Karl Ludwig Hencke (8 April 1793 – 21 September 1866) was a German amateur astronomer and discoverer of minor planets.

He volunteered in the Wars of Liberation (Befreiungskriege) for Prussia but was wounded at Lützen.

[2] He discovered two asteroids from his private observatory at #9, Kietz (now #43, Kietzerstraße), Driesen, by comparing star maps with the sky seen through his telescope.

However, Hencke began searching in 1830, and fifteen years later met with success.

[2] He died at the age of 73 in the northern Polish town of Kwidzyn, what was then called Marienwerder and part of Prussia.