna and Tübingen, active in St. Petersburg)
- Wolfgang Petersen (1941–2022), German film director, screenwriter and film producer
