50.9422° N, 6.9578° E

COLOGNE

Most Famous People Born in Cologne, Germany

Notable people
3,487
Peak decade
1960s
Median birth year
1934
Most distinctive
Art Historian 6.5×

A Rhenish capital whose roots go back to Agrippina's Roman colony in 15 AD. Cologne's distinctive professions are art historians and authors at the top — the legacy of one of Europe's oldest cathedral chapters and the Wallraf-Richartz museum — alongside architects, sculptors, and the actors of a postwar German television capital. Adenauer was born here, Offenbach composed here, and Heinrich Böll anchored the postwar literary bench; the city also has one of the deepest pre-1500 tails of any in Germany.

Through the Centuries

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

What Cologne Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Actor is Cologne's biggest profession — 10% of all notables (346).

Cologne over-indexes on art historian6.5× the global rate.

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

  1. Actor346
  2. Politician277
  3. Football171
  4. Painter157
  5. Writer144
  6. Academic143
  7. Author123
  8. Architect92
  1. Art Historian436.5×
  2. Author1234.1×
  3. Academic1434.0×
  4. Entrepreneur423.5×
  5. Architect923.0×
  6. Sculptor642.8×
  7. Actor3461.9×
  8. Painter1571.7×
  1. Football1710.5×
  2. Politician2770.7×

Profession Mix Over Time

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

15001550160016501700175018001850190019502000
  • Writing
  • Film & TV
  • Art & Design
  • Sports
  • Science
  • Politics & Law
  • Other
All3,487
Sort By

Showing 452 of 3,487 notable people

0009 ENTERTAINER

Stefan Raab

Born 1966

Preview
0023 COMEDIAN

Dirk Bach

1961 - 2012

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0026 MATHEMATICIAN

Wendelin Werner

Born 1968

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0044 POLITICIAN

Katarina Barley

Born 1968

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0054 POLITICIAN

Alexander Graf Lambsdorff

Born 1966

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0093 SPORT

Marcel Wüst

Born 1967

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0107 HOCKEY

Uwe Krupp

Born 1965

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0110 ACTOR

Tina Ruland

Born 1966

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0112 PUBLISHER

Benedikt Taschen

Born 1961

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0120 FILM

David Vostell

Born 1960

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0124 BOBSLED

Christoph Langen

Born 1962

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0132 PRODUCER

Wolfgang Voigt

Born 1961

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0137 JOURNALIST

Marietta Slomka

Born 1969

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0140 ACTOR

Jennifer Nitsch

1966 - 2004

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0142 SCULPTOR

Kai Althoff

Born 1966

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0150 JOURNALIST

Anne Will

Born 1966

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0177 DRIVER

Jutta Kleinschmidt

Born 1962

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0185 WRITER

Thomas Thiemeyer

Born 1963

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0190 BISHOP

Peter Kohlgraf

Born 1967

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0207 AUTHOR

Manuel Andrack

Born 1965

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0230 FOOTBALL

Robin Dutt

Born 1965

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0233 PLAYER

Alexander Mronz

Born 1965

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0263 FOOTBALL

Sven Demandt

Born 1965

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0264 FILM

Niko von Glasow

Born 1960

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0283 MUSIC

Gas (musician)

Born 1961

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0291 PRELATE

Stefan Heße

Born 1966

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0294 COMPOSER

Marcus Schmickler

Born 1968

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0304 FILM

Leopold Hoesch

Born 1969

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0316 SPORT

Sandra Schumacher

Born 1966

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0325 ATHLETIC

Helga Arendt

1964 - 2013

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0329 WRITER

Bodo Schäfer

Born 1960

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0331 SINGER

Jürgen Milski

Born 1963

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0345 BASKET

Stephan Baeck

Born 1965

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0362 WRITER

Jörg Blech

Born 1966

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0366 AUTHOR

Mechtild Borrmann

Born 1960

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0375 SPORT

Michael Mronz

Born 1967

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0379 TRUMPET

Axel Dörner

Born 1964

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0384 PROFESSOR

Heiner Rindermann

Born 1966

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0392 THEATRE

Uwe Eric Laufenberg

Born 1960

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0394 ZOOLOGIST

Miguel Vences

Born 1969

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0395 ACTOR

Dieter Bach

Born 1963

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0397 MUSIC

Jörg Burger

Born 1962

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0398 ASTRONOMER

Heino Falcke

Born 1966

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0432 FOOTBALL

Lars Leese

Born 1969

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0433 THEATRE

Karin Beier

Born 1965

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0447 ACTOR

Stefanie Höner

Born 1969

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0462 FOOTBALL

Frank Schaefer

Born 1963

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0467 ACADEMIC

Michael Stausberg

Born 1966

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0468 SINGER

Christiane Oelze

Born 1963

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0470 ART DEALER

David Zwirner

Born 1964

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0492 WRITER

Annette Pehnt

Born 1967

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0521 FOOTBALL

Achim Weber

Born 1969

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0523 ZOOLOGIST

Konstanze Krüger

Born 1968

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0526 ARTIST

Kota Ezawa

Born 1969

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0537 WRITER

Ulrich Woelk

Born 1960

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0552 PAINTER

Heribert C. Ottersbach

Born 1960

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0557 POLITICIAN

Peter Beuth

Born 1967

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0558 WRITER

Robert Geiss

Born 1964

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0559 ACTOR

Joachim Paul Assböck

Born 1965

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0563 ART HISTORIAN

Claus Pias

Born 1967

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0566 ARCHITECT

Annabelle Selldorf

Born 1960

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0574 POLITICIAN

Astrid Grotelüschen

Born 1964

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0585 EQUESTRIAN

Christian Zimmermann

Born 1961

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0586 SCULPTOR

Alexandra Bircken

Born 1967

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0600 JOURNALIST

Annette Dittert

Born 1962

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0607 COMPUTER SCIENTIST

Leif Kobbelt

Born 1966

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0609 POLITICAL SCIENTIST

Carlo Masala

Born 1968

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0619 COMPOSER

Oliver Schneller

Born 1966

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0632 OPHTHALMOLOGIST

Gerd Geerling

Born 1965

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0636 ECOLOGIST

Daniel Dahm

Born 1969

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0654 ACADEMIC

Christiane Woopen

Born 1962

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0655 ACTOR

Stefan Weinert

Born 1964

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0666 ARTIST

Lothar Hempel

Born 1966

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0677 COMPOSER

Bob Arnz

Born 1962

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0705 ARTIST

Éric Warnauts

Born 1960

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0707 CINÉMA

Katharina Blum

Born 1966

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0710 FOOTBALL

Ralf Sturm

Born 1968

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0716 ARTIST

Achim Zeman

Born 1961

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0720 ACADEMIC

Thania Paffenholz

Born 1965

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0748 SCULPTOR

Cornel Wachter

Born 1961

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0759 SINGER

Kristina Kanders

Born 1962

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0763 MUSIC

Ulrich Müller-Doppler

Born 1961

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0780 SWIMMER

Petra Zindler

Born 1966

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0787 MUSIC

Senking

Born 1969

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0794 SPORT

Werner Stauff

Born 1960

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0796 FILM

Bettina Flitner

Born 1961

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0809 ACTOR

Antje Lewald

Born 1960

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0810 ECONOMIST

Bettina Rockenbach

Born 1963

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0814 COMPOSER

Pierre Kolp

Born 1969

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0816 RIDER

Alexandra Simons de Ridder

Born 1963

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0820 FOOTBALL

Josef Nehl

Born 1961

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0839 ASTROPHYSICIST

Michael Kramer (astronomer)

Born 1967

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0842 FOOTBALL

Mathias Hönerbach

Born 1962

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0844 FOOTBALL

Ursula Lohn

Born 1966

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0845 WRITER

Rainer Merkel

Born 1964

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0847 SINGER

Jim Reeves (Sänger, 1968)

1968 - 2016

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0865 JOURNALIST

Heike-Melba Fendel

Born 1961

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0866 BASKET

Marc Suhr

Born 1969

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0891 BIOLOGIST

Nikolaus Rajewsky

Born 1968

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0900 ART HISTORIAN

Sabrina van der Ley

Born 1967

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0901 AUTHOR

Stefan Weidner

Born 1967

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0908 NEWS PRESENTER

Holger Klein

Born 1969

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0913 SCREENWRITER

Ralf Günther (Schriftsteller)

Born 1967

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0917 AUTHOR

Steven Uhly

Born 1964

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0919 JOURNALIST

Yasser Thabet

Born 1964

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0924 FOOTBALL

Günter Breitzke

Born 1967

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0925 SCREENWRITER

Markus Rothkranz

Born 1962

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0929 PHOTOGRAPHER

Spiridon Neven DuMont

1967 - 1995

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0935 WRITER

Gloria Beck

Born 1968

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0936 ART HISTORIAN

Klaus Gereon Beuckers

Born 1966

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0938 ATHLETIC

Ulrike Denk

Born 1964

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0939 LAWYER

Oliver Tolmein

Born 1961

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0941 ACTOR

Julia Schmitt

Born 1969

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0969 NOVELIST

Michael Winter (writer)

Born 1965

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0974 ACTOR

Daniel Berger (Schauspieler)

Born 1965

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0985 ACTOR

Susanne Pätzold

Born 1967

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0995 WRITER

Paul Ingendaay

Born 1961

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1005 FILM

Boris Becker (Fotograf)

Born 1961

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1035 ACTOR

Christoph Wortberg

Born 1963

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1039 SPORT

Josef Kristen

Born 1960

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1040 SPORT

Christian Rudolph (billiards player)

Born 1965

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1059 PRESENTER

Michael Wirbitzky

Born 1963

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1069 ACTOR

Stefanie Mühle

1960 - 2011

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1076 PSYCHIATRIST

Frank Urbaniok

Born 1962

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1086 ACTOR

Ciro de Chiara

Born 1967

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1101 AUTHOR

Achim Mehnert

1961 - 2018

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1103 ACTOR

Vassilis Koukalani

Born 1969

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1106 ACTOR

Thomas Hackenberg

Born 1962

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1119 FOOTBALL

Jürgen Aust

Born 1960

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1125 WRITER

Carmen Geiss

Born 1964

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1128 PHILOLOGIST

Jürgen Hammerstaedt

Born 1960

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1129 POLITICIAN

Daniel Schwerd

Born 1966

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1135 COOK

Kolja Kleeberg

Born 1964

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1157 BLOGGER

Stefan Herre (Blogger)

Born 1965

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1158 AUTHOR

Marianne Wellershoff

Born 1963

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1164 ACTOR

Oliver Krietsch-Matzura

1969 - 2016

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1167 FILM

Andreas Struck

Born 1965

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1169 PHYSICIST

Kai Nagel

Born 1965

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1172 AUTHOR

Isabel Bogdan

Born 1968

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1174 AUTHOR

Max Annas

Born 1963

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1180 WRITER

Harald Zaun

Born 1962

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1181 POLITICIAN

Yvonne Gebauer

Born 1966

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1183 ACADEMIC

Johannes Dietlein

Born 1963

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1184 THEOLOGIAN

Ralf Koerrenz

Born 1963

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1193 MUSIC

Schlammpeitziger

Born 1964

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1201 SCREENWRITER

Martin Eigler (Regisseur)

Born 1964

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1207 CINEMA

Peter Nix

Born 1967

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1213 PROFESSOR

Vera Nünning

Born 1961

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1216 JOURNALIST

Philip Siegel

Born 1965

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1223 ARCHIVIST

Ulrich Soénius

Born 1962

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1226 LAWYER

Claus Kreß

Born 1966

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1233 WRITER

Gregor Hens

Born 1965

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1240 FOOTBALL

Ralf Raps

Born 1960

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1253 ACTOR

Katharina von Bock

Born 1968

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1259 ART HISTORIAN

Renate Goldmann

Born 1967

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1268 HOCKEY

Dagmar Bremer

Born 1963

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1275 AUTHOR

Manfred Theisen

Born 1962

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1276 AUTHOR

Jürgen Wiebicke

Born 1962

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1281 COMPOSER

Friedrich Höricke

Born 1963

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1283 MISSING

Beate Rudolf

Born 1964

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1288 LAWYER

Gisela Piltz

Born 1964

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1290 FILM

Regina Schilling

Born 1962

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1306 MUSIC

Michael Hansonis

Born 1960

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1311 ACADEMIC

Hermann Pünder (Jurist)

Born 1966

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1312 KATHOLISCHER

Markus Hofmann (Priester)

Born 1968

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1315 HISTORIAN

Michael Sikora

Born 1961

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1316 PHOTOGRAPHER

Stefano De Luigi

Born 1964

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1327 JOURNALIST

Tina Hassel

Born 1964

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1329 WRITER

Ralph Sander

Born 1963

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1333 ENTREPRENEUR

Patrick Adenauer

Born 1960

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1335 COMPOSER

Dirk-Peter Kölsch

Born 1969

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1339 ENTREPRENEUR

Torsten Toeller

Born 1966

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1344 ACADEMIC

Andreas Hilger

Born 1967

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1378 SCREENWRITER

Marc Terjung

Born 1966

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1382 LAWYER

Funda Bıçakoğlu

Born 1965

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1384 WRITER

Elmar Wigand

Born 1968

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1389 AUTHOR

Klaus Fehling

Born 1969

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1390 MODERATOR

Michael Koslar

Born 1967

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1397 PROFESSOR

Thomas Gries (Ingenieurwissenschaftler)

Born 1964

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1401 ARCHAEOLOGIST

Annette Nünnerich-Asmus

Born 1961

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1410 AUTHOR

Adriano Sack

Born 1967

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1420 FILM

Markus Mischkowski

Born 1966

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1430 ACTOR

Gernot Schmidt (Schauspieler)

Born 1962

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1438 MISSING

Sabrina Lange

Born 1967

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1443 MANAGER

Torsten Oletzky

Born 1966

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1445 VORSITZENDER

Christoph Niering

Born 1962

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1448 ARCHAEOLOGIST

Marcus Trier

Born 1962

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1457 ACADEMIC

Matthias Schmidt (Musikwissenschaftler)

Born 1966

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1458 ACTOR

Georg Blumreiter

Born 1961

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1468 ACTOR

Torsten Peter Schnick

Born 1968

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1476 WRITER

Katja Thimm

Born 1969

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1480 PROFESSOR

Guido Thiemeyer

Born 1967

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1483 ART HISTORIAN

Eva Meyer-Hermann

Born 1962

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1487 MATHEMATICIAN

Monika Ludwig

Born 1966

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1490 PROFESSOR

Achim Truger

Born 1969

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1491 COMPOSER

Henrik Albrecht

Born 1969

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1497 MUSIC

Roland Casper

Born 1966

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1535 PRESENTER

Robert Burdy

Born 1964

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1537 ATHLETE

Tennur Yerlisu

Born 1966

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1538 ECONOMIST

Michael Bernecker

Born 1967

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1539 PAINTER

Ulrich Moskopp

Born 1961

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1541 PHILOLOGIST

Stephan Schröder (Philologe)

Born 1962

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1543 ACADEMIC

Thomas Schüller

Born 1961

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1554 ACTOR

Sabine Marcus

Born 1969

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1561 ARTIST

Julika Rudelius

Born 1968

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1569 AUTHOR

Marina Linares

Born 1967

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1570 AUTHOR

Michael Siefener

Born 1961

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1571 ACTOR

Victor Calero

Born 1966

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1577 ACADEMIC

Niels Ewerbeck

1962 - 2012

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1582 AUTHOR

Lucien Deprijck

Born 1960

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1583 WRITER

Cristián Gálvez

Born 1969

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1590 ACADEMIC

Bernd Ladwig

Born 1966

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1600 ARTIST

Bruno Wesel

Born 1967

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1615 DIPLOMAT

Boris Ruge

Born 1962

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1627 PRIEST

Stefan Samerski

Born 1963

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1628 ECONOMIST

Bernd Helmig

Born 1965

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1629 MANAGER

Henning Kreke

Born 1965

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1637 WRITER

Marc Raabe

Born 1968

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1638 LAWYER

Thomas Wenzler

Born 1962

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1640 NEUROLOGIST

Gereon R. Fink

Born 1964

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1645 SCHOLAR

Daniel Tyradellis

Born 1969

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1651 DRAMA

Birgit Meyer (Intendantin)

Born 1960

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1652 PAINTER

Roland Schappert

Born 1965

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1655 JOURNALIST

Olaf Karnik

Born 1962

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1656 PHYSICIST

Barbara Drossel

Born 1963

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1660 JUDGE

Thomas Quast

Born 1962

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1663 ACADEMIC

Mark Stein (Anglist)

Born 1966

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1668 MUSIC

Yumino Toyoda

Born 1962

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1679 RESEARCH

Matthias Peiper

Born 1964

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1688 PAINTER

Johannes Wohnseifer

Born 1967

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1691 ACTOR

Christoph Hilger

Born 1961

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1693 POLITICIAN

Lutz Lienenkämper

Born 1969

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1702 ACTOR

Lisa Adler

Born 1962

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1703 ACTOR

Sabine Jaeger

Born 1963

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1714 PHOTOGRAPHER

Philipp J. Bösel

Born 1961

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1728 ART HISTORIAN

Martin Bentz

Born 1961

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1736 SCULPTOR

Karin Hochstatter

Born 1960

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1737 JOURNALIST

Joachim Widmann

Born 1963

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1745 DRUMMER

Alex Vesper

Born 1967

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1748 POLITICAL SCIENTIST

Timm Beichelt

Born 1968

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1755 ART HISTORIAN

Frank Rumscheid

Born 1960

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1771 ECONOMIST

Harald von Korflesch

Born 1962

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1774 ACTOR

Susanne Gannott

Born 1969

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1780 DRIVER

Frank Schmickler

Born 1965

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1784 CINEMA

Frank Küpper

Born 1967

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1792 SPORT

Christian Müller (Sportfunktionär)

Born 1963

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1793 JOURNALIST

Lorenz Maroldt

Born 1962

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1800 ACADEMIC

Martin Schmidt-Kessel

Born 1967

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1801 ACADEMIC

Georg Jochum (Jurist)

Born 1968

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1808 ECONOMIST

Yvonne Ziegler

Born 1966

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1811 ACTOR

Manfred Schwabe

Born 1960

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1815 ATHLETE

Gülnur Yerlisu

Born 1969

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1816 TRANSLATOR

Christian Hansen (Übersetzer)

Born 1962

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1818 ACADEMIC

Ümit Kocasakal

Born 1966

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1821 WRITER

Husch Josten

Born 1969

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1835 THEOLOGIAN

Andreas Odenthal

Born 1963

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1836 ACADEMIC

Martin Leverkus

1965 - 2016

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1840 ACADEMIC

Donal O’Sullivan (Historiker)

Born 1965

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1841 AUTHOR

Bernd Imgrund

Born 1964

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1842 CHESS

Gerd Wilhelm Hörning

Born 1964

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1848 HISTORIAN

Wolfgang Hasberg

Born 1961

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1851 AUTHOR

Thomas Laubach (Theologe)

Born 1964

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1854 ARCHAEOLOGIST

Harald Floss

Born 1960

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1861 ARTIST

Ruth Schiffer

Born 1962

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1880 JOURNALIST

Tom Buschardt

Born 1966

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1889 ACADEMIC

Carsten L. Wilke

Born 1962

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1892 ART DEALER

Markus Weller

Born 1964

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1903 SCREENWRITER

Kai Maria Steinkühler

Born 1967

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1916 ART HISTORIAN

Matthias Winzen

Born 1961

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1921 THEOLOGIAN

Thomas K. Kuhn

Born 1963

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1923 WRITER

Gerriet Danz

Born 1965

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1932 SAXOPHONIST

Caroline Thon

Born 1966

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1940 DRUMMER

Oliver Mewes

Born 1967

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1945 ACTOR

Hülya Doğan-Netenjakob

Born 1967

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1948 PRESENTER

Georg Holzach

Born 1963

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1954 ACADEMIC

Oliver A. Cornely

Born 1967

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1966 HISTORIAN

Andreas Petersen (Historiker)

Born 1961

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1980 TRANSLATOR

Wolfgang Adenberg

Born 1967

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1984 GENETICIST

Jens Claus Brüning

Born 1966

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1990 SPORT

Werner Wüller

Born 1961

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1995 CINEMA

KaPe Schmidt

Born 1966

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1999 WRITER

Ursula Niehaus

Born 1965

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2014 ACADEMIC

Ulrich Stelkens

Born 1967

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2016 PAINTER

Gerd Mosbach

Born 1963

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2017 PHILOLOGIST

Stephan Busch

Born 1966

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2020 ECONOMIST

Caspar Dohmen

Born 1967

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2022 DESIGNER

Sarah Kern

Born 1968

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2024 ACADEMIC

Heralt Schöne

Born 1963

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2031 ACADEMIC

Frank Zieschang

Born 1963

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2037 AUTHOR

Myriane Angelowski

Born 1963

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2040 ACADEMIC

Ingo B. Runnebaum

Born 1960

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2069 SAXOPHONIST

Georg Wissel

Born 1964

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2071 WRITER

Alex Gunia

Born 1964

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2076 ATHLETIC

Petra Wziontek

Born 1960

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2093 ECONOMIST

Georg Müller-Christ

Born 1963

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2100 POLITICIAN

Alexandra Hiersemann

Born 1960

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2103 ACTOR

Lena Sabine Berg

Born 1964

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2109 ACADEMIC

Anno Mungen

Born 1961

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2116 FOOTBALL

Oliver Westerbeek

Born 1966

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2120 MUSIC

Norbert Rodenkirchen

Born 1962

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