Manfred Lahnstein (born 20 December 1937) is a German politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD).

[1] The son of a country doctor in Erkrath, Manfred Lahnstein grew up with three siblings.

From 1986, he is professor of culture and media management at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg.

The Bucerius Institute for Research of Contemporary German History and Society at the University of Haifa was founded in 2001 on this occasion by the ZEIT-Stiftung.

Lahnstein is an adviser to the Saudi conglomerate Olayan Group and the investment bank Rothschild.