Gerhard Stoltenberg (29 September 1928 – 23 November 2001) was a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and minister in the cabinets of Ludwig Erhard, Kurt Georg Kiesinger and Helmut Kohl.

Stoltenberg began studying history, sociology and philosophy at the University of Kiel.

In the years 1955 to 1961, he was federal leader of the Junge Union, the youth' organisation of the CDU.

As a junior member of parliament and member of the budget committee, he was the first to introduce to the 1959 federal budget a flat grant of DM 5,000,000 for political education (training of party activists) to be transferred to federal party headquarters.

He left this position when he was appointed minister of defence from 1989 on, replacing Rupert Scholz.