51.2310° N, 6.7725° E

DUSSELDORF

Most Famous People Born in Dusseldorf, Germany

Notable people
2,294
Peak decade
1960s
Median birth year
1936
Most distinctive
Painter 3.9×

A Rhenish art academy city whose bench is thick with painters — more than ten per cent of all notables, a share matched by very few cities in the dataset. Düsseldorf's distinctive shelves beyond that are authors, academics, sculptors, economists, and historians, and its most famous son is Heinrich Heine. The Kunstakademie is the engine that produced Joseph Beuys, Gerhard Richter (who taught there), and a generation of photographers; Jürgen Habermas and Wim Wenders grew up here too.

Through the Centuries

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

Notable Births by Decade

Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1960s with 303 notable births.

What Dusseldorf Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Painter is Dusseldorf's biggest profession — 10% of all notables (234).

Dusseldorf over-indexes on painter3.9× the global rate.

Dusseldorf under-produces football — only 0.4× the global rate.

  1. Painter234
  2. Actor189
  3. Politician176
  4. Football110
  5. Writer98
  6. Academic81
  7. Author74
  8. Lawyer51
  1. Painter2343.9×
  2. Author743.7×
  3. Academic813.5×
  4. Sculptor453.0×
  5. Economist242.5×
  6. Historian502.1×
  7. Architect402.0×
  8. Artist431.8×
  1. Football1100.4×
  2. Singer290.6×
  3. Politician1760.7×

Profession Mix Over Time

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

155016001650170017501800185019001950
  • Art & Design
  • Writing
  • Politics & Law
  • Sports
  • Film & TV
  • Science
  • Other
All2,294
Sort By

Showing 141 of 2,294 notable people

0026 ACTOR

Helmut Käutner

1908 - 1980

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0039 OPERA

Max Lorenz (tenor)

1901 - 1975

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0075 PHOTOGRAPHER

Otto Umbehr

1902 - 1980

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0077 POLITICIAN

Karl Saur

1902 - 1966

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0080 ACTOR

Brother Theodore

1906 - 2001

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0090 CONVICT

Jakob Sporrenberg

1902 - 1952

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0091 DIPLOMAT

Erich Kordt

1903 - 1969

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0099 ACTOR

Loni Heuser

1908 - 1999

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0111 FOOTBALL

Karl Hohmann

1908 - 1974

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0167 FOOTBALL

Conrad Heidkamp

1905 - 1994

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0192 FOOTBALL

Ernst Albrecht (footballer)

1907 - 1976

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0198 ACTOR

Paul Hoffmann (actor)

1902 - 1990

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0203 AUTHOR

John H. Herz

1908 - 2005

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0205 OFFICER

Albert Konrad Gemmeker

1907 - 1982

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0221 PAINTER

Karl von Appen

1900 - 1981

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0229 CHEMIST

Rudolf Criegee

1902 - 1975

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0235 OFFICER

Günther Pape

1907 - 1986

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0249 AEROSPACE

Heinrich Hertel

1901 - 1982

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0268 ARTIST

Erica Brausen

1908 - 1992

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0276 CHESS

Ludwig Engels

1905 - 1967

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0279 ACTOR

Eduard Marks

1901 - 1981

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0333 MATHEMATICIAN

Friedrich Karl Schmidt

1901 - 1977

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0387 ACTOR

Hilarius Gilges

1909 - 1933

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0425 MUSIC

Lutz Templin

1901 - 1973

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0452 DRIVER

Toni Ulmen

1906 - 1976

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0476 FOOTBALL

Theo Breuer (footballer)

1909 - 1980

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0513 MUSIC

Adolf Lohmann

1907 - 1983

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0514 JOURNALIST

Wolfgang Langewiesche

1907 - 2002

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0563 POLITICIAN

Maria Deku

1901 - 1983

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0566 FOOTBALL

Willi Wigold

1909 - 1944

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0571 ACTOR

Ilse Rodenberg

1906 - 2006

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0577 PUBLICIST

Heinrich Mertens

1906 - 1968

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0588 ACTOR

Jupp Hussels

1901 - 1985

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0593 SOCIOLOGIST

Wilhelm Emil Mühlmann

1904 - 1988

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0622 PAINTER

Oswald Petersen

1903 - 1992

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0669 ACTOR

Walter Oehmichen

1901 - 1977

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0692 PHYSICIAN

Hans Schaefer (Mediziner)

1906 - 2000

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0723 NATIONALSOZIALISMUS

Karl Küpper

1905 - 1970

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0750 SPORT

Hans Bockkom

1907 - 1981

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0753 ARCHITECT

Gustav Hassenpflug

1907 - 1977

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0783 POLITICIAN

Erwin Albrecht

1900 - 1985

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0787 LAWYER

Theodor van Eupen

1907 - 1944

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0804 AUTHOR

Rolf Bongs

1907 - 1981

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0818 COMPOSER

Ernst Klusen

1909 - 1988

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0828 PROFESSOR

Ulrich Scheuner

1903 - 1981

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0838 POLITICIAN

Toni Menzinger

1905 - 2007

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0839 AUTHOR

Karl Ude

1906 - 1997

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0849 ACTOR

Otto Dierichs

1900 - 1978

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0864 ACADEMIC

Johannes Ludwig (Architekt, 1904)

1904 - 1996

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0866 ENTREPRENEUR

Jost Henkel

1909 - 1961

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0894 ACTOR

Marita Gründgens

1903 - 1985

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0903 DIVER

Leo Esser

1907 - 1936

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0964 ARTIST

Konrad Thurano

1909 - 2007

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1012 ARCHITECT

Roland Weber

1909 - 1997

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1067 METEOROLOGIST

Richard Scherhag

1907 - 1970

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1109 LAWYER

Fritz Oellers

1903 - 1977

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1159 AUTHOR

Susanne Ehmcke

1906 - 1982

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1161 SELLER

Hans-Dietrich von Diepenbroick-Grueter

1902 - 1980

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1170 THEOLOGIAN

Wilhelm Rott

1908 - 1967

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1213 POLITICIAN

Robert Margulies

1908 - 1974

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1217 POLITICIAN

Wilhelm Daniels (Politiker, 1903)

1903 - 1977

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1222 JUDGE

Hans Puttfarcken

1902 - 1971

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1230 AUTHOR

Wilhelm Pferdekamp

1901 - 1966

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1242 ART HISTORIAN

Bernd Lasch

1901 - 1979

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1291 JOURNALIST

Friedrich Vogel (Verleger)

1902 - 1976

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1301 COMMANDER

Karl Schümers

1905 - 1944

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1333 THEOLOGE

Johannes Mundhenk

1909 - 1986

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1338 PAINTER

Hans-Joachim Sohn-Rethel

1905 - 1955

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1409 FOOTBALL

Paul Schnoeck

Born 1900

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1411 FIGHTER

Theodor Andresen

1907 - 1945

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1414 PAINTER

Hans Schröers

1903 - 1969

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1415 ARCHITECT

Walter Köngeter

1906 - 1969

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1421 PAINTER

Georg Hambüchen

1901 - 1971

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1436 DIPLOMAT

Gebhardt von Walther

1902 - 1982

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1439 OPERA

Christoph Reuland

1903 - 1983

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1520 PHYSICIST

Theodor Schmidt (Physiker)

1908 - 1986

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1538 ART HISTORIAN

Josef Giesen

1900 - 1979

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1541 ACTOR

Karl Pempelfort

1901 - 1975

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1555 ECONOMIST

Paul Braess

1904 - 1974

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1556 POLITICIAN

Ludwig Kraft

1900 - 1991

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1563 LAWYER

Carl August Zapp

1904 - 1994

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1564 POLITICIAN

Carl-Gisbert Schultze-Schlutius

1903 - 1969

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1591 POLITICIAN

Paul Luigs

1902 - 1992

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1596 ACADEMIC

Heinz Jordan (Ingenieur)

1906 - 1982

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1605 PAINTER

Edmund Anton Kohlschein

1900 - 1996

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1635 POLITICIAN

Josef Dohr

1904 - 1964

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1645 PRIEST

Jakob Alfons Holl

1905 - 1966

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1648 TRADE UNION

Franz Deus

1901 - 1970

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1659 POLITICIAN

Peter Berns

1907 - 1941

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1660 PARSON

Johannes Bähr (Pfarrer)

1902 - 1980

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1710 AUTHOR

Annemarie Fromme-Bechem

1909 - 1992

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1726 FILM

Walther Bever-Mohr

1901 - 1955

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1727 THEATER

Herbert Wahlen

1904 - 1945

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1761 ACADEMIC

Erich Opitz (Physiologe)

1909 - 1953

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1778 LAWYER

Heinrich Schnitzler (Polizeibeamter)

1901 - 1962

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1779 SCULPTOR

Maria Fuss

1907 - 1979

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1813 ACTOR

Karl Pschigode

1907 - 1971

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1845 ACADEMIC

Heinrich Schwartze

1903 - 1970

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1854 POLITICIAN

Willy Könen

1908 - 1980

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1878 WRITER

Ellen Soeding

1904 - 1987

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1895 WRITER

Walter Cyran

1907 - 2000

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1904 ARCHITECT

Hans Junghanns

1906 - 1989

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1909 PRIEST

Anton Kochs

1902 - 1984

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1919 ACADEMIC

Julius Berendes (Mediziner)

1907 - 2001

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1922 POLITICIAN

Heinz Dohr

1907 - 1971

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1923 VIOLIN

Rolph Schroeder

1900 - 1980

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1949 LAWYER

Walter Gentz

1907 - 1967

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1958 POLITICIAN

Änne Saefkow

1902 - 1962

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1969 POLITICIAN

Maximilian Teschner

1901 - 1984

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1975 ARCHITECT

Klaus Reese (Architekt, 1903)

1903 - 1945

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1978 POLITICIAN

Karl Walter (Politiker, 1901)

1901 - 1957

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1986 ACADEMIC

Günther Schwietzke

1903 - 1991

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1989 FOOTBALL

Willi Pesch

1907 - 1940

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2003 JOURNALIST

Till Eulenberg

1906 - 1976

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2014 SCENIC DESIGNER

Harald Quedenfeldt

1905 - 1944

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2015 MANAGER

Robert Nünighoff

1908 - 1972

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2020 JUDGE

Joseph Engels

1901 - 1982

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2028 CHEMIST

Peter Dickens

1900 - 1975

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2045 LAWYER

Hans-Joachim Mangold

1909 - 1964

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2046 POLITICIAN

Hugo Kielgast

1909 - 2006

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2050 HOCKEY

Horst Orbanowski

1908 - 1981

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2054 WRITER

Erich Meyer-Düwerth

1902 - 1986

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2069 MISSING

Maria Steiner (Gerechte unter den Völkern) – Wi

Born 1906

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2085 OFFICER

Friedrich-Wilhelm Buschhausen

1908 - 2004

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2088 CHESS

Albert Volkmann

1908 - 1985

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2103 SCULPTOR

Ludwig Chateau

1906 - 1975

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2105 WORKER

Martha Beindorff

1903 - 2007

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2151 EDITOR

Willy Huppertz

1904 - 1978

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2169 ATHLETIC

Willi Kürten

1908 - 1944

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2175 BUSINESS

Eduard H. Dörrenberg

1902 - 1988

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2181 SPORT

Martha Mendel

1907 - 1975

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2187 POLITICIAN

Wilhelm Adam (Politiker, 1905)

1905 - 1991

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2189 ART DEALER

Lore Kegel

1901 - 1980

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2223 SOLDIER

Hans Buscher

1906 - 1957

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2247 ACADEMIC

Walter Gahlen

1908 - 1994

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2249 POLITICIAN

Elisabeth Hennig

1900 - 1958

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2260 POLITICIAN

Leopold Zimmermann

1904 - 1964

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2282 POLITICIAN

Willi Bürger (Politiker, 1901)

1901 - 1981

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2286 MERCHANT

Paul Ugowski

1908 - 1967

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2287 PAINTER

Robby Camphausen

Born 1909

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2293 POLITICIAN

Franz Graf (Politiker, 1900)

1900 - 1956

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