46.9480° N, 7.4474° E

BERN

Most Famous People Born in Bern, Switzerland

Notable people
1,261
Peak decade
1940s
Median birth year
1934
Most distinctive
Author 2.7×

A Swiss federal capital whose bench is unusually literary and unusually scholarly for its size. Bern's distinctive professions are authors, academics, ice hockey players, architects, photographers, historians, painters, and diplomats — a combination that reflects both the federal civil service and a long Bernese tradition of humanistic learning. Paul Klee, Albrecht von Haller, and Friedrich Dürrenmatt all belong here; Einstein was not a son but wrote his 1905 miracle year in a Bern patent office.

Through the Centuries

One face per century — the most globally famous figure born in Bern during each.

What Bern Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Politician is Bern's biggest profession — 12% of all notables (156).

Bern over-indexes on author2.7× the global rate.

Bern under-produces football — only 0.3× the global rate.

  1. Politician156
  2. Writer77
  3. Painter66
  4. Actor64
  5. Hockey36
  6. Football34
  7. Academic31
  8. Historian30
  1. Author292.7×
  2. Academic312.4×
  3. Hockey362.4×
  4. Architect262.3×
  5. Photographer142.3×
  6. Historian302.3×
  7. Painter662.0×
  8. Diplomat141.9×
  1. Football340.3×

Profession Mix Over Time

Each band shows a profession family's share of Bern's notable births by decade. Hover the chart for the breakdown at any decade.

15001550160016501700175018001850190019502000
  • Politics & Law
  • Writing
  • Sports
  • Science
  • Art & Design
  • Film & TV
  • Other
All1,261
Sort By

1,261 notable people

0301 WRITER

Thüring von Ringoltingen

1415 - 1483

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0302 PAINTER

Fritz Pauli

1891 - 1968

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0303 PHILOSOPHER

Henri Lauener

1933 - 2002

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0304 WRESTLER

Robert Roth (sport wrestler)

1898 - 1959

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0305 PAINTER

Friedrich Traffelet

1897 - 1954

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0306 POLITICIAN

Friedrich Ludwig von Effinger

1795 - 1867

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0307 POLITICIAN

Franz Rudolf Frisching

1733 - 1807

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0308 POLITICIAN

Marie Garnier

Born 1962

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0309 COMPOSER

Erik Gedeon

Born 1963

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0310 CHESS

André Lombard

Born 1950

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0311 BOBSLED

René Fonjallaz

1907 - 1993

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0312 CHEMIST

Pierre Castan

1899 - 1985

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0313 ARCHAEOLOGIST

Gustave Charles Ferdinand de Bonstetten

1816 - 1892

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0314 NATURALIST

Samuel Emanuel Studer

1757 - 1834

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0315 LAWYER

Urs Gasche

Born 1955

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0316 POLITICIAN

Sigmund von Erlach

1614 - 1699

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0317 PAINTER

Jakob Samuel Weibel

1771 - 1846

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0318 HISTORIAN

Henri Fazy

1842 - 1920

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0319 PRIEST

Hans Urwyler

1925 - 1997

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0320 POLITICIAN

Marianne Huguenin

Born 1950

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0321 ACADEMIC

Ueli Aebi

Born 1946

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0322 JOURNALIST

Otto Pünter

1900 - 1988

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0323 ENGINEER

Hermann Lemp

1862 - 1954

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0324 FOOTBALL

Esther Staubli

Born 1979

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0325 FOOTBALL

Gëzim Shalaj

Born 1990

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0326 BOTANIST

Albrecht von Haller (1758-1823)

1758 - 1823

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0327 ACADEMIC

Andreas Engel

Born 1943

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0328 POLITICIAN

Beatrice Simon

Born 1960

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0329 MARRIED TO

Jean-Daniel Gerber

Born 1946

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0330 SNOWBOARD

Fabien Rohrer

Born 1975

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0331 ACTOR

Max Gertsch (Schauspieler)

Born 1963

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0332 PASTOR

Bruno Bürki

Born 1931

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0333 POLITICIAN

Thomas Fuchs (homme politique)

Born 1966

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0334 TECHNIKER

Oskar Frölich

1843 - 1909

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0335 ACTOR

Joachim Kretzer

Born 1968

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0336 OLYMPIC

Flavio Marazzi

Born 1978

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0337 ATHLETE

Delia Sclabas

Born 2000

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0338 COMPOSER

Carl Aeschbacher

1886 - 1944

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0339 BASEBALL

Otto Hess

1878 - 1926

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0340 POLITICIAN

Armand Forel

1920 - 2005

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0341 DIPLOMAT

Harald Feller

1913 - 2003

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0342 BOTANIST

Emilio Levier

1839 - 1911

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0343 POLITICIAN

Gertrud Haldimann

1907 - 2001

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0344 JOURNALIST

Roger de Diesbach

1944 - 2009

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0345 GÉOLOGUE

Edmund von Fellenberg

1838 - 1902

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0346 OPHTHALMOLOGIST

Daniel Mojon

Born 1963

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0347 POLITICIAN

Alexandre-Louis de Watteville

1714 - 1780

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0348 BASKET

Jonathan Kazadi

Born 1991

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0349 OFFICER

John E. Smith

1816 - 1897

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0350 POLITICIAN

Karl Zeerleder

1780 - 1851

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0351 PAINTER

Peter Travaglini

1927 - 2015

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0352 ACTOR

Felix Maurice Locher

1882 - 1969

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0353 ARCHITECT

Abraham Dünz l'Aîné

1630 - 1688

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0354 PHYSICIAN

Hugo Moser (scientist)

1924 - 2007

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0355 JUMPER

Werner Stuber

1900 - 1957

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0356 POLITICIAN

Otto von Büren

1822 - 1888

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0357 POLITICIAN

Evi Allemann

Born 1978

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0358 WRITER

Michel Bühler

Born 1945

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0359 JOURNALIST

Hans Bloesch

1878 - 1945

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0360 WRITER

Sophie Deroisin

1909 - 1994

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0361 LINGUIST

Andrey Korolev

1944 - 1999

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0362 AUTHOR

Reto Finger

Born 1972

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0363 SKATER

Peter Grütter

Born 1942

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0364 MUSIC

Samuel Apiarius

1530 - 1590

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0365 PAINTER

Max Böhlen

1902 - 1971

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0366 SCULPTOR

Bettina Eichin

Born 1942

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0367 CHEMIST

Hansruedi von Gunten

Born 1928

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0368 LAWYER

Christoph Albert Kurz

1806 - 1864

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0369 ATHLETIC

Urs Dellsperger

Born 1963

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0370 HANDBALL

Yvonne Leuthold

Born 1980

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0371 THEOLOGIAN

Gottfried W. Locher (Theologe)

Born 1966

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0372 ACTOR

Herbert Herrmann

Born 1941

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0373 CINEMA

Benedict Neuenfels

Born 1966

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0374 POLITICIAN

Nadja Pieren

Born 1980

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0375 WRITER

Jean-Rodolphe Sinner de Ballaigues

1730 - 1787

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0376 CONDUCTOR

Stefan Blunier

Born 1964

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0377 POLITICIAN

Rudolf Joder

Born 1950

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0378 ENGINEER

Charles Petter

1880 - 1953

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0379 ACTOR

Luke J. Wilkins

Born 1979

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0380 MODEL

Shy Carlos

Born 1995

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0381 PLAYER

Mari Hole

Born 1990

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0382 ARTIST

Andreas Thiel (Satiriker)

Born 1971

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0383 POLITICIAN

Hermann Lindt

1872 - 1937

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0384 PAINTER

Gabriel Lory

1763 - 1840

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0385 JOURNALIST

Corinne Pulver

Born 1927

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0386 EDUCATION

Arthur Bill

1916 - 2011

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0387 FRIHERRE

Paul Nicolay

1860 - 1919

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0388 DRUMMER

Samuel Rohrer

Born 1977

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0389 POLITICIAN

Christian Wasserfallen

Born 1981

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0390 ENGINEER

Philipp Gosset

1838 - 1911

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0391 JOURNALIST

Markus M. Ronner

Born 1938

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0392 POLITICIAN

Johann Hirter

1855 - 1926

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0393 POLITICIAN

Niklaus Friedrich von Mülinen

1760 - 1833

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0394 ACTOR

Therese Affolter

Born 1951

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0395 ATHLETE

Stefan Riesen

Born 1973

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0396 ACTOR

Bettina Stucky

Born 1969

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0397 PLAYER

Oscar Collodo

Born 1958

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0398 SKIER

Arnold Käch

1914 - 1998

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0399 MILITAR

Walther von Bonstetten

1867 - 1949

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0400 COMEDIAN

Semih Yavsaner

Born 1979

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0401 ART HISTORIAN

Tobia Bezzola

Born 1961

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0402 HISTORIAN

Jon Mathieu

Born 1952

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0403 ARCHITECT

Samuel Jenner (architecte)

1653 - 1720

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0404 POLITICIAN

Corrado Pardini

Born 1965

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0405 DENTIST

Albert Gerber

1907 - 1990

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0406 BUSINESS

Marco Solari

Born 1944

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0407 WRITER

Ernst Eggimann

1936 - 2015

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0408 WRITER

Hanspeter Born

Born 1938

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0409 JOCKEY

DJ Mind-X

Born 1972

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0410 POLITICIAN

Samuel Frisching (II)

1638 - 1721

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0411 POLITICIAN

Rodolphe Louis d'Erlach

1749 - 1808

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0412 ACADEMIC

Stefan Trechsel

Born 1937

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0413 ORIENTALIST

Rudolph Henzi

1794 - 1829

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0414 POLITICIAN

Aline Trede

Born 1983

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0415 CURATOR

Philipp Kaiser

Born 1972

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0416 AUTHOR

Bänz Friedli

Born 1965

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0417 BUSINESS

Walther von Hallwyl

1839 - 1921

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0418 POLITICIAN

Christiane Langenberger

1941 - 2015

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0419 WRITER

Urs Hostettler

Born 1949

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0420 PAINTER

Odette Micheli

1898 - 1962

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0421 COMPOSER

Margrit Zimmermann

1927 - 2020

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0422 ACTOR

Silvia Reize

1948 - 2012

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0423 CLARINET

Don Li

Born 1971

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0424 POLITICIAN

Niklaus Dachselhofer

1595 - 1670

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0425 PATHOLOGIST

Bernhard Walthard

1897 - 1992

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0426 POLITICIAN

Andrea Geissbühler

Born 1976

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0427 DRUMMER

Stuff Combe

1924 - 1986

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0428 POLITICIAN

Margret Kiener Nellen

Born 1953

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0429 SPRINT

Michelle Cueni

Born 1983

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0430 FOOTBALL

Stephan Klossner

Born 1981

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0431 SPORT

Gottlieb Wanzenried

1906 - 1993

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0432 PSYCHIATRIST

Max Müller (Psychiater)

1894 - 1980

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0433 ARCHITECT

Hans Eggimann

1872 - 1929

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0434 POLITICIAN

Lorenz Hess

Born 1961

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0435 ACTOR

Louise Pasteau

Born 1983

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0436 FILM

Pascal Ulli

Born 1969

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0437 MUSIC

Dodo Hug

Born 1950

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0438 WRITER

Jürg Halter

Born 1980

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0439 LITERARY

Michel Contat

Born 1938

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0440 SCULPTOR

Karl Emanuel Tscharner

1791 - 1873

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0441 BROTHER

Infante Henrique, Duke of Coimbra

1949 - 2017

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0442 SCULPTOR

Karl Geiser

1898 - 1957

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0443 BIOLOGIST

Hans Ris

1914 - 2004

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0444 SPRINT

Alain Rohr

Born 1971

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0445 ACTOR

Esther Gemsch

Born 1955

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0446 ENTREPRENEUR

Rudolf Stämpfli

Born 1955

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0447 ACTOR

Renée Weibel

Born 1986

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0448 POLITICIAN

Peter Sager (Politiker)

1925 - 2006

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0449 AUTHOR

Ruth Bietenhard

1920 - 2015

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0450 SINGER

Marc Dietrich

Born 1948

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0451 WRITER

Urs Peter Schneider

Born 1939

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0452 PHYSICIAN

Karl Wilhelm Flügel

1788 - 1857

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0453 ARCHITECT

Kerim Seiler

Born 1974

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0454 HISTORIAN

Franz von Erlach

1819 - 1889

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0455 ACADEMIC

Rudolf Steck

1842 - 1924

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0456 ACTOR

Birgit Steinegger

Born 1948

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0457 SINGER

James Gruntz

Born 1987

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0458 ENGINEER

Paul Bilfinger

1858 - 1928

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0459 HISTORIAN

Martine de Rougemont

1940 - 2015

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0460 HOCKEY

Lukas Gerber

Born 1982

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0461 HISTORIAN

Daniel Koerfer

Born 1955

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0462 SKIER

Marcel Sulliger

Born 1967

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0463 OFFICER

Eduard Wildbolz

1858 - 1932

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0464 POLITICIAN

Franziska Teuscher

Born 1958

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0465 POLITICIAN

Albrecht von Mülinen

1732 - 1807

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0466 ACTRIZ

Myriam Stefford

1905 - 1931

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0467 LAWYER

Daniel Fischer (Rechtsanwalt)

1953 - 2015

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0468 ARTIST

Christine Streuli

Born 1975

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0469 ACTOR

Nina Burri

Born 1977

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0470 PROFESSOR

Andrew U. Frank

Born 1948

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0471 ACTOR

Bernhard Stirnemann

1936 - 2011

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0472 ACTOR

Sylvie Rohrer

Born 1968

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0473 POLITICIAN

Pierre Aeby (homme politique, 1950)

Born 1950

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0474 AMERICAN REVOLUTION

Nicholas Haussegger

1729 - 1786

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0475 SCHOLAR

Florence Guggenheim-Grünberg

1898 - 1989

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0476 AUTHOR

Hedi Wyss

Born 1940

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0477 POLITICIAN

Paul Günter

Born 1943

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0478 ACTOR

Stephan Märki

Born 1955

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0479 COMPOSER

Robert Hermann (composer)

1869 - 1912

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0480 POLITICIAN

Ursula Haller Vannini

Born 1948

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0481 ENGINEER

Samuel Bodmer

1652 - 1724

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0482 ACTOR

Marcus Signer

Born 1964

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0483 ACTOR

Christoph Marti

Born 1965

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0484 LIEDERMACHER

Ruedi Krebs

Born 1938

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0485 INFANTE

Infante Miguel, Duke of Viseu

Born 1946

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0486 FOOTBALL

Hans Wuthrich

Born 1889

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0487 WRITER

Michael Stettler

1913 - 2003

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0488 POLITICIAN

Christine Bulliard-Marbach

Born 1959

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0489 PHILOLOGIST

Bernhard Böschenstein

1931 - 2019

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0490 WRITER

Lorenz Pauli

Born 1967

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0491 BOTANIST

Klaus Ammann (Botaniker)

Born 1940

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0492 PHYSICIST

Eduard Kaeser

Born 1948

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0493 SCULPTOR

Marcel Perincioli

1911 - 2005

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0494 HOCKEY

Jason Fuchs (hockey sur glace)

Born 1995

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0495 WRITER

Katharina Zimmermann

Born 1933

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0496 CHEMIST

Carl Emanuel Brunner

1796 - 1867

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0497 LINGUIST

Daniel Perrin

Born 1961

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0498 THEATRE

Meret Matter

Born 1965

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0499 MILITAR

Charles Hackbrett

1674 - 1737

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0500 BRYOLOGIST

Hélène Bischler

1932 - 2004

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0501 SCREENWRITER

Walther Kauer

1935 - 1987

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0502 FILM

Simon Aeby

Born 1954

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0503 THEOLOGIAN

Martin Werner

1887 - 1964

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0504 ACTOR

Michael Neuenschwander

Born 1962

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0505 THEATRE

Regula Gerber

Born 1958

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0506 DIPLOMAT

Hermann Rüfenacht

1867 - 1934

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0507 PHYSICIAN

Thomas Zeltner

Born 1947

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0508 ACTOR

Lisa Brand

Born 1993

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0509 HISTORIAN

Christian Pfister

Born 1944

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0510 WRITER

J. Konrad Stettbacher

1930 - 2016

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0511 WRESTLER

Willy Lardon

1916 - 1992

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0512 MUSIC

Büne Huber

Born 1962

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0513 SCULPTOR

Johann Friedrich Funk (1745)

1745 - 1811

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0514 PAINTER

Albrecht Herport

1641 - 1730

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0515 ACTOR

Joanna Kitzl

Born 1980

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0516 LAWYER

Gregor Woschnagg

Born 1939

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0517 ECONOMIST

Jost Krippendorf

1938 - 2003

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0518 NATURALIST

Jakob Samuel Wyttenbach

1748 - 1830

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0519 ACTOR

Livia S. Reinhard

Born 1974

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0520 PAINTER

Bendicht Friedli

1930 - 2014

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0521 ACTOR

Véronique Deschamps

1928 - 2004

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0522 ACADEMIC

Hans Brechbühler

1907 - 1989

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0523 ACTOR

Silvia Jost

Born 1945

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0524 ART CRITIC

Robert A. Fischer

1942 - 2001

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0525 WRITER

Hans Schwarz (Autor)

1895 - 1965

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0526 ACADEMIC

Oliver Diggelmann

Born 1967

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0527 ARCHITECT

Rudolf Gaberel

1882 - 1963

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0528 COMPOSER

Roland Moser

Born 1943

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0529 PAINTER

Bertha Züricher

1869 - 1949

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0530 NEUROSCIENTIST

Dominique de Quervain

Born 1968

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0531 WRITER

Claude Luezior

Born 1953

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0532 ACTOR

David Imper

Born 1979

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0533 HISTORIAN

Kaspar von Greyerz

Born 1947

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0534 POLITICIAN

Emanuel Friedrich von Fischer

1786 - 1870

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0535 ACTOR

Jean-Pierre Le Roy

Born 1953

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0536 ANTIFASCHIST

Emilia Teumin

1905 - 1952

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0537 THERAPIST

Yvonne Maurer

Born 1943

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0538 FARMER

Johann Samuel von Gruner

1766 - 1824

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0539 ACADEMIC

Stefan Hulfeld

Born 1967

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0540 DIPLOMAT

Joseph Jules de Cadoine de Gabriac

1830 - 1903

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0541 SINGER

Jesse Ritch

Born 1992

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0542 ACTOR

Thomas Klameth

Born 1943

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0543 MILITAR

Guillaume-Bernhard de Muralt

1737 - 1796

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0544 SPORT

Jürgen Schneider

Born 1949

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0545 ART HISTORIAN

Paul Hofer (Kunsthistoriker)

1909 - 1995

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0546 CHEMIST

Hans Rudolf Christen

1924 - 2011

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0547 ART HISTORIAN

Eva Roth Heege

Born 1963

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0548 POLITICIAN

Hansruedi Wandfluh

Born 1952

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0549 MOUNTAINEER

Ernst Schmied

1924 - 2002

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0550 POLITICIAN

Victor Ruffy (Politiker, 1937)

1937 - 2016

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0551 HISTORIAN

Erich Gruner

1915 - 2001

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0552 COLLECTOR

Adrian Koerfer

Born 1955

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0553 POLITICIAN

François Loeb

Born 1940

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0554 POLITICIAN

Eduard Freimüller

1898 - 1966

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0555 ACTOR

Christophe Sermet

Born 1971

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0556 ART HISTORIAN

Max Huggler

1903 - 1994

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0557 MUSIC

Zora Slokar

Born 1980

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0558 WRITER

Christoph Braendle

Born 1953

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0559 HOCKEY

René Kiener

Born 1938

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0560 POLITICIAN

André Reymond

Born 1940

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0561 PLATZ

Hermann Rupf

1880 - 1962

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0562 SCREENWRITER

Yaël Boon

Born 1980

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0563 CURLER

Michèle Jäggi

Born 1987

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0564 COMPOSER

Daniel Glaus

Born 1957

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0565 ACTOR

Marianne Chappuis

Born 1939

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0566 ACADEMIC

Alfred E. von Overbeck

1925 - 2016

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0567 COMPOSER

Christoph Grab

Born 1967

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0568 HOCKEY

Kevin Fey

Born 1990

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0569 MUSIQUE

Christopher S.

Born 1969

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0570 PUBLISHER

Egon Ammann

1941 - 2017

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0571 PHILOLOGIST

Peter Stotz

1942 - 2020

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0572 COMPOSER

Rudolf Jaggi

1940 - 2015

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0573 HOCKEY

Peter Stammbach

Born 1937

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0574 BOTANIST

Gustav Heinrich Otth

1806 - 1874

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0575 ARCHITECT

Johann Gottfried Gutensohn

1792 - 1851

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0576 POLITICIAN

Niklaus Emanuel Tscharner

1727 - 1794

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0577 POLITICIAN

Ernst Reinhard

1889 - 1947

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0578 POLITICIAN

Edmund von Steiger

1836 - 1908

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0579 PHILOSOPHER

Iso Kern

Born 1937

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0580 THERAPIST

Christoph Thomann

Born 1950

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0581 ARCHITECT

Joseph Plepp

1595 - 1642

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0582 WRITER

Guy Krneta

Born 1964

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0583 MEDIEVALIST

Simon Teuscher

Born 1967

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0584 ACADEMIC

Alfred Bögli

1912 - 1998

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0585 ARTIST

Roland Muri

Born 1959

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0586 ARCHITECT

Benedikt Loderer

Born 1945

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0587 FLAUTIST

Matthias Ziegler

Born 1955

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0588 FILM

Johannes Flütsch

1945 - 2014

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0589 ARTIST

Bernhard Lüthi

Born 1938

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0590 SPORT

Enrico Pfister (curler)

Born 1991

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0591 PAINTER

Kurt Wirth

1917 - 1996

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0592 AUTHOR

Ruedi Josuran

Born 1957

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0593 LAWYER

Charles von Graffenried

1925 - 2012

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0594 SONGWRITER

Markus Traber

1946 - 2010

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0595 WRITER

Claude Frochaux

Born 1935

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0596 THEOLOGIAN

Franz Furger (Theologe)

1935 - 1997

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0597 LAWYER

Walter Geering

1890 - 1976

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0598 COMPOSER

Simon Ho

Born 1965

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0599 WRITER

Sabine Reber

Born 1970

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0600 PIANIST

Olive Emil Wetter

Born 1980

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