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

0601 ACTOR

Katharina Schütz

Born 1956

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0602 ARTIST

Tyla Durden

Born 1984

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0603 SCULPTOR

Karl Schenk (Künstler)

1905 - 1973

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0604 PHILOLOGIST

Eveline Krummen

Born 1956

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0605 SCULPTOR

Walter Linck

1903 - 1975

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0606 POLITICIAN

Beat Fischer

1641 - 1698

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0607 THEATRE

Dominique Mentha

Born 1955

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0608 BASSIST

Bänz Oester

Born 1966

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0609 AUTHOR

Simon Geissbühler

Born 1973

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0610 ECONOMIST

Gerhard Kocher

Born 1939

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0611 SCULPTOR

Peter Moilliet

1921 - 2016

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0612 PAINTER

Edmund Wunderlich

1902 - 1985

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0613 ENTREPRENEUR

Daniel Häni

Born 1966

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0614 POLITICIAN

Albrecht Friedrich von Erlach

1696 - 1788

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0615 POLITICIAN

Stephanie Baumann

Born 1951

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0616 POLITICIAN

Benedikt Tschachtlan

1420 - 1493

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0617 SCULPTOR

Willy Weber (Künstler)

1933 - 1998

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0618 ACTOR

Benjamin Kiss

Born 1968

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0619 WRITER

Christian Zehnder (Autor)

Born 1983

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0620 WRITER

Franz Dodel

Born 1949

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0621 ENTREPRENEUR

Daniel Aegerter

Born 1969

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0622 POLITICIAN

Kurt Wasserfallen

1947 - 2006

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0623 OFFICER

Hans Wilhelm Bracher

1903 - 1967

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0624 STABSCHEF

Jörg Zumstein

1923 - 1997

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0625 COMPOSER

André Richard

Born 1944

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0626 ACTOR

Willy Fueter

1909 - 1962

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0627 SCULPTOR

George Steinmann

Born 1950

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0628 POLITICIAN

Johann Rudolf von Frisching

1761 - 1838

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0629 POLITICIAN

Arthur Liener

Born 1936

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0630 ARCHAEOLOGIST

Hansjörg Bloesch

1912 - 1992

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0631 ACADEMIC

Franz Oswald

Born 1938

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0632 WRITER

Marc A. Herren

Born 1976

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0633 PHOTOGRAPHER

Peter Friedli

1925 - 2012

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0634 GEOLOGIST

Max Reinhard

1882 - 1974

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0635 WRITER

Charlot Strasser

1884 - 1950

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0636 PHOTOGRAPHER

Fernand Rausser

1926 - 2016

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0637 LAWYER

Luitpold Werz

1907 - 1973

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0638 ECOLOGIST

Hans Guggisberg

1880 - 1977

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0639 TROMBONIST

Daniel Aebi

Born 1973

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0640 SPY

Guido Zembsch-Schreve

1916 - 2003

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0641 ART HISTORIAN

Christian Geelhaar

1939 - 1993

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0642 HISTORIAN

Eduard von Rodt

1849 - 1926

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0643 WRITER

Kurt Hutterli

Born 1944

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0644 PRIEST

Roland-Bernhard Trauffer

Born 1945

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0645 OFFICER

Hans Bandi

1882 - 1955

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0646 SKATER

Susi Wirz

Born 1931

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0647 POLITICIAN

Bernhard Pulver

Born 1965

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0648 POLITICIAN

Richard Bäumlin

Born 1927

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0649 HOCKEY

Rolf Diethelm

Born 1940

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0650 FILM

Simon Baumann

Born 1979

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0651 LAWYER

Alfred Ernst (Offizier)

1904 - 1973

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0652 MUSIC

Urs Joseph Flury

Born 1941

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0653 DRAUGHTSWOMAN

Paul Jakob Müller

1894 - 1982

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0654 SPORT

Raphael Märki

Born 1992

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0655 SWIMMER

Nicole Zahnd

Born 1980

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0656 CINEMA

Adrian Stähli (Kameramann)

Born 1972

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0657 DIPLOMAT

Beat von Fischer

1901 - 1984

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0658 PHILOLOGIST

Ernst Howald

1885 - 1967

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0659 SKATER

Rüdi Johner

Born 1942

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0660 CONDUCTOR

Etienne Abelin

Born 1972

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0661 PHYSICIAN

Étienne Grandjean

1914 - 1991

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0662 LAWYER

Pascale Baeriswyl

Born 1968

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0663 ART HISTORIAN

Rolf Stucky

Born 1942

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0664 LITHOGRAPHER

Bruno Wurster

1939 - 2003

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0665 HISTORIAN

Rudolf Dellsperger

Born 1943

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0666 PROFESSOR

Olivier de Weck

Born 1968

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0667 JOURNALIST

Robert Stauffer

Born 1936

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0668 PAINTER

Hugo Wetli

1916 - 1972

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0669 POLITICIAN

Albert Steck

1843 - 1899

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0670 ART HISTORIAN

Toni Stooss

Born 1946

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0671 ARTIST

Nik Emch

Born 1967

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0672 ACADEMIC

Carl Alexander Krethlow

Born 1965

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0673 SINGER

Dänu Siegrist

Born 1954

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0674 FOOTBALL

Edmond Lekaj

Born 1994

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0675 BEAUTY PAGEANT

Zoé Metthez

Born 1994

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0676 PRESENTER

Willy Linder

1922 - 2000

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0677 HISTORIAN

Wilhelm Hadorn

1869 - 1929

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0678 WRITER

Gabrielle Faure

1917 - 1996

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0679 PHILOLOGIST

François Paschoud

Born 1938

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0680 CLARINET

Domenic Landolf

Born 1969

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0681 ACADEMIC

Pierre Lardy

1903 - 1958

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0682 OFFICER

Edgar Schumacher

1897 - 1967

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0683 ZOOLOGIST

Peter Vogel (Zoologe)

1942 - 2015

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0684 SOHN

Moritz Ensinger

1430 - 1483

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0685 ACTOR

Aurelia Burckhardt

Born 1974

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0686 COMPOSER

Heinz Reber

1952 - 2007

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0687 WRITER

Hans Zbinden

1893 - 1971

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0688 AUTHOR

Martin Schwander

Born 1949

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0689 SCREENWRITER

Alex Gfeller

Born 1947

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0690 WRITER

Antonin Moeri

Born 1953

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0691 AUTHOR

Peter Schifferli

1921 - 1980

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0692 AUTHOR

Alfred Moser

1879 - 1953

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0693 POLITICIAN

Hans Steiger

1518 - 1581

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0694 SINGER

Barbara Locher

-

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0695 EDUCATION

Zeno Zürcher

1936 - 2008

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0696 TEACHER

Édouard Tièche

1877 - 1962

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0697 LAWYER

Hans-Rudolf Kurz

1915 - 1990

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0698 ECONOMIST

Jürg Niehans

1919 - 2007

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0699 DIPLOMAT

Paul Jolles

1919 - 2000

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0700 POLITICIAN

Ludwig von Fischer (Politiker, 1805)

1805 - 1884

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0701 JOCKEY

Diego Hostettler

Born 1980

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0702 SKATER

Gerda Johner

Born 1944

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0703 WRITER

Beat Ringger

Born 1955

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0704 POLITICIAN

Paul Dübi

1908 - 1989

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0705 GOLF

Daniela Holmqvist

Born 1988

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0706 ARCHITECT

Erasmus Ritter (Architekt)

1726 - 1805

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0707 POLITICIAN

Jean-Pierre Bonny

Born 1931

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0708 WRITER

Erwin Heimann

1909 - 1991

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0709 MILITAR

Rudolf von Erlach (Schultheiss)

1448 - 1507

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0710 POLITICIAN

Peter Vollmer (Politiker)

Born 1946

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0711 POLITICIAN

Johann Anton von Tillier

1792 - 1854

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0712 CHRONICLER

Heinrich Wölfli

1470 - 1534

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0713 CHOCOLATIER

Camille Bloch

1891 - 1970

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0714 PRESENTER

Roland Jeanneret

Born 1947

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0715 PAINTER

Helene Pflugshaupt

1894 - 1991

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0716 PAINTER

Gabriel Lory der Jüngere

1784 - 1846

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0717 FOOTBALL

İlker Tugal

Born 1988

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0718 HISTORIAN

Urs Martin Zahnd

1945 - 2014

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0719 ARCHAEOLOGIST

Friedrich Samuel Schmidt

1737 - 1796

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0720 WRITER

Pierre Tschannen

Born 1952

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0721 FILM

Christine Kopp

Born 1967

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0722 POLITICIAN

Eduard von Waldkirch

1890 - 1972

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0723 NEUROLOGIST

Werner Bärtschi-Rochaix

1911 - 1994

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0724 DRAUGHTSWOMAN

Leo Deck

1908 - 1997

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0725 WRITER

David Och

Born 1980

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0726 FILMMAKER

Hansjürg Zumstein

Born 1957

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0727 SINGER

Daniel Boemle

1960 - 2007

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0728 ILLUSTRATOR

Walo von May

1879 - 1928

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0729 AUTHOR

Michael Herzig

Born 1965

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0730 WRITER

Charles Albert Walter Guggisberg

1913 - 1980

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0731 DANCER

Nicole Burns-Hansen

Born 1973

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0732 JOURNALIST

Mark van Huisseling

Born 1965

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0733 FILM

Norbert Wiedmer

Born 1953

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0734 ACADEMIC

Luc Mojon

1925 - 2011

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0735 AUTHOR

Ulrich Klöti

1943 - 2006

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0736 PRODUCER

Diens

Born 1978

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0737 BUSINESS

Jack Heuer

Born 1932

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0738 CHEMIST

Georges H. Wagnière

1933 - 2013

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0739 THEOLOGIAN

Karl von Rodt

1805 - 1861

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0740 DIPLOMAT

Franz Rudolf von Schwachheim

1731 - 1804

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0741 EXPLORER

Franz Ludwig Michel

1675 - 1720

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0742 POLITICIAN

Martin Naef

Born 1970

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0743 PAINTER

Karoline Schreiber

Born 1969

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0744 ARCHITECT

Teo Jakob

1923 - 2000

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0745 JOURNALIST

Hermann Böschenstein

1905 - 1997

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0746 AUTHOR

Johann Rudolf Gruner

1680 - 1761

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0747 TROMBONIST

Robert Morgenthaler

Born 1952

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0748 BIOLOGIST

Eduard Kellenberger

1920 - 2004

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0749 WRITER

Daniela Schenk

Born 1964

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0750 ACADEMIC

Emanuel Abbühl

-

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0751 AUTHOR

Karl Howald

1796 - 1869

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0752 ARCHITECT

Albert Gerster

1864 - 1935

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0753 MUSIC

Rudolf von Tobel

1903 - 1995

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0754 DRAUGHTSWOMAN

Paul Zehnder

1884 - 1973

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0755 FILM

Oliver Kuster

Born 1968

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0756 HISTORIAN

Emil Erne

Born 1948

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0757 PAINTER

Adolf Tièche

1877 - 1957

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0758 INDUSTRIELLER

Johann Friedrich Küpfer

1708 - 1766

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0759 WRITER

Johann-Conrad Appenzeller

1775 - 1850

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0760 PAINTER

Karl Gerber

1912 - 1974

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0761 BUSINESS

Gustav Hasler

1877 - 1952

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0762 ACTOR

Nicole Allmann

Born 1975

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0763 PAINTER

Johann Emanuel Wyss

1782 - 1837

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0764 POLITICIAN

Katharina Prelicz-Huber

Born 1959

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0765 ACADEMIC

Peter Gilg

1922 - 2006

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0766 PRESENTER

Ueli Schmezer

Born 1961

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0767 POLITICIAN

Daniel von Fellenberg

1736 - 1801

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0768 HISTORIAN

Urs Boschung

Born 1946

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0769 WRITER

Fred von Allmen

Born 1943

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0770 POLITICIAN

Christoph von Steiger

1651 - 1731

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0771 WRITER

Jean-Raymond Tschumi

1953 - 2014

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0772 PAINTER

Thüring Walther

1546 - 1615

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0773 POLITICIAN

Johann Friedrich von Ryhiner

1732 - 1803

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0774 PAINTER

Philipp Heinrich Dunker

1779 - 1836

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0775 ACTOR

Hans Mahlau

1900 - 1981

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0776 ARCHITECT

Bernhard Morell

1785 - 1859

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0777 ENGRAVER

Jakob Samuel Johann Scheuermann

1771 - 1844

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0778 PHYSICIAN

Samuel Brunner

1790 - 1844

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0779 WRITER

Ueli Zingg

Born 1945

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0780 CHEMIST

Karl Friedrich Morell

1759 - 1816

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0781 ARTIST

Wilhelm Stettler

1643 - 1708

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0782 INTERNIST

Walter Frey (Internist)

1884 - 1972

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0783 PLAYER

Michel F. Bolle

Born 1970

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0784 WRITER

Anne Bregani

Born 1951

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0785 MUSIC

Stewy von Wattenwyl

Born 1962

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0786 PAINTER

Jacob Kallenberg

1510 - 1565

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0787 PHYSICIST

Robert Brandenberger

Born 1953

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0788 POLITICIAN

Karl Stämpfli

1844 - 1894

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0789 AUTHOR

Linda Vera Roethlisberger

Born 1956

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0790 WRITER

Gertrud Heizmann

1905 - 1992

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0791 PAINTER

Johann Grimm

1675 - 1747

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0792 MILITAR

Rodolphe de Diesbach

1734 - 1797

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0793 PLAYER

Karin Trüssel

Born 1976

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0794 TRUMPET

Werner Hasler

Born 1969

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0795 ACTOR

Kay Kysela

Born 1989

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0796 AUTHOR

Peter Hänni

Born 1958

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0797 CINEMA

Fritz E. Maeder

1936 - 2018

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0798 GEOLOGIST

Franz Samuel Wild

1743 - 1802

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0799 HISTORIAN

Beat Junker

1928 - 2019

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0800 PHOTOGRAPHER

Peter Hebeisen

Born 1956

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0801 HOCKEY

Cédric Botter

Born 1985

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0802 HISTORIAN

Bernhard Emanuel von Rodt

1776 - 1848

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0803 HISTORIAN

Wolfgang Friedrich von Mülinen

1863 - 1917

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0804 CHOREOGRAPHER

Aenne Goldschmidt

1920 - 2020

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0805 POLITICIAN

Roland Wiederkehr

Born 1943

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0806 SPORT

Alexandra Hasler

Born 1997

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0807 THEOLOGIAN

Urs Eigenmann

Born 1946

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0808 FOOTBALL

Miguel Castroman

Born 1995

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0809 CLARINET

Kurt Weber (Musiker)

-

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0810 JOURNALIST

Flurin Jecker

Born 1990

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0811 TROMBONIST

Christophe Schweizer

Born 1968

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0812 WRITER

Rolf Geissbühler

1941 - 2010

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0813 PHARMACIST

François Ledermann

Born 1949

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0814 MILITAR

Rudolph Stauffer

1836 - 1918

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0815 POLITICIAN

Albrecht Manuel

1560 - 1637

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0816 LAWYER

Eduard von Wattenwyl

1820 - 1874

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0817 WRITER

Nadine Hostettler

Born 1959

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0818 PFARRER

Carl Albrecht Reinhold Baggesen

1793 - 1873

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0819 PSYCHIATRIST

Thomas Schläpfer

Born 1959

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0820 WRITER

Franz Auf der Maur

Born 1945

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0821 SWIMMER

Seraina Prünte

Born 1987

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0822 ARCHITECT

Henry Berthold von Fischer

1861 - 1949

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0823 WATCHMAKER

Daniel Funk

1726 - 1787

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0824 THEOLOGIAN

Gottlieb Ludwig Studer

1801 - 1889

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0825 TEACHER

Gertrud Züricher

1871 - 1956

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0826 LAWYER

Friedrich Sinner

1713 - 1791

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0827 ACADEMIC

Matthias Winiger

Born 1943

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0828 PRESENTER

Andrea Jansen

Born 1980

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0829 POLITICIAN

Flavia Wasserfallen

Born 1979

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0830 FILM

Remo Legnazzi

Born 1946

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0831 ACTOR

François Gremaud

Born 1975

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0832 HISTORIAN

Rolf Deppeler

1926 - 2011

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0833 POLITICIAN

Ludwig Zeerleder (II.)

1772 - 1840

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0834 VIOLIST

Annette Bartholdy

-

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0835 ARCHITECT

Theodor Zeerleder

1820 - 1868

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0836 AUTHOR

Karl von Greyerz

1870 - 1949

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0837 PSYCHIATRIST

Hans Walther-Büel

1913 - 2002

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0838 POLITICIAN

Henri de La Ferronnays (1876-1946)

1876 - 1946

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0839 POLITICIAN

Karl Albrecht von Frisching

1734 - 1801

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0840 CHESS

Samuel Isenegger

1899 - 1964

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0841 BOTSCHAFTER

Franz Muheim (Diplomat)

1931 - 2020

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0842 FILM

Miriam Pucitta

Born 1964

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0843 MINERALOGIST

Toni Labhart

Born 1937

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0844 POLITICIAN

Gottlieb Abraham von Jenner

1765 - 1834

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0845 MUSIC

Monique (Sängerin)

Born 1977

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0846 HISTORIAN

Erwin Marti

Born 1952

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0847 DIPLOMAT

Ferdinand Friedensburg (Diplomat)

1917 - 2009

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0848 PHYSICIAN

Jürg Schlup

Born 1955

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0849 HISTORIAN

Egbert Friedrich von Mülinen

1817 - 1887

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0850 THEATRE

Livia Anne Richard

Born 1969

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0851 HOCKEY

Yanik Burren

Born 1997

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0852 WRITER

Jakob Otto Kehrli

1892 - 1962

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0853 FOOTBALL

Elia Alessandrini

Born 1997

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0854 POLITICIAN

Jakob von Wattenwyl

1466 - 1525

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0855 AUTHOR

Markus Marthaler

Born 1959

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0856 MILITAR

William Villettes

1754 - 1808

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0857 JOURNALIST

Max Gerber

1887 - 1949

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0858 LAWYER

Hans Ryffel (Rechtsphilosoph)

1913 - 1989

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0859 FILM

Isabelle Gattiker

Born 1978

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0860 ACTOR

Luna Paiano

Born 2006

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0861 THEATER

Lorenzo Malaguerra

Born 1972

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0862 PHYSICIST

Heinrich Leutwyler

Born 1938

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0863 WRITER

Hans Erpf

1947 - 2016

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0864 POLITICIAN

Franz Ludwig von Erlach

1575 - 1651

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0865 AUTHOR

Heinrich Dübi

1848 - 1942

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0866 PHYSICIST

Fritz Lüdi

1903 - 1963

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0867 BOTANIST

Walther Rytz

1882 - 1966

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0868 ENTREPRENEUR

Björn Hering

Born 1978

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0869 ARCHITECT

Wilhelm Scholter

1858 - 1915

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0870 PAINTER

Carl Bieri

1894 - 1962

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0871 ENGINEER

Rudolf Trachsel (Ingenieur)

1927 - 2017

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0872 POLITICIAN

Beat Flach

Born 1965

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0873 MUSIC

Walter Liniger

Born 1949

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0874 ACADEMIC

Bernhard Stauffer

Born 1938

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0875 PAINTER

Friedrich Walthard

1818 - 1870

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0876 BOXER

Andreas Anderegg

Born 1957

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0877 PHOTOGRAPHER

Hugues de Wurstemberger

Born 1955

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0878 METALLURGIST

Alfred von Zeerleder

1890 - 1976

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0879 CIVIL SERVICE

Karl Samuel Wild

1765 - 1848

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0880 ACADEMIC

Martha Lux-Steiner

Born 1950

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0881 DRUMMER

Margrit Rieben

Born 1963

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0882 LAWYER

Philipp Thormann

1874 - 1960

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0883 POLITICIAN

Franz Lindt

1844 - 1901

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0884 SPORT

Gabriel Chavanne

Born 1992

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0885 PAINTER

Franz Friedrich Freudenberger

1804 - 1862

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0886 DRUMMER

Kevin Chesham

Born 1987

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0887 WRITER

Bee Juker

1905 - 1998

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0888 OFFICER

Friedrich Moritz von Wattenwyl

1867 - 1942

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0889 AUTHOR

Urs Oberlin

1919 - 2008

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0890 WISSENSCHAFTLER

Barbara Bader

Born 1972

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0891 PHOTOGRAPHER

Patrick Loertscher

Born 1964

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0892 STONEMASON

Vincenz Ensinger

1422 - 1493

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0893 THEATRE

Till Wyler von Ballmoos

Born 1979

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0894 WRITER

Johann Rudolf Wyss (der Ältere)

1763 - 1845

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0895 VICAR

Albert von Haller (Bischof)

1808 - 1858

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0896 POLITICIAN

Kaspar von Mülinen

1481 - 1538

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0897 THEATRE

Leonie Stein

Born 1948

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0898 BOTANIST

Rudolf Salzmann

1912 - 1992

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0899 HANDBALL

Samuel Röthlisberger

Born 1996

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0900 ARTIST

René Ramp

1941 - 2004

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