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
Academic143
Sort By

Showing 143 of 3,487 notable people

0090 ACADEMIC

Karl Josef Becker

1928 - 2015

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0424 ACADEMIC

Helmut Kentler

1928 - 2008

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0430 ACADEMIC

Joseph Langen

1837 - 1901

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0467 ACADEMIC

Michael Stausberg

Born 1966

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0654 ACADEMIC

Christiane Woopen

Born 1962

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0660 ACADEMIC

Richard von Kaufmann

1850 - 1908

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0720 ACADEMIC

Thania Paffenholz

Born 1965

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0722 ACADEMIC

Heribert Hirte

Born 1958

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0735 ACADEMIC

Ludwig Koenen

Born 1931

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0749 ACADEMIC

Walter van Laack

Born 1957

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0760 ACADEMIC

Werner Hullen

1927 - 2008

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0801 ACADEMIC

Albert Henrichs

1942 - 2017

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0882 ACADEMIC

Klaus Luhmer

1916 - 2011

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0894 ACADEMIC

Ernst Zinsser

1904 - 1985

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0926 ACADEMIC

Claudia Dalbert

Born 1954

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0928 ACADEMIC

Johann Ulrich Duerst

1876 - 1950

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0937 ACADEMIC

Günther Schuh (Ingenieur)

Born 1958

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0965 ACADEMIC

Heinrich von Schmidt

1850 - 1928

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0983 ACADEMIC

Otto Kloeppel

1873 - 1942

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1042 ACADEMIC

Lothar Rühl

Born 1927

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1056 ACADEMIC

Barbara Zehnpfennig

Born 1956

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1114 ACADEMIC

Dieter Euler

Born 1952

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1163 ACADEMIC

Michael Schneider (Theologe)

Born 1949

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1183 ACADEMIC

Johannes Dietlein

Born 1963

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1256 ACADEMIC

Sandro Gaycken

Born 1973

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1307 ACADEMIC

Christoph Engel (Jurist)

Born 1956

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1311 ACADEMIC

Hermann Pünder (Jurist)

Born 1966

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1314 ACADEMIC

Gregor Thüsing

Born 1971

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1317 ACADEMIC

Jürgen Friedrich (Informatiker)

1942 - 2018

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1323 ACADEMIC

Axel Radlach Pries

Born 1954

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1344 ACADEMIC

Andreas Hilger

Born 1967

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1360 ACADEMIC

Philipp Schmitz

1935 - 2015

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1370 ACADEMIC

Klaus Brunnstein

1937 - 2015

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1388 ACADEMIC

Reinhard Bork

Born 1956

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1413 ACADEMIC

Georg Christoph Tholen

Born 1948

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1414 ACADEMIC

Friedrich Wilhelm Bosch

1911 - 2000

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1431 ACADEMIC

Ursula Georgy

Born 1958

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1446 ACADEMIC

Edeltrud Meistermann-Seeger

1906 - 1999

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1453 ACADEMIC

Klaus Pieper

1913 - 1995

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1457 ACADEMIC

Matthias Schmidt (Musikwissenschaftler)

Born 1966

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1460 ACADEMIC

Walter A. Noebel

1953 - 2012

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1470 ACADEMIC

Franz Peter Cassel

1784 - 1821

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1474 ACADEMIC

Cornelius Herstatt

Born 1959

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1481 ACADEMIC

Klaus Ring

Born 1934

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1514 ACADEMIC

Theodor Rutt

1911 - 2006

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1518 ACADEMIC

Herbert Fitzek

Born 1957

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1543 ACADEMIC

Thomas Schüller

Born 1961

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1547 ACADEMIC

Fritz Lejeune

1892 - 1966

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1572 ACADEMIC

Dieter Hagedorn

Born 1936

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1577 ACADEMIC

Niels Ewerbeck

1962 - 2012

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1588 ACADEMIC

Caspar Coolhaes

1536 - 1615

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1590 ACADEMIC

Bernd Ladwig

Born 1966

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1603 ACADEMIC

Jürgen D. Kruse-Jarres

Born 1937

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1649 ACADEMIC

Heinrich Gottfried Wilhelm Daniels

1754 - 1827

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1663 ACADEMIC

Mark Stein (Anglist)

Born 1966

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1673 ACADEMIC

Helmut Blume

1920 - 2008

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1678 ACADEMIC

Tina Haase

Born 1957

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1692 ACADEMIC

Michael Custodis

Born 1973

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1695 ACADEMIC

Wilhelm Hoenerbach

1911 - 1991

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1720 ACADEMIC

Karl Hardach

1936 - 2016

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1749 ACADEMIC

Wolfgang Hiddemann

Born 1949

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1751 ACADEMIC

Klaus Pietschmann

Born 1972

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1767 ACADEMIC

Curt Cüppers

1910 - 1995

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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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1809 ACADEMIC

Jörg Manfred Mössner

Born 1941

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1818 ACADEMIC

Ümit Kocasakal

Born 1966

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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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1853 ACADEMIC

Martin Pehnt

Born 1970

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1889 ACADEMIC

Carsten L. Wilke

Born 1962

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1931 ACADEMIC

Dieter Klöckner (Musikwissenschaftler)

Born 1935

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1954 ACADEMIC

Oliver A. Cornely

Born 1967

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1961 ACADEMIC

Robert Seuffert

1874 - 1946

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1970 ACADEMIC

Silke van Dyk

Born 1972

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1977 ACADEMIC

Carsten Reinemann

Born 1971

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1996 ACADEMIC

Angela Gronenborn

-

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2014 ACADEMIC

Ulrich Stelkens

Born 1967

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2024 ACADEMIC

Heralt Schöne

Born 1963

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2027 ACADEMIC

Dieter C. Schütz

Born 1953

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2031 ACADEMIC

Frank Zieschang

Born 1963

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2040 ACADEMIC

Ingo B. Runnebaum

Born 1960

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2042 ACADEMIC

Georg Raederscheidt

1883 - 1974

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2066 ACADEMIC

Fritz Kemper

1927 - 2017

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2078 ACADEMIC

Fritz Hilgers

1921 - 2014

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2087 ACADEMIC

Eckhard M. Theewen

Born 1959

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2091 ACADEMIC

Wolfgang Schmitz (Bibliothekar)

Born 1949

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2109 ACADEMIC

Anno Mungen

Born 1961

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2141 ACADEMIC

Martin Höher

Born 1957

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2165 ACADEMIC

Sebastian Unger

Born 1975

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2171 ACADEMIC

Wilhelm Richter (Dermatologe)

1892 - 1944

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2179 ACADEMIC

Axel Weber (Wirtschaftswissenschaftler)

Born 1954

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2182 ACADEMIC

Helmut Selbach

1909 - 1987

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2186 ACADEMIC

Wilhelm Schneider (Linguist)

1885 - 1979

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2187 ACADEMIC

Wilhelm Schorn

1895 - 1968

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2214 ACADEMIC

Mark Spoerer

Born 1963

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2251 ACADEMIC

Hermann Horstkotte

Born 1947

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2277 ACADEMIC

Wolfgang Gerold Esser

Born 1934

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2304 ACADEMIC

Julia Stahl

Born 1970

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2323 ACADEMIC

Anna Gisela Johnen

1925 - 2014

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2324 ACADEMIC

Hansjörg Salmony

1920 - 1991

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2339 ACADEMIC

Ulrich J. Winter

-

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2341 ACADEMIC

Heinrich Husmann

1908 - 1983

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2362 ACADEMIC

Peter Rinck

1430 - 1501

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2382 ACADEMIC

Elmar Doppelfeld

Born 1939

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2389 ACADEMIC

Klaus Becker (Musiker)

Born 1953

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2415 ACADEMIC

Christa Berg

Born 1940

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2427 ACADEMIC

Marco Halber

Born 1966

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2451 ACADEMIC

Max Heinrich von Geyr

1712 - 1789

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2520 ACADEMIC

Kaspar Altenaich

1515 - 1605

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2528 ACADEMIC

Willy Gierlichs

1900 - 1945

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2543 ACADEMIC

Johann Anton Wallé

1807 - 1876

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2557 ACADEMIC

Johann Joseph Fühling

1825 - 1884

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2572 ACADEMIC

Volker Wienert

Born 1937

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2576 ACADEMIC

Uwe Stilla

Born 1957

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2583 ACADEMIC

Viktor Sarris

Born 1939

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2601 ACADEMIC

Karl Pesch

1889 - 1941

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2606 ACADEMIC

Eugen Mattiat

1901 - 1976

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2619 ACADEMIC

Markus Hadulla

Born 1970

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2643 ACADEMIC

Wolfgang Tillmann

Born 1961

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2669 ACADEMIC

Eduard Hummelsheim

1868 - 1952

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2682 ACADEMIC

Dirk Gebhardt

Born 1969

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2712 ACADEMIC

Tim Freytag

Born 1969

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2713 ACADEMIC

Wolfgang Thoenes

1929 - 1992

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2723 ACADEMIC

Peter Höher

Born 1962

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2788 ACADEMIC

Andrea Vilter

Born 1966

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2808 ACADEMIC

Gustav Adebahr

1924 - 2008

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2830 ACADEMIC

Bert Breuer

Born 1936

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2877 ACADEMIC

Franz Wohlgemuth

1915 - 1972

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2878 ACADEMIC

Franz von Eick

1619 - 1696

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2902 ACADEMIC

Karl Schiller (Astronom)

1882 - 1979

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2936 ACADEMIC

Sebastian Krebber

Born 1963

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2967 ACADEMIC

Josef Seché (Architekt)

1850 - 1901

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2976 ACADEMIC

Walter Wickop

1890 - 1957

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3028 ACADEMIC

Klaus Lennartz (Philologe)

Born 1963

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3039 ACADEMIC

Horst Küppers

Born 1933

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3055 ACADEMIC

Hans A. Seck

1935 - 2016

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3101 ACADEMIC

Rudolf Weber (Architekt, 1933)

1933 - 2017

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3120 ACADEMIC

Alfred Bonnemann

1904 - 1979

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3136 ACADEMIC

Klaus Dreyer

1909 - 1999

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3166 ACADEMIC

Ludwig Steffens

Born 1930

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3283 ACADEMIC

Johann Merzenich

1840 - 1913

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3406 ACADEMIC

Rudolf Hecker (Physiker)

1926 - 2014

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