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

1501 THEOLOGIAN

Thomas Ruster

Born 1955

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1502 PROFESSOR

Heinz-Gerhard Justenhoven

Born 1958

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1503 ACTOR

Sina Martens

Born 1988

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1504 ARTIST

Günter Schulte

1937 - 2017

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1505 ACTOR

Frank Barufski

1905 - 1991

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1506 MARINE

Karl Tillessen

1891 - 1979

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1507 POLITICAL SCIENTIST

Marcel Lewandowsky

Born 1982

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1508 PHILOLOGIST

Jan-Dirk Müller

Born 1941

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1509 PUBLISHER

Maternus Cholinus

1525 - 1588

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1510 PHYSICIST

Josef Krautkrämer

1913 - 2000

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1511 AUTHOR

Volker H. W. Schüler

Born 1939

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1512 DRAUGHTSWOMAN

David Levy Elkan

1808 - 1865

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1513 ACTOR

Sara Turchetto

Born 1983

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1514 ACADEMIC

Theodor Rutt

1911 - 2006

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1515 ACTOR

Peter Zilles

1946 - 1998

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1516 AUTHOR

Karin Thomas

Born 1941

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1517 WRITER

Helene Rahms

1918 - 1999

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1518 ACADEMIC

Herbert Fitzek

Born 1957

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1519 THEOLOGIAN

Heinrich Festing

Born 1930

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1520 BASSIST

Lindy Huppertsberg

Born 1956

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1521 ABBOT

Bruno Fromme

1938 - 2017

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1522 PAINTER

Guilliam du Gardijn

1595 - 1657

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1523 PHOTOGRAPHER

Willi Kemp

Born 1927

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1524 COOK

Matthias Ludwigs

Born 1980

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1525 MERCHANT

Hermann J. Strenger

1928 - 2016

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1526 SPORT

Hans Dormbach

Born 1908

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1527 AUTHOR

Brigitte Oleschinski

Born 1955

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1528 SCULPTOR

Jürgen Hans Grümmer

1935 - 2008

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1529 MEDIEVALIST

Hans Martin Klinkenberg

1921 - 2002

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1530 PAINTER

Wilhelm Kleinenbroich

1812 - 1895

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1531 JOURNALIST

Bernd Hinz

Born 1947

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1532 ACTOR

Shira Fleisher

Born 1983

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1533 ACTOR

Nadine Spruß

Born 1975

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1534 PRIEST

Friedrich Murawski

1898 - 1945

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1535 PRESENTER

Robert Burdy

Born 1964

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1536 PAINTER

Cosy Pièro

Born 1937

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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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1540 ACTOR

Luana Bellinghausen

Born 1986

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1541 PHILOLOGIST

Stephan Schröder (Philologe)

Born 1962

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1542 ENTREPRENEUR

Albert Schäfer (Unternehmer)

1881 - 1971

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1543 ACADEMIC

Thomas Schüller

Born 1961

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1544 ARCHAEOLOGIST

Karl Heinz Lenz

Born 1953

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1545 TEACHER

Doris Reichmann

1891 - 1973

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1546 JOURNALIST

Erwin Ettel

1895 - 1971

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1547 ACADEMIC

Fritz Lejeune

1892 - 1966

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1548 ENTREPRENEUR

Hans Carl Scheibler

1887 - 1963

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1549 INTERNIST

Martin Dornberg

Born 1959

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1550 POLITICIAN

Mathilde von Mevissen

1848 - 1924

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1551 ARCHITECT

Hans Verbeek (Architekt)

1873 - 1954

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1552 FOOTBALL

Friedhelm Frontzeck

Born 1938

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1553 LAWYER

Otto Schniewind

1887 - 1970

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1554 ACTOR

Sabine Marcus

Born 1969

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1555 JOURNALIST

Max H. Rehbein

1918 - 2015

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1556 ACTOR

Sonja Karzau

Born 1912

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1557 PAINTER

Jupp Lückeroth

1919 - 1993

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1558 ENTREPRENEUR

Hugo Asbach

1868 - 1935

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1559 ACTOR

Lina Salten

1890 - 1943

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1560 SWIMMER

Martin Herrmann

Born 1970

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1561 ARTIST

Julika Rudelius

Born 1968

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1562 COLLECTOR

Friedrich Victor Rolff

1934 - 2012

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1563 AUTHOR

Adele Gerhard

1868 - 1956

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1564 SINGER

Helmut Köllen

1950 - 1977

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1565 PHOTOGRAPHER

Paul-Jürgen Weber

Born 1942

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1566 MATHEMATICIAN

Egbert Harzheim

1932 - 2012

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1567 FOOTBALL

Karl-Heinz Struth

Born 1948

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1568 WRITER

Günter Steffens

1922 - 1985

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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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1572 ACADEMIC

Dieter Hagedorn

Born 1936

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1573 AUTHOR

Wilfried Dickhoff

Born 1953

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1574 ARTIST

Udo Sellbach

1927 - 2006

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1575 PHYSICIAN

Helmut Hahn

Born 1937

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1576 BOXER

Jupp Elze

1939 - 1968

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1577 ACADEMIC

Niels Ewerbeck

1962 - 2012

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1578 JOINER

Jakob Pallenberg

1831 - 1900

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1579 ART HISTORIAN

Bruno Klein

Born 1957

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1580 SOCIOLOGIST

Heinrich Best

Born 1949

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1581 FILM

Bijan Benjamin

Born 1983

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1582 AUTHOR

Lucien Deprijck

Born 1960

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1583 WRITER

Cristián Gálvez

Born 1969

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1584 AUTHOR

Barbara Bongartz

Born 1957

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1585 RADIOLOGIST

Gynter Mödder

Born 1942

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1586 PRESENTER

Thorsten Schorn

Born 1976

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1587 PRIEST

Pius Engelbert

Born 1936

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1588 ACADEMIC

Caspar Coolhaes

1536 - 1615

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1589 ECONOMIST

Christian Watrin

Born 1930

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1590 ACADEMIC

Bernd Ladwig

Born 1966

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1591 SINGER

Björn Heuser

Born 1982

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1592 ACTOR

Emma Grimm

Born 1996

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1593 POLITICIAN

Eike Hallitzky

Born 1959

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1594 PHOTOGRAPHER

Ivaan Kotulsky

1944 - 2008

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1595 JUDO

Yvonne Wansart

Born 1974

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1596 ACTOR

David Hugo Schmitz

Born 1993

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1597 ECONOMIST

Johann Heinrich von Stein

Born 1937

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1598 AUTHOR

Wilhelm Uhlenbruck

Born 1930

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1599 AUTHOR

Wilhelm Pütz

1806 - 1877

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1600 ARTIST

Bruno Wesel

Born 1967

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1601 ARCHITECT

Ludwig Arntz

1855 - 1941

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1602 JEWELLERY DESIGNER

Falko Marx

1941 - 2012

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1603 ACADEMIC

Jürgen D. Kruse-Jarres

Born 1937

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1604 ACTOR

Heta Mantscheff

Born 1948

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1605 SCULPTOR

Peter Mönnig

Born 1955

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1606 SCREENWRITER

Hanna Doose

Born 1979

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1607 PUBLISHER

Gottfried Honnefelder

Born 1946

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1608 PAINTER

Fritz H. Lauten

1935 - 1989

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1609 ACTOR

Ludwig Thiesen

Born 1928

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1610 POLITICIAN

Katharina Jacob

1907 - 1989

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1611 COMPOSER

Jupp Schlösser

1902 - 1983

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1612 HOCKEY

Carsten Gosdeck

Born 1979

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1613 SCULPTOR

Michel Lock

1848 - 1898

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1614 ACTOR

Wolf-Niklas Schykowski

Born 1993

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1615 DIPLOMAT

Boris Ruge

Born 1962

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1616 SCULPTOR

Karl Menser

1872 - 1929

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1617 PHILOSOPHER

Tilman Pesch

1836 - 1899

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1618 WRITER

Paul Mayer (Lektor)

1889 - 1970

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1619 AUTHOR

Árpád von Nahodyl

Born 1958

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1620 DRUMMER

Karl Sanner

1928 - 1966

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1621 POLITICIAN

Karl von Huene

1837 - 1900

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1622 WRITER

Alfred Antkowiak

1925 - 1976

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1623 FILM

Sebastian Fritzsch

Born 1977

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1624 ACTOR

Gustav Müller (Schauspieler)

1919 - 1980

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1625 ARTIST

Pauline M’Barek

Born 1979

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1626 ACTOR

Corinna Nilson

Born 1971

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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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1630 ACTOR

Karl Wüstenhagen

1893 - 1950

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1631 AUTHOR

August Hermann Zeiz

1893 - 1964

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1632 POLITICIAN

Leo Herwegen

1886 - 1972

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1633 ENTREPRENEUR

Peter Heinrichs

1946 - 2016

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1634 PAINTER

Ernst Moritz Roth

1902 - 1945

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1635 OFFICER

Wilhelm von Bonin (Offizier)

1824 - 1885

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1636 ACTOR

Charlotte Brummerhoff

1905 - 1986

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1637 WRITER

Marc Raabe

Born 1968

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1638 LAWYER

Thomas Wenzler

Born 1962

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1639 ARCHITECT

Gerd Lohmer

1909 - 1981

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1640 NEUROLOGIST

Gereon R. Fink

Born 1964

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1641 MANAGER

Peter Harf

Born 1946

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1642 ENGINEER

Fritz Hönig

1833 - 1903

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1643 FOOTBALL

Werner Hippler

Born 1970

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1644 PUBLISHER

Alfred Neven DuMont (Verleger, 1868)

1868 - 1940

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1645 SCHOLAR

Daniel Tyradellis

Born 1969

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1646 COMPOSER

Harald Steinhauer

Born 1951

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1647 PIANIST

Jesse Milliner

Born 1973

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1648 POLITICIAN

Jan Brügelmann

1921 - 2012

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1649 ACADEMIC

Heinrich Gottfried Wilhelm Daniels

1754 - 1827

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1650 ARTIST

Birgit Kahle

Born 1957

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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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1653 HISTORIAN

Karl Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Krafft

1814 - 1898

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1654 PAINTER

Anneliese Planken

1912 - 1994

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1655 JOURNALIST

Olaf Karnik

Born 1962

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1656 PHYSICIST

Barbara Drossel

Born 1963

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1657 MILITAR

Paul Verbeek

1925 - 2019

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1658 AUTHOR

Margot Scharpenberg

1924 - 2020

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1659 TRANSLATOR

Pociao

Born 1951

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1660 JUDGE

Thomas Quast

Born 1962

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1661 AUTHOR

Maria Heinrich Hoster

1835 - 1890

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1662 PAINTER

Heino Naujoks

Born 1937

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1663 ACADEMIC

Mark Stein (Anglist)

Born 1966

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1664 WRITER

Martin Hocke

1938 - 2005

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1665 ARTIST

Michael Cornelius Zepter

Born 1938

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1666 BANK

Eduard Schnitzler

1823 - 1900

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1667 CINEMA

Achim Poulheim

Born 1956

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1668 MUSIC

Yumino Toyoda

Born 1962

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1669 CONDUCTOR

Peter Hirsch (Dirigent)

Born 1956

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1670 LITERARY

Carl Creifelds

1907 - 1994

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1671 SOCIOLOGIST

Ute Gerhard (Soziologin)

Born 1939

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1672 HISTORIAN

Werner Jung (Historiker)

Born 1954

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1673 ACADEMIC

Helmut Blume

1920 - 2008

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1674 WRITER

Egon Schneider

1927 - 2014

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1675 ILLUSTRATOR

Fabian Erlinghäuser

Born 1976

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1676 DRAMA

Robert Koall

Born 1972

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1677 DRAUGHTSWOMAN

Thomas F. Fischer

Born 1954

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1678 ACADEMIC

Tina Haase

Born 1957

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1679 RESEARCH

Matthias Peiper

Born 1964

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1680 SINGER

Fritz Feinhals

1869 - 1940

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1681 FILMMAKER

Maurizius Staerkle Drux

Born 1988

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1682 SPORT

Karl Klöckner

Born 1915

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1683 MATHEMATICIAN

Josef Naas

1906 - 1993

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1684 PLAYER

Alina Wessel

Born 1990

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1685 PHILOLOGIST

Werner Forner

Born 1946

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1686 PHILOLOGIST

Jürgen Hein

1942 - 2014

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1687 MUSIC

Mashup-Germany

Born 1984

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1688 PAINTER

Johannes Wohnseifer

Born 1967

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1689 PHOTOGRAPHER

Hubs Flöter

1910 - 1976

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1690 PAINTER

Johannes Niessen

1821 - 1910

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1691 ACTOR

Christoph Hilger

Born 1961

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1692 ACADEMIC

Michael Custodis

Born 1973

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1693 POLITICIAN

Lutz Lienenkämper

Born 1969

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1694 PHILOLOGIST

Peter Langen

1835 - 1897

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1695 ACADEMIC

Wilhelm Hoenerbach

1911 - 1991

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1696 HURDLER

Christine Salterberg

Born 1994

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1697 PLAYER

Ann-Christin Quade

Born 1992

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1698 MATHEMATICIAN

Felix Dietlein

Born 1990

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1699 COMPOSER

Hermann Wolff (Konzertagent)

1845 - 1902

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1700 ART HISTORIAN

Carl Linfert

1900 - 1981

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1701 CINEMA

Georg Bense

1938 - 2020

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1702 ACTOR

Lisa Adler

Born 1962

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1703 ACTOR

Sabine Jaeger

Born 1963

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1704 WRITER

Georg Jappe

1936 - 2007

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1705 AUTHOR

Winfried Prost

Born 1956

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1706 ART HISTORIAN

Edmund Renard (der Jüngere)

1871 - 1932

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1707 HISTORIAN

Jürgen Nielsen-Sikora

Born 1973

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1708 COMPOSER

Michael Klaukien

Born 1974

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1709 WRITER

Ilona Klimek

Born 1970

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1710 ACTOR

Willkit Greuèl

1918 - 2018

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1711 ARTIST

Anton Werres

1830 - 1900

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1712 PHILOLOGIST

Heinrich Clementz

1859 - 1946

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1713 WRITER

Günther Bloch

Born 1953

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1714 PHOTOGRAPHER

Philipp J. Bösel

Born 1961

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1715 SPORT

Jean Schorn

1912 - 1994

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1716 BUSINESS

Paul Rudolf Kraemer

1916 - 2007

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1717 MERCHANT

Jean Marie Farina

1809 - 1880

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1718 RACER

Luca Amato

Born 1996

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1719 PAINTER

Matthias May

1884 - 1923

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1720 ACADEMIC

Karl Hardach

1936 - 2016

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1721 SCULPTOR

Josef Moest

1873 - 1914

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1722 BOXER

Denis Radovan

Born 1992

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1723 PHILOLOGIST

Karl August Neuhausen

1939 - 2017

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1724 HOCKEY

Patrick Strauch

Born 1980

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1725 EDUCATION

Hans Karl Rosenberg

1891 - 1942

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1726 COMPOSER

Johannes S. Sistermanns

Born 1955

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1727 ART HISTORIAN

Friedrich Heimsoeth

1814 - 1877

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1728 ART HISTORIAN

Martin Bentz

Born 1961

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1729 ERSTE LIEBE

Johanna von Honrath

1770 - 1823

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1730 TRANSLATOR

Thomas Brovot

Born 1958

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1731 ACTOR

Ernst Pilick

Born 1927

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1732 AUTHOR

Wilhelm Schneider-Clauß

1862 - 1949

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1733 PAINTER

Uli Schoop

1903 - 1990

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1734 POLITICIAN

Karlheinz Gierden

Born 1926

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1735 SINGER

Sabine Offermann

1894 - 1938

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1736 SCULPTOR

Karin Hochstatter

Born 1960

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1737 JOURNALIST

Joachim Widmann

Born 1963

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1738 SINGER

Carl Demmer (Sänger, 1766)

Born 1766

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1739 WRITER

Viktor Böll

1948 - 2009

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1740 PROFESSOR

Alfred Mehmel

1896 - 1972

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1741 FILM

Bjoern Richie Lob

Born 1974

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1742 PHYSICIAN

Eberhard Schaetzing

1905 - 1989

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1743 ENTREPRENEUR

Dagobert Oppenheim

1809 - 1889

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1744 GESCHÄFTSFÜHRER

Martin Wansleben

Born 1958

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1745 DRUMMER

Alex Vesper

Born 1967

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1746 WRITER

Dag-Ernst Petersen

Born 1942

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1747 GEOGRAPHER

Harald Zepp

Born 1955

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1748 POLITICAL SCIENTIST

Timm Beichelt

Born 1968

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1749 ACADEMIC

Wolfgang Hiddemann

Born 1949

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1750 PRINTER

Lambert Palmart

Born 1440

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1751 ACADEMIC

Klaus Pietschmann

Born 1972

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1752 ACTOR

Harry J. Bong

1936 - 1990

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1753 ARCHAEOLOGIST

Georg Petzl

Born 1941

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1754 POLITICIAN

Willi Zylajew

Born 1950

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1755 ART HISTORIAN

Frank Rumscheid

Born 1960

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1756 AUTHOR

Lara Fritzsche

Born 1984

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1757 ARTIST

Wilhelm Joseph Imhoff

1791 - 1858

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1758 HISTORIAN

Clemens Bosch

1899 - 1955

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1759 SINGER

Quichotte

Born 1983

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1760 WRITER

Christian Kortmann

Born 1974

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1761 OFFICER

Albano von Jacobi

1854 - 1919

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1762 AUTHOR

Jost Herbig

1938 - 1994

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1763 POSTMEISTER

Hartger Henot

1571 - 1637

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1764 PHOTOGRAPHER

Jacques Pilartz

1836 - 1910

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1765 ENTREPRENEUR

Ferdi Leisten

1914 - 1995

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1766 EDUCATION

Friedrich Schneider (Pädagoge)

1881 - 1974

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1767 ACADEMIC

Curt Cüppers

1910 - 1995

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1768 ACTOR

Yasmin Canli

Born 1984

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1769 JUDGE

Ursula Schneider

Born 1956

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1770 SCULPTOR

Ulrich Wagner (Bildhauer)

Born 1959

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1771 ECONOMIST

Harald von Korflesch

Born 1962

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1772 ACTOR

Isabel Trimborn

Born 1959

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1773 DRAMA

Jutta Ferbers

Born 1957

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1774 ACTOR

Susanne Gannott

Born 1969

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1775 JOURNALIST

Perry Kretz

Born 1933

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1776 PHILOLOGIST

Wolfgang Mohr (Germanist)

1907 - 1991

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1777 POLITICIAN

Wilhelm Kweksilber

1912 - 1988

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1778 PAINTER

Donatello Losito

1940 - 2008

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1779 WISSENSCHAFTLICH

Marta Fraenkel

1896 - 1976

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1780 DRIVER

Frank Schmickler

Born 1965

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1781 EDITOR

Johann Wilhelm Naumann

1897 - 1956

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1782 WRITER

Reinold Louis

Born 1940

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1783 CONDUCTOR

Bruno Vondenhoff

1902 - 1982

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1784 CINEMA

Frank Küpper

Born 1967

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1785 AUTHOR

Marte Brill

1894 - 1969

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1786 ARCHITECT

Franz Schmitz (Architekt)

1832 - 1894

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1787 OFFICER

Rudolf Meister

1897 - 1958

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1788 ACTOR

Melanie Rohde

Born 1971

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1789 ENTREPRENEUR

Gustav von Mallinckrodt

1859 - 1939

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1790 AUTHOR

Michael Okroy

Born 1959

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1791 EDUCATION

Helmut Heid

Born 1934

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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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1794 ARTIST

Irene Niepel

Born 1955

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1795 ACTOR

Dominik Bender

Born 1957

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1796 BIOCHEMIST

Wilhelm Stoffel

Born 1928

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1797 SPORT

Erwin Tischler

Born 1951

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1798 WRITER

Hanna Rheinz

Born 1950

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1799 PAINTER

Michael Welter

1808 - 1892

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1800 ACADEMIC

Martin Schmidt-Kessel

Born 1967

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