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

3,487 notable people

0601 WRITER

Walter Rheiner

1895 - 1925

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0602 COMPOSER

Rudi von der Dovenmühle

1920 - 2000

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0603 JUDGE

Gustavus A. Finkelnburg

1837 - 1908

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0604 CHESS

Jan Michael Sprenger

Born 1982

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0605 KEYBOARDIST

Jürgen Fritz

Born 1953

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0606 ATHLETIC

Fanny Smets

Born 1986

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0607 COMPUTER SCIENTIST

Leif Kobbelt

Born 1966

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0608 HOCKEY

Philipp Crone

Born 1977

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0609 POLITICAL SCIENTIST

Carlo Masala

Born 1968

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0610 JOURNALIST

Joachim Joesten

1907 - 1975

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0611 ARTISAN

Franz Kremer

1905 - 1967

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0612 PAINTER

Jean Bungartz

1854 - 1934

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0613 ARCHITECT

August Menken

1858 - 1903

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0614 HISTORIAN

Anselm of Liège

1008 - 1056

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0615 BIOLOGIST

Shimon Fritz Bodenheimer

1897 - 1959

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0616 CHEMIST

Franz Leopold Sonnenschein

1817 - 1879

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0617 WRITER

Herbert Kaufmann

1920 - 1976

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0618 WRITER

Paul Eugen Sieg

1899 - 1950

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0619 COMPOSER

Oliver Schneller

Born 1966

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0620 ACTOR

Michael Dierks

Born 1970

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0621 PAINTER

Franz Brantzky

1871 - 1945

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0622 PAINTER

Bernhard Wiegandt

1851 - 1918

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0623 PUBLISHER

Peter Isselburg

1568 - 1630

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0624 FOOTBALL

Jean Löring

1934 - 2005

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0625 ACTOR

Michel Leeb

Born 1947

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0626 ATHLETIC

Olaf Sabatschus

Born 1971

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0627 BASKET

Philipp Neumann

Born 1992

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0628 PAINTER

Gisbert Flüggen

1811 - 1859

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0629 THEOLOGIAN

Paulo Suess

Born 1938

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0630 PLAYER

Andreas Mies

Born 1990

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0631 MUSIC

Günter Eilemann

1923 - 2015

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0632 OPHTHALMOLOGIST

Gerd Geerling

Born 1965

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0633 FOOTBALL

Tsiy-William Ndenge

Born 1997

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0634 ACTOR

Caroline Frier

Born 1983

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0635 PRIEST

Klaus Dick

Born 1928

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0636 ECOLOGIST

Daniel Dahm

Born 1969

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0637 PAINTER

Egidius Mengelberg

1770 - 1849

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0638 PAINTER

Olga Oppenheimer

1886 - 1941

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0639 CRIMINAL

Georg von Schnitzler

1884 - 1962

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0640 ETHNOLOGIST

Emilio Willems

1905 - 1997

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0641 COMPOSER

Wilhelm Neef

1916 - 1990

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0642 ENGRAVER

Simon de Passe

1595 - 1647

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0643 POLITICIAN

Elfriede Paul

1900 - 1981

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0644 ACTOR

Hans W. Hamacher

1920 - 2000

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0645 THEOLOGIAN

Luise Schottroff

1934 - 2015

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0646 WRITER

Friedhelm Kemp

1914 - 2011

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0647 WRITER

Jürgen Ritte

Born 1956

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0648 ARTIST

Willy Fick

1893 - 1967

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0649 ECONOMIST

Erich Kosiol

1899 - 1990

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0650 REVOLUTIONARY

Joseph Moll

1813 - 1849

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0651 SCHOLAR

Johannes Pohl

1904 - 1960

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0652 ACTOR

Peter Marx

1914 - 1978

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0653 BOTANIST

Mathias Joseph Bluff

1805 - 1837

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0654 ACADEMIC

Christiane Woopen

Born 1962

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0655 ACTOR

Stefan Weinert

Born 1964

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0656 FOOTBALL

Anna Gasper

Born 1997

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0657 SCULPTOR

Kurt Arentz

1934 - 2014

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0658 PAINTER

George Geldorp

1595 - 1665

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0659 SCULPTOR

Christa von Schnitzler

1922 - 2003

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0660 ACADEMIC

Richard von Kaufmann

1850 - 1908

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0661 POLITICIAN

Joseph Roth (politician)

1896 - 1945

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0662 FILM

Markus Sehr

Born 1977

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0663 ACTOR

Christoph Schechinger

Born 1985

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0664 LINGUIST

Matthias Kramer

1640 - 1729

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0665 SPORT

Dieter Koslar

1940 - 2002

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0666 ARTIST

Lothar Hempel

Born 1966

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0667 ACTOR

Max Maximilian

1880 - 1930

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0668 PAINTER

August Neven du Mont

1866 - 1909

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0669 CONDUCTOR

Frederik Prausnitz

1920 - 2004

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0670 ENTREPRENEUR

Rolf Gerling

Born 1954

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0671 ACTOR

Sabine Impekoven

1889 - 1970

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0672 ACTOR

Gretchen Lederer

1891 - 1955

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0673 FOOTBALL

Hamza Çakır

Born 1985

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0674 FOOTBALL

Jerome Assauer

Born 1988

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0675 POLITICIAN

Erich Iltgen

1940 - 2019

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0676 FOOTBALL

Tim Jerat

Born 1982

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0677 COMPOSER

Bob Arnz

Born 1962

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0678 BANK

Simon von Oppenheim

1803 - 1880

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0679 ATHLETIC

Elvira Possekel

Born 1953

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0680 ACTOR

Oskar Keymer

Born 2003

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0681 KAYAK

Maximilian Benassi

Born 1986

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0682 ARZT

Peter-Paul Heinemann

1931 - 2003

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0683 LAWYER

Karl Trimborn

1854 - 1921

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0684 FOOTBALL

Arzu Karabulut

Born 1991

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0685 ARTIST

Carl Wyland

1886 - 1972

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0686 WRITER

Collofino

1867 - 1947

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0687 ENTREPRENEUR

Ferdinand Mülhens

1844 - 1928

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0688 DIPLOMAT

Clemens Busch

1834 - 1895

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0689 ARCHITECT

Johann Peter Weyer

1794 - 1864

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0690 SERIAL KILLER

Marianne Nölle

Born 1938

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0691 CHESS

Joseph Platz

1905 - 1981

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0692 ACTOR

Hans Stetter

1927 - 2019

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0693 MUSIC

Thomas Müller-Pering

Born 1958

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0694 SPORT

Willi Meurer

1915 - 1981

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0695 POLITICIAN

Charles P. Clever

1830 - 1874

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0696 POET

Henry Beissel

Born 1929

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0697 COMPOSER

Dietmar Bonnen

Born 1958

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0698 EDUCATION

Clark C. Abt

Born 1929

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0699 ECONOMIST

Herbert Schui

1940 - 2016

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0700 COMPOSER

August von Othegraven

1864 - 1946

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0701 WRITER

Andrea Heuser

Born 1972

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0702 PRESENTER

Julia Leischik

Born 1970

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0703 SINGER

Bernhard Pollini

1838 - 1897

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0704 PLAYER

Eddy Scharf

Born 1953

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0705 ARTIST

Éric Warnauts

Born 1960

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0706 COMPOSER

Karl Bette

1916 - 2006

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0707 CINÉMA

Katharina Blum

Born 1966

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0708 HISTORIAN

Karl Obermann

1905 - 1987

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0709 JOURNALIST

Hildegard Stausberg

Born 1948

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0710 FOOTBALL

Ralf Sturm

Born 1968

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0711 CHESS

Florian Handke

Born 1982

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0712 LAWYER

Rudolf Callmann

1892 - 1976

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0713 MUSIC

Ludwig Sebus

Born 1925

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0714 COMPOSER

Helmut Zerlett

Born 1957

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0715 FOOTBALL

Jerome Propheter

Born 1990

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0716 ARTIST

Achim Zeman

Born 1961

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0717 ARTIST

Sarah Burrini

Born 1979

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0718 ACTOR

Doris Kiesow

1902 - 1973

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0719 HOCKEY

Moritz Trompertz

Born 1995

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0720 ACADEMIC

Thania Paffenholz

Born 1965

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0721 ART DEALER

Johann König (art dealer)

Born 1981

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0722 ACADEMIC

Heribert Hirte

Born 1958

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0723 PAINTER

Johann Franz Ermels

1641 - 1693

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0724 SCULPTOR

Heribert Calleen

1924 - 2017

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0725 SPORT

Thomas Koep

Born 1990

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0726 ACTOR

Daniel Wilken

Born 1989

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0727 WRITER

Nivard de Gand

-

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0728 ACTOR

Edwin Jürgensen

1898 - 1947

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0729 FOOTBALL

Tanju Öztürk

Born 1989

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0730 ARCHITECT

Günther Grzimek (Landschaftsarchitekt)

1915 - 1996

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0731 FOOTBALL

Marcus Steegmann

Born 1981

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0732 FOOTBALL

Marco Quotschalla

Born 1988

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0733 ARTIST

Willem de Passe

1598 - 1637

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0734 REVOLUTIONARY

Ferdinand Wolff

1812 - 1905

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0735 ACADEMIC

Ludwig Koenen

Born 1931

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0736 FOOTBALL

Massimo Cannizzaro

Born 1981

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0737 COMEDIAN

Joyce Ilg

Born 1983

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0738 FOOTBALL

Kevin Schöneberg

Born 1985

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0739 PRIEST

William Kamm

Born 1950

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0740 WRITER

Heinrich Enrique Beck

1904 - 1974

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0741 SCULPTOR

Lutz Fritsch

Born 1950

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0742 BANK

Otto Bemberg

1827 - 1895

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0743 ACTOR

Shary Reeves

Born 1975

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0744 POLITICIAN

Francis Kruse

1854 - 1930

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0745 ATHLETIC

Katarina Mögenburg

Born 1991

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0746 WRITER

Thomas Wensing

Born 1978

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0747 BADMINTON

Petra Overzier

Born 1982

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0748 SCULPTOR

Cornel Wachter

Born 1961

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0749 ACADEMIC

Walter van Laack

Born 1957

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0750 FOOTBALL

Jürgen Glowacz

Born 1952

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0751 ACTOR

Martin Klempnow

Born 1973

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0752 WEIGHTLIFTER

Heinrich Schneidereit

1884 - 1915

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0753 FOOTBALL

Michael Niedrig

Born 1980

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0754 SPORT

Lars Teutenberg

Born 1970

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0755 ARCHIVIST

Max Hecker

1870 - 1948

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0756 MILITAR

Danny Matt

1927 - 2013

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0757 ACTOR

Norman Matt

Born 1974

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0758 SINGER

Wolfgang Anheisser

1929 - 1974

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0759 SINGER

Kristina Kanders

Born 1962

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0760 ACADEMIC

Werner Hullen

1927 - 2008

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0761 POLITICIAN

Max Wallraf

1859 - 1941

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0762 FOOTBALL

Sebastian Zielinsky

Born 1988

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0763 MUSIC

Ulrich Müller-Doppler

Born 1961

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0764 ZIONIST

Georg Landauer

1895 - 1954

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0765 FOOTBALL

Kaan Akça

Born 1994

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0766 PRIEST

Adolph Marx (bishop)

1915 - 1965

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0767 CHESS

Josef Breuer (Schachspieler)

1903 - 1981

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0768 SCIENTIST

Max Kramer

1903 - 1986

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0769 PAINTER

Fritz Kronenberg

1901 - 1960

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0770 WRITER

Johann Jakob Merlo

1810 - 1890

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0771 HOCKEY

Oliver Kurtz

Born 1971

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0772 POLITICIAN

Franziska Kessel

1906 - 1934

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0773 COSTUME DESIGNER

Anna Viebrock

Born 1951

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0774 FOOTBALL

Dirk Flock

Born 1972

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0775 ACTOR

Philipp Danne

Born 1985

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0776 FOOTBALL

Ersin Demir

Born 1977

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0777 PAINTER

Fifi Kreutzer

1891 - 1977

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0778 DRIVER

Otto Hieronimus

1879 - 1922

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0779 POLITICIAN

Heinrich Albert Rommen

1897 - 1967

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0780 SWIMMER

Petra Zindler

Born 1966

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0781 ACTOR

Cosima Henman

Born 1996

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0782 ENTREPRENEUR

Karl Atzenroth

1895 - 1995

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0783 ACTOR

Konrad Wagner (Schauspieler)

1902 - 1974

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0784 GEOGRAPHER

Karlheinz Hottes

1925 - 2001

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0785 CHEMIST

Johannes Sibertus Kuffler

1595 - 1677

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0786 ACTOR

Eliza Illiard

1905 - 1969

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0787 MUSIC

Senking

Born 1969

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0788 ACTOR

Ole Tillmann

Born 1981

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0789 HISTORIAN

Gerd Schwerhoff

Born 1957

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0790 SOCIALITE

Lily Marinho

1921 - 2011

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0791 HOCKEY

Soren Sturm

Born 1989

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0792 WRITER

Gina Ruck-Pauquèt

1931 - 2018

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0793 FOOTBALL

Jonathan Okita

Born 1995

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0794 SPORT

Werner Stauff

Born 1960

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0795 POLITICIAN

John van Nes Ziegler

1921 - 2006

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0796 FILM

Bettina Flitner

Born 1961

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0797 PLAYWRIGHT

David Gieselmann

Born 1972

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0798 SCULPTOR

Toni Zenz

1915 - 2014

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0799 ACTOR

Judith Hoersch

Born 1981

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0800 ACTOR

Queeny Love

Born 1979

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0801 ACADEMIC

Albert Henrichs

1942 - 2017

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0802 ENTERTAINER

Anja Odenthal

Born 1971

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0803 CINEMA

Heinz Schnackertz

1911 - 1990

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0804 RAPPER

JAW (Rapper)

Born 1984

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0805 ACTOR

Henry Horn (Sänger)

Born 1997

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0806 SINGER

Marita Köllner

Born 1958

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0807 ARTIST

Helmut Tollmann

Born 1945

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0808 PAINTER

Marta Worringer

1881 - 1965

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0809 ACTOR

Antje Lewald

Born 1960

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0810 ECONOMIST

Bettina Rockenbach

Born 1963

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0811 SINGER

Peter Meven

1929 - 2003

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0812 ARTIST

Fatih Çevikkollu

Born 1972

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0813 ARTIST

Luise Straus-Ernst

1893 - 1944

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0814 COMPOSER

Pierre Kolp

Born 1969

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0815 ACTOR

Günther Ungeheuer

1925 - 1989

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0816 RIDER

Alexandra Simons de Ridder

Born 1963

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0817 ARCHITECT

Johannes Hültz

1390 - 1449

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0818 WRITER

Everhard von Groote

1789 - 1864

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0819 CHEMIST

Heinz Hunsdiecker

1904 - 1981

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0820 FOOTBALL

Josef Nehl

Born 1961

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0821 WRITER

Sebastian Moll

Born 1980

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0822 ACTOR

Tobias Meister

Born 1957

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0823 ARTIST

Wolfgang Schulte (Maler)

1911 - 1936

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0824 ACTOR

Tobias Licht

Born 1977

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0825 LAWYER

Ralf Höcker

Born 1971

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0826 HERALDIST

Peter Bander van Duren

1930 - 2004

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0827 HOCKEY

Alexander Preibisch

Born 1991

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0828 ROWER

Kathrin Marchand

Born 1990

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0829 JUDO

Marc Odenthal

Born 1991

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0830 JUDGE

Adolf Süsterhenn

1905 - 1974

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0831 HOCKEY

Eduard Thelen

Born 1946

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0832 SINGER

Christoph Watrin (Sänger)

Born 1988

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0833 DIPLOMAT

Edmund von Thermann

1884 - 1951

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0834 SINGER

Damae

Born 1979

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0835 PRIEST

Johann Schadland

1311 - 1373

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0836 COMPOSER

Monika Kampmann

Born 1946

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0837 POLITICIAN

Michael Vesper

Born 1952

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0838 ARCHITECT

Wilhelm Schlombs

1920 - 1993

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0839 ASTROPHYSICIST

Michael Kramer (astronomer)

Born 1967

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0840 ACTOR

Walter Niklaus

Born 1925

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0841 FOOTBALL

André Mandt

Born 1993

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0842 FOOTBALL

Mathias Hönerbach

Born 1962

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0843 FOOTBALL

André Dej

Born 1992

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0844 FOOTBALL

Ursula Lohn

Born 1966

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0845 WRITER

Rainer Merkel

Born 1964

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0846 PAINTER

Felix Bürgers

1870 - 1934

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0847 SINGER

Jim Reeves (Sänger, 1968)

1968 - 2016

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0848 ACTOR

Jonas Baeck

Born 1981

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0849 SURVIVOR

Eva Ostwalt

1902 - 2010

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0850 LAWYER

Heribert Hellenbroich

1937 - 2014

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0851 NOBLE

Ambrosius Franz, Count of Virmont

1684 - 1744

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0852 MUSIC

Anugama

Born 1952

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0853 PRIEST

Rolf Steinhäuser

Born 1952

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0854 COMPUTER SCIENTIST

Henning Schulzrinne

-

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0855 JOURNALIST

Heinrich Burgers

1820 - 1878

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0856 FENCER

Simon Senft

Born 1982

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0857 ECOLOGIST

Hans Frangenheim

1920 - 2001

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0858 ACTOR

Harriet Gessner

1929 - 2012

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0859 PHILOSOPHER

Joachim Kahl

Born 1941

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0860 HISTORIAN

Manfred Clauss

Born 1945

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0861 ART HISTORIAN

Fritz Krischen

1881 - 1949

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0862 BOTANIST

Franz Gerhard Eschweiler

1796 - 1831

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0863 CABINETMAKER

Jean-Pierre Latz

1691 - 1754

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0864 MISSING

Emma Adenauer

1880 - 1916

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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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0867 ACTOR

Farina Brock

Born 1984

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0868 PHILOSOPHER

Christoph Menke

Born 1958

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0869 ACTOR

Marvin Schlatter

Born 1996

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0870 MARTIAL ART

Jonas Billstein

Born 1991

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0871 POLITICIAN

Otto Schmidt (CDU)

1902 - 1984

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0872 SINGER

Gerd Köster

Born 1957

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0873 SINGER

Ernst Pasqué

1821 - 1892

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0874 ACTOR

Meret Burger

Born 1975

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0875 ACTOR

Wilhelm Schürmann-Horster

1900 - 1943

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0876 ART HISTORIAN

Hans Müller (Kunsthistoriker)

1854 - 1897

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0877 SPORT

Kathrin Hammes

Born 1989

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0878 HISTORIAN

Karl Dietrich Erdmann

1910 - 1990

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0879 ACTOR

Nina Vorbrodt

Born 1972

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0880 FOOTBALL

Hamdi Dahmani

Born 1987

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0881 THEOLOGIAN

Hans-Joachim Eckstein

Born 1950

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0882 ACADEMIC

Klaus Luhmer

1916 - 2011

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0883 RAPPER

LGoony

Born 1994

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0884 PHOTOGRAPHER

Hannes Maria Flach

1901 - 1936

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0885 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Paul Alsberg

1883 - 1965

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0886 FOOTBALL

Ferhat Kıskanç

Born 1982

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0887 ACTOR

Hans Hardt-Hardtloff

1906 - 1974

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0888 FOOTBALL

Heribert Finken

Born 1939

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0889 ACTOR

Viktor Neumann

Born 1958

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0890 PRESENTER

Ulrich Meyer

Born 1955

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0891 BIOLOGIST

Nikolaus Rajewsky

Born 1968

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0892 POLITICIAN

Johann Jakob von Wittgenstein

1754 - 1823

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0893 COMPOSER

Lotte Backes

1901 - 1990

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0894 ACADEMIC

Ernst Zinsser

1904 - 1985

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0895 FOOTBALL

Hajrudin Ćatić

Born 1975

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0896 WRITER

Karl Schnog

1897 - 1964

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0897 BASKET

David Brembly

Born 1993

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0898 WRITER

Johann Matthias Firmenich-Richartz

1808 - 1889

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0899 PRELATE

Paul Aussem

1616 - 1679

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0900 ART HISTORIAN

Sabrina van der Ley

Born 1967

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