47.2418° N, 6.0218° E

BESANCON

Most Famous People Born in Besancon, France

Notable people
548
Peak decade
1970s
Median birth year
1879
Most distinctive
Prelate 12.9×
Through the Centuries

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

Notable Births by Decade

Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1970s with 49 notable births.

What Besancon Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Politician is Besancon's biggest profession — 15% of all notables (83).

Besancon over-indexes on prelate12.9× the global rate.

Besancon under-produces football — only 0.5× the global rate.

  1. Politician83
  2. Football28
  3. Painter26
  4. Priest20
  5. Actor19
  6. Writer18
  7. Officer14
  8. Sport13
  1. Prelate1212.9×
  2. Playwright78.3×
  3. Officer143.9×
  4. Sculptor113.1×
  5. Chemist52.6×
  6. Priest202.5×
  7. Boxer52.3×
  8. Physicist52.2×
  1. Football280.5×
  2. Actor190.7×

Profession Mix Over Time

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

155016001650170017501800185019001950
  • Politics & Law
  • Sports
  • Writing
  • Art & Design
  • Science
  • Military
  • Other
All548
Sort By

548 notable people

0001 POET

Victor Hugo

1802 - 1885

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0002 MONARCH

Charlemagne

748 - 814

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0003 ECONOMIST

Pierre-Joseph Proudhon

1809 - 1865

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0004 ECONOMIST

Charles Fourier

1772 - 1837

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0005 AUTHOR

Charles Nodier

1780 - 1844

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0006 PLAYWRIGHT

Tristan Bernard

1866 - 1947

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0007 CARDINAL

Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle

1517 - 1586

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0008 POLITICIAN

Sir John Acton, 6th Baronet

1736 - 1811

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0009 ACTOR

Ursula Meier

Born 1971

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0010 PAINTER

Auguste Clésinger

1814 - 1883

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0011 COMPOSER

Michel Blavet

1700 - 1768

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0012 HERALDIST

Rémi Mathis

Born 1982

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0013 RESEARCH

Claude Lorius

Born 1932

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0014 PHOTOGRAPHER

Adolphe Braun

1812 - 1877

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0015 LIBRETTIST

Michel Carré

1821 - 1872

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0016 POLITICIAN

Yves Jégo

Born 1961

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0017 HISTORIAN

Alfred Nicolas Rambaud

1842 - 1905

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0018 ENGINEER

Hilaire de Chardonnet

1839 - 1924

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0019 LITHOGRAPHER

Jean Gigoux

1806 - 1894

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0020 FOOTBALL

Jonas Martin

Born 1990

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0021 MILITAR

Claude Lecourbe

1759 - 1815

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0022 PLAYWRIGHT

Jean Mairet

1604 - 1686

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0023 FILM

Jean-François Laguionie

Born 1939

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0024 SOVEREIGN

Raymond of Burgundy

1070 - 1107

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0025 INVENTOR

Auguste Lumière

1862 - 1954

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0026 PAINTER

Théobald Chartran

1849 - 1907

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0027 PRINTER

Antoine-François Momoro

1755 - 1794

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0028 POET

Jean-Jacques Boissard

1528 - 1602

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0029 OFFICER

André Zeller

1898 - 1979

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0030 POLITICIAN

Nicolas Perrenot de Granvelle

1484 - 1550

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0031 MAN OF LETTERS

Jean-Baptiste-Antoine Suard

1732 - 1817

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0032 COMPOSER

Maxence Cyrin

Born 1971

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0033 MATHEMATICIAN

André Bloch (mathematician)

1893 - 1948

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0034 SPORT

Jean de Gribaldy

1922 - 1987

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0035 SPORT

Morgan Kneisky

Born 1987

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0036 CHEMIST

Jean Fréchet

Born 1944

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0037 PRIEST

Hilduin

775 - 840

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0038 ORIENTALIST

André du Ryer

1580 - 1660

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0039 MILITAR

Pierre Claude Pajol

1772 - 1844

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0040 HANDBALL

Laura Glauser

Born 1993

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0041 PHYSICIST

Jean Claude Eugène Péclet

1793 - 1857

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0042 COMPOSER

Jean-Baptiste Besard

1567 - 1625

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0043 POLITICIAN

Jules Jeanneney

1864 - 1957

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0044 CHEMIST

Émile Henriot (chemist)

1885 - 1961

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0045 ARCHER

Jean-Charles Valladont

Born 1989

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0046 ASTRONOMER

Marie-Charles Damoiseau

1768 - 1846

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0047 COMPOSER

Max d'Ollone

1875 - 1959

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0048 FOOTBALL

Vincent Nogueira

Born 1988

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0049 ANIMATOR

Thomas Romain

Born 1977

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0050 POET

Jean-Baptiste Chassignet

1571 - 1635

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0051 COLLECTOR

Pierre-Adrien Pâris

1745 - 1819

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0052 ENGINEER

Louis-Jean Résal

1854 - 1919

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0053 PHYSICIAN

Édouard Brissaud

1852 - 1909

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0054 PIANIST

Philippe Cassard

Born 1962

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0055 POET

Jacqueline Risset

1936 - 2014

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0056 FILM

Jacques Maillot

Born 1962

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0057 MATHEMATICIAN

Paul de Casteljau

Born 1930

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0058 MILITAR

Hippolyte Langlois

1839 - 1912

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0059 MONK

Eustace of Luxeuil

560 - 629

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0060 HISTORIAN

Joseph Droz

1773 - 1850

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0061 COOK

Raymond Blanc

Born 1949

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0062 MILITAR

Dominique Prieur

Born 1949

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0063 HEIRESS

Beatrice of Burgundy, Lady of Bourbon

1257 - 1310

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0064 WRITER

Pierre-Marie-Charles de Bernard du Grail de la Villette

1804 - 1850

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0065 SKIER

Aurore Jéan

Born 1985

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0066 POLITICIAN

Jean-Louis Fousseret

Born 1946

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0067 BOTANIST

Jean Charles Marie Grenier

1808 - 1875

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0068 POLITICIAN

Laurent Grandguillaume

Born 1978

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0069 POLITICIAN

Alexandre Marie Léonor de Saint-Mauris de Montbarrey

1732 - 1796

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0070 SINGER

Mina Agossi

Born 1972

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0071 ACTOR

Damien Jouillerot

Born 1985

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0072 POLITICIAN

Jean Le Michaud d'Arçon

1733 - 1800

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0073 MUSIC

Brice Pauset

Born 1965

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0074 SINGER

Benoît Dorémus

Born 1980

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0075 JESUIT

Claude-Adrien Nonnotte

1711 - 1793

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0076 COMPOSER

Alex Beaupain

Born 1974

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0077 HISTORIAN

Eugène Revillout

1843 - 1913

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0078 BOTANIST

Justin Girod-Chantrans

1750 - 1841

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0079 BOXER

Khedafi Djelkhir

Born 1983

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0080 ACTOR

Vanessa Guide

Born 1989

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0081 POLITICIAN

Georges Pernot

1879 - 1962

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0082 HANDBALL

Raphaëlle Tervel

Born 1979

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0083 PRIEST

Humbertus Guilielmus de Precipiano

1627 - 1711

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0084 ACTOR

Annie Ducaux

1908 - 1996

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0085 FEMINIST

Jenny d'Héricourt

1809 - 1875

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0086 PRINCE

Chilperic of Aquitaine

630 - 632

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0087 THERAPIST

Robert Desoille

1890 - 1966

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0088 BARON

Madame de Saint-Laurent

1760 - 1830

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0089 OFFICER

Paul Azan

1874 - 1951

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0090 CELLIST

Charles Lebouc

1822 - 1893

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0091 PHYSICIAN

Cornelius Herz

1845 - 1898

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0092 ABBOT

Johannes of Jerusalem

1042 - 1119

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0093 PAINTER

Donat Nonnotte

1708 - 1785

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0094 FOOTBALL

Norbert Eschmann

1933 - 2009

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0095 POET

Georges Jean

1920 - 2011

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0096 JOURNALIST

Jean-Dominique Merchet

Born 1959

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0097 PHYSICIAN

Jean-Jacques Chifflet

1588 - 1660

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0098 ACADEMIC

Anne Ubersfeld

1918 - 2010

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0099 EMPEROR

Élisabeth de Vaudey

1773 - 1863

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0100 PRINCE

John IV of Chalon-Arlay

1443 - 1502

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0101 WRITER

Francis Wey

1812 - 1882

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0102 FOOTBALL

Mehdi Jeannin

Born 1991

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0103 JUDO

Margaux Pinot

Born 1994

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0104 WRITER

Johan Heliot

Born 1970

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0105 PAINTER

Constant Mayer

1829 - 1911

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0106 PLAYWRIGHT

Yves Ravey

Born 1953

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0107 PRIEST

Megingoz

783 - 794

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0108 PHYSICIST

Georges Bruhat

1887 - 1945

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0109 JOURNALIST

Robert Gigi

1926 - 2007

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0110 FOOTBALL

Cyril Kali

Born 1984

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0111 PAINTER

Jules Lunteschütz

1822 - 1893

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0112 CINEMA

Samuel Collardey

Born 1975

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0113 COMPOSER

Guillaume le Rouge

1385 - 1450

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0114 CHESS

Albert Clerc

1830 - 1918

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0115 OFFICER

Louis Koeltz

1884 - 1970

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0116 WRITER

Charles Weiss (librarian)

1779 - 1866

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0117 BIBLICAL

Zacharias Chrysopolitanus

Died 1155

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0118 FOOTBALL

Arnaud Maire

Born 1979

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0119 PHOTOGRAPHER

Paul Lancrenon

1857 - 1922

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0120 FOOTBALL

Anthony Basso

Born 1979

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0121 ACTOR

Georges Saillard

1877 - 1967

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0122 FOOTBALL

Yohann Lasimant

Born 1989

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0123 CHOREOGRAPHER

Émile Pierre Ratez

1851 - 1934

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0124 MUSIC

Gaspard Augé

Born 1979

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0125 ZOOLOGIST

Albert Vandel

1894 - 1980

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0126 HISTORIAN

Denis-François Camusat

1695 - 1732

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0127 FOOTBALL

Kévin Hoggas

Born 1991

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0128 OFFICER

Charles-Étienne-François Ruty

1774 - 1828

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0129 ARTIST

Julien Berthier

Born 1975

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0130 POLITICIAN

Albert Métin

1871 - 1918

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0131 HARPSICHORDIST

Marcelle de Lacour

1896 - 1997

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0132 POLITICIAN

Philippe Berta

Born 1960

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0133 MOUNTAIN GUIDE

Patrick Cordier

1946 - 1996

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0134 PAINTER

Henri Baron

1816 - 1885

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0135 FOOTBALL

Aurélien Faivre

Born 1978

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0136 CONDUCTOR

Philippe Bender

Born 1942

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0137 OFFICER

Henri Zeller

1896 - 1971

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0138 POLITICIAN

Richard Mallié

Born 1948

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0139 POLITICIAN

Michel Raison

Born 1949

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0140 POLITICIAN

Jean-Louis Léonard

Born 1950

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0141 POLITICIAN

Claude Jeannerot

Born 1945

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0142 POLITICIAN

Jean-François Humbert

Born 1952

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0143 NATURALIST

Charles Domergue

1914 - 2008

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0144 CHOREOGRAPHER

Christophe Fiat

Born 1966

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0145 PAINTER

Émile Isenbart

1846 - 1921

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0146 MATHEMATICIAN

Charles de Tinseau d'Amondans

1748 - 1822

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0147 PHILOLOGIST

Édouard Tournier

1831 - 1899

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0148 POET

Armand Barthet

1820 - 1874

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0149 ACTOR

Claude Louis Séraphin Barizain

1783 - 1843

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0150 SKATER

Tifany Huot-Marchand

Born 1994

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0151 FOOTBALL

Rachid Djebaili

Born 1975

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0152 SCULPTOR

Charles Auffret

1929 - 2001

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0153 SCULPTOR

Luc Breton

1731 - 1800

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0154 PLAYWRIGHT

Francis baron d'Allarde

1778 - 1841

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0155 ABBOT

Jean-Baptiste Boisot

1638 - 1694

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0156 HISTORIAN

Auguste Castan

1833 - 1892

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0157 BOXER

Jean Josselin

Born 1940

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0158 ACTOR

François Prévôt-Leygonie

Born 1967

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0159 GEOGRAPHER

Georges Chabot

1890 - 1975

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0160 SCULPTOR

Just Becquet

1829 - 1907

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0161 WRITER

Thomas Paris

Born 1970

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0162 FOOTBALL

Florian Bague

Born 1984

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0163 SPORT

Caroline Mani

Born 1987

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0164 POLITICIAN

Jean Joseph Antoine de Courvoisier

1775 - 1835

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0165 ACTOR

Josette Arno

Born 1933

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0166 POLITICIAN

Barbara Bessot Ballot

Born 1972

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0167 JOURNALIST

Auguste Achintre

1834 - 1886

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0168 PRIEST

Albert Belin

1615 - 1677

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0169 EGYPTOLOGIST

Bernard Bruyère

1879 - 1971

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0170 SPORT

Arnaud Prétot

Born 1971

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0171 ACTOR

Philippe Vieux

Born 1967

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0172 BASKET

Élisabeth Riffiod

Born 1947

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0173 POLITICIAN

Viviane Wade

Born 1932

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0174 PRIEST

Joseph Varin

1769 - 1850

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0175 PRIEST

Gerland of Agrigento

1030 - 1100

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0176 KAYAK

Philippe Colin

Born 1979

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0177 RELIGIOUS

Androin de la Roche

1300 - 1369

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0178 SPORT

Émilien Viennet

Born 1992

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0179 COMPOSER

Albert Seitz

1872 - 1937

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0180 RACER

Vincent Philippe (pilote moto)

Born 1978

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0181 PREACHER

François Xavier Talbert

1725 - 1805

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0182 SKATER

Maxime Chataignier

Born 1988

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0183 SPORT

Jacques Decrion

Born 1961

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0184 VIOLIN

Janine Andrade

1918 - 1997

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0185 FOOTBALL

Johann Chapuis

Born 1975

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0186 MANUFACTURER

Alexis Godillot

1816 - 1893

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0187 PRIEST

Robert Marie Jean Victor de Chevigny

1920 - 2011

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0188 AVIATOR

Ludovic Arrachart

1897 - 1933

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0189 ECONOMIST

Claude François Joseph d'Auxiron

1731 - 1778

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0190 PRIEST

Claude-Marie-Paul Tharin

1787 - 1843

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0191 BIOLOGIST

Jérôme Galon

Born 1967

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0192 POLITICIAN

Guillaume-Xavier Labbey de Pompières

1751 - 1831

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0193 PRIEST

Maurice-Louis Dubourg

1878 - 1954

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0194 ROMANIST

Gustave Rudler

1872 - 1957

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0195 SOCIOLOGIST

Éric Monnin

Born 1968

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0196 ARISTOCRAT

Waldalenus

531 - 615

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0197 JOURNALIST

Henry Aron

1842 - 1885

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0198 PLAYWRIGHT

Philippe Minyana

Born 1946

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0199 HUMOURIST

Jérôme Daran

Born 1973

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0200 DIPLOMAT

Thomas Perrenot de Granvelle

1521 - 1571

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0201 RADIO

Christian Spitz

Born 1950

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0202 COMPOSER

Fred Gérard

1924 - 2012

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0203 SCULPTOR

Alphonse Voisin-Delacroix

1857 - 1893

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0204 WRITER

Alexandre Mathis

Born 1948

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0205 ARCHITECT

Claude Joseph Alexandre Bertrand

1734 - 1797

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0206 THEOLOGIAN

Laurent Chifflet

1598 - 1658

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0207 WRITER

Anne-James Chaton

Born 1970

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0208 FRIAR

Stephen of Besançon

1250 - 1294

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0209 SPORT

Émile Eigeldinger

1886 - 1973

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0210 PAINTER

Charles Belle

Born 1956

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0211 CURATOR

Marie-Claude Beaud

Born 1946

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0212 AVIATRICE

Yvonne Jourjon

1899 - 1985

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0213 SCULPTOR

Camille Demesmay

1815 - 1890

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0214 NOBLE

Nicole Bonvalot

1490 - 1570

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0215 PAINTER

Charles-Antoine Flajoulot

1774 - 1840

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0216 CHEMIST

James Chappuis

1854 - 1934

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0217 FOOTBALL

Bertrand Piton

Born 1970

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0218 FILM

Serge Élissalde

Born 1962

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0219 POLITICIAN

Chantal Simonot

Born 1962

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0220 PRIEST

François de Dinteville

1498 - 1530

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0221 FOOTBALL

Rémi Pillot

Born 1990

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0222 HANDBALL

Sandrine Delerce

Born 1975

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0223 POLITICIAN

Pierre Bas

1925 - 2015

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0224 DESIGNER

Christophe Lemaire (styliste)

Born 1965

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0225 ACADEMIC

Bertrand Moingeon

Born 1964

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0226 OFFICER

Jean-François Flamand

1766 - 1838

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0227 POLITICIAN

Jean-Richard Sulzer

Born 1947

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0228 LAWYER

Luc Courchetet d'Esnans

1695 - 1776

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0229 ART CRITIC

Laurent Danchin

1946 - 2017

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0230 ATHLETIC

David Brisseault

Born 1969

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0231 EXPLORER

Henri d'Ollone

1868 - 1945

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0232 CONSULTANT

Philippe Fouchard

1937 - 2004

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0233 ARCHER

Jocelyn de Grandis

Born 1980

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0234 BOXER

Morrade Hakkar

Born 1972

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0235 THEOLOGIAN

Jean Lalemandet

1595 - 1647

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0236 SCULPTOR

Jean Petit (sculpteur)

1819 - 1903

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0237 POET

François de Molière d'Essertines

1599 - 1623

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0238 FILM

Raphaël Jacoulot

Born 1971

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0239 LAWYER

Claude Chifflet

1541 - 1580

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0240 ACTOR

Ophélie Bau

Born 1992

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0241 ACTOR

Pierre Mingand

1900 - 1982

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0242 SPORT

Véronique Girardet

Born 1965

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0243 PHILOSOPHER

Robert Derathé

1905 - 1992

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0244 OFFICER

Pierre Joseph Jeanningros

1816 - 1902

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0245 ENGINEER

Thierry Weil

Born 1959

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0246 POLITICIAN

Charles Piaget

Born 1928

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0247 HISTORIAN

Francis Prost

Born 1968

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0248 POLITICIAN

Claude Darciaux

Born 1942

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0249 OFFICIER

Laurent Depui

1878 - 1947

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0250 ACTOR

Axel Auriant

Born 1998

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0251 ARTIST

Vidya Gastaldon

Born 1974

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0252 SCULPTOR

Pierre Beuchey

1931 - 2009

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0253 PAINTER

Édouard Baille

1814 - 1888

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0254 SINGER

Émile Scaremberg

1863 - 1938

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0255 JOURNALIST

Noël Copin

1929 - 2007

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0256 FOOTBALL

Guillaume Dequaire

Born 1990

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0257 POLITICIAN

Charles Beauquier

1833 - 1916

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0258 PAINTER

Antonin Fanart

1831 - 1903

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0259 ACTIVIST

Roger Picard

1884 - 1950

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0260 ACTOR

Sara Llorca

Born 1983

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0261 PAINTER

Paul Krôn

1869 - 1936

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0262 ARTIST

David Ratte

Born 1970

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0263 OFFICER

Marie Étienne François Henri Baudrand

1774 - 1848

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0264 ARCHITECT

Jean-Charles Colombot

1719 - 1782

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0265 PLAYER

Emmanuelle Coubat

Born 1970

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0266 SCULPTOR

Jean-François Soitoux

1824 - 1891

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0267 ARCHITECT

Brigitte Métra

Born 1954

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0268 PRIEST

Simon de Langres

Died 1384

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0269 WRITER

Pierre Boudot

1930 - 1988

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0270 PAINTER

Gaston Coindre

1844 - 1914

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0271 OFFICER

Charles-Pierre-Lubin Griois

1772 - 1839

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0272 BIOLOGIST

Jules Tissot

1870 - 1950

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0273 CIRCUS

Falko Traber

Born 1959

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0274 MILITAR

Jean-Marie Brulard

1856 - 1923

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0275 ARTIST

Didier Marcel

Born 1961

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0276 DIPLOMAT

Jean-Louis Théobald

1923 - 2012

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0277 ARTIST

Olivier Balez

Born 1972

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0278 WRITER

Jacky Schwartzmann

Born 1972

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0279 NAVY

Louis-Hippolyte Violette

1869 - 1950

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0280 POLITICIAN

Alain Ballay

Born 1954

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0281 ORIENTEER

Vincent Coupat

Born 1986

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0282 PHILOSOPHER

Jean Bernhardt

1927 - 2000

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0283 ACTOR

Michel Dodane

Born 1961

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0284 PRIEST

Georges Béjot

1896 - 1987

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0285 WRITER

Éric Lipmann

Born 1938

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0286 PAINTER

Louis Laurent-Atthalin

1818 - 1893

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0287 EXPLORER

Alfred Bardey

1854 - 1934

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0288 JOURNALIST

Hippolyte Renaud

1803 - 1874

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0289 OFFICER

Pierre-Agathe Heymès

1776 - 1842

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0290 POLITICIAN

Jean-Marc Nudant

1942 - 2015

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0291 PHOTOGRAPHER

Damien Guillaume

Born 1978

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0292 PRIEST

Philibert de Rye

1516 - 1556

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0293 MONK

Jean de Watteville

1638 - 1670

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0294 POLITICIAN

Charles-Louis Clément

1768 - 1857

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0295 DIPLOMAT

Auguste de Tallenay

1795 - 1863

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0296 ARCHITECT

Maurice Boutterin

1882 - 1970

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0297 RADIO

Philippe Gougler

-

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0298 WRITER

Jean-Claude Walter

Born 1940

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0299 FOOTBALL

Mohamed Louhkiar

Born 1983

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0300 PAINTER

Marcel Wibault

1904 - 1998

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