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
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2,294 notable people

0601 JOURNALIST

Alfred Rosenthal

1888 - 1942

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0602 PLAYER

Hilde Bussmann

1914 - 1988

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0603 FOOTBALL

Niklas Bolten

Born 1994

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0604 SINGER

Peter Hein

Born 1957

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0605 POLITICIAN

Franz Josef von Gruben

1829 - 1888

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0606 PAINTER

Hermann Emil Pohle

1863 - 1914

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0607 PAINTER

Max Stern (Maler)

1872 - 1943

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0608 POLITICIAN

Johann Friedrich Jacobi

1765 - 1831

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0609 ACTOR

Käte Oswald

1890 - 1985

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0610 WRITER

Jörg Zittlau

Born 1960

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0611 HOCKEY

Louisa Walter

Born 1978

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0612 PAINTER

Clara Ewald

1859 - 1948

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0613 PAINTER

Hans Andreas Dahl

1881 - 1919

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0614 SCULPTOR

Michael Behrens

Born 1973

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0615 POLITICIAN

Roman Reusch

Born 1954

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0616 POLITICIAN

Friedrich von Kühlwetter

1809 - 1882

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0617 PAINTER

Moritz Blanckarts

1839 - 1883

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0618 PAINTER

Arnold Schulten

1809 - 1874

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0619 ACTOR

Sebastian Münster (Schauspieler)

Born 1971

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0620 FOOTBALL

Jakob Balzert

1918 - 1997

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0621 HISTORIAN

Ambrosius Eßer

1933 - 2010

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0622 PAINTER

Oswald Petersen

1903 - 1992

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0623 ACADEMIC

Alexander von Daniels (Rechtswissenschaftler) –

1800 - 1868

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0624 MATHEMATICIAN

Horst F. Niemeyer

1931 - 2007

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0625 SAXOPHONIST

Michael Thieke

Born 1971

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0626 SWIMMER

Andreas Schmidt (swimmer)

Born 1959

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0627 PHOTOGRAPHER

Andreas Gefeller

Born 1970

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0628 ECONOMIST

Malte Michael Faber

Born 1938

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0629 AUTHOR

Hermann Harry Schmitz

1880 - 1913

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0630 SKIER

Chris Klebl

Born 1972

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0631 POLITICIAN

Peter Patt

Born 1963

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0632 HISTORIAN

Norbert Trippen

1936 - 2017

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0633 COMPOSER

Manos Tsangaris

Born 1956

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0634 ACTOR

Katja Liebing

Born 1968

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0635 VICAR

Norbert Feldhoff

Born 1939

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0636 ACTOR

Cecilia Kunz

Born 1971

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0637 ACTOR

Crock Krumbiegel

Born 1955

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0638 COMEDIAN

Lisa Feller

Born 1976

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0639 PRESENTER

Viktor Worms

Born 1959

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0640 PAINTER

Otto Dinger

1860 - 1928

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0641 ACTOR

Dieter Brandecker

Born 1956

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0642 BALLET

Rosemarie Lindt

Born 1939

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0643 DIPLOMAT

Franz Jochen Schoeller

1926 - 2019

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0644 ACTOR

Jan Niklas Berg

Born 1988

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0645 JOURNALIST

Reinhold Heinen

1894 - 1969

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0646 SCULPTOR

Horst Egon Kalinowski

1924 - 2013

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0647 AUTHOR

Stephan Harbort

Born 1964

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0648 SINGER

Margarete Bäumer

1898 - 1969

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0649 ACTOR

Stephan Orlac

Born 1931

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0650 POLITICIAN

Barbara Steffens

Born 1962

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0651 LAWYER

Horst Waffenschmidt

1933 - 2002

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0652 AUTHOR

Mithu Sanyal

Born 1971

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0653 PAINTER

Peter Edward Stroehling

1768 - 1826

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0654 PAINTER

Egon Wilden

1894 - 1931

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0655 PAINTER

Jenny Hoppe

1870 - 1934

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0656 AUTHOR

Alexandra Fischer-Hunold

Born 1966

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0657 PHYSIOTHERAPIST

Erich Deuser

1910 - 1993

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0658 ACTOR

Bruno Dietrich

Born 1939

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0659 ACTOR

Olaf Reichmann

Born 1964

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0660 ATHLETIC

Jessie Maduka

Born 1996

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0661 PHILOSOPHER

Ralf Konersmann

Born 1955

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0662 FILM

Georg Quander

Born 1950

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0663 SOCIOLOGIST

Manfred Hermanns

Born 1936

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0664 ACADEMIC

Kurt Abels

1928 - 2014

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0665 DERMATOLOGIST

Günter Stüttgen

1919 - 2003

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0666 FOOTBALL

Josef Lüke

1899 - 1964

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0667 ARCHITECT

Joseph Jonas Dumont

1811 - 1859

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0668 FENCER

Eero Lehmann

Born 1974

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0669 ACTOR

Walter Oehmichen

1901 - 1977

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0670 ACTOR

Rita Lengyel

Born 1973

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0671 ARTIST

Ingeborg ten Haeff

1915 - 2011

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0672 ACTOR

Géraldine Raths

Born 1990

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0673 FOOTBALL

Björn Weikl

Born 1977

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0674 ACADEMIC

Carl Crome

1859 - 1931

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0675 PHILOSOPHER

Andreas Speer

Born 1957

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0676 FOOTBALL

Babacar M'Bengue

Born 1991

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0677 POLITICIAN

Hans Daniels

Born 1934

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0678 PSYCHOLOGIST

Joachim Funke

Born 1953

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0679 BUSINESS

Richard Lieber

1869 - 1944

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0680 PAINTER

Hans Deiker

1876 - 1910

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0681 PAINTER

Hella Santarossa

Born 1949

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0682 ACTOR

Michael Naseband

Born 1965

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0683 BOTANIST

Otto Sohn-Rethel

1877 - 1949

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0684 ACTOR

René Heinersdorff

Born 1963

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0685 PAINTER

Karli Sohn-Rethel

1882 - 1966

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0686 ACTOR

Kerstin Landsmann

Born 1977

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0687 LAWYER

Carlos Gebauer

Born 1964

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0688 PRODUCER

DJ Rafik

Born 1983

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0689 CHEMIST

Konrad Henkel

1915 - 1999

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0690 ACTOR

Ronald Kukulies

Born 1971

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0691 FOOTBALL

Philipp Kreuels

Born 1985

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0692 PHYSICIAN

Hans Schaefer (Mediziner)

1906 - 2000

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0693 HUMANIST

Johann Ghogreff

1499 - 1554

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0694 MUSIC

Kayef

Born 1994

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0695 PHILOSOPHER

Christoph Quarch

Born 1964

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0696 ARCHAEOLOGIST

Hugo Borger

1925 - 2004

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0697 POLITICAL SCIENTIST

Ulrich Menzel

Born 1947

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0698 LAWYER

Björn Clemens

Born 1967

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0699 ECONOMIST

Walther Müller-Jentsch

Born 1935

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0700 CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Joachim Hunold

Born 1949

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0701 PAINTER

Anton Clemens Lünenschloss

1678 - 1763

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0702 ARTIST

Ulrich Erben

Born 1940

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0703 WRITER

Sabine Hänsgen

Born 1955

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0704 SPORT

Tobias Wächter

Born 1988

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0705 ECONOMIST

Theo Siegert

Born 1947

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0706 MUSIC

Jürgen Engler (Musiker)

Born 1960

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0707 PAINTER

Hans Wacker

1868 - 1958

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0708 ACTOR

Wolfgang Schwarz (Schauspieler)

Born 1925

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0709 GENETICIST

Emmy Stein

1879 - 1954

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0710 POLITICIAN

Maria Dietz

1894 - 1980

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0711 CURATOR

Udo Kittelmann

Born 1958

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0712 ACTOR

Gustl Halenke

Born 1930

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0713 ACTOR

Thomas Schendel

Born 1956

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0714 ACADEMIC

Günter B. Fettweis

1924 - 2018

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0715 HISTORIAN

Winfried Speitkamp

Born 1958

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0716 ACTOR

Ulf Montanus

Born 1961

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0717 ACADEMIC

Petra Gehring

Born 1961

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0718 MUTTER

Betty Heine

1771 - 1859

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0719 GUITAR

Torsten Goods

Born 1980

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0720 FENCER

Eva-Maria Ittner

Born 1961

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0721 ART HISTORIAN

Georg Poensgen

1898 - 1974

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0722 WRITER

Hubert Maessen

1947 - 2015

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0723 NATIONALSOZIALISMUS

Karl Küpper

1905 - 1970

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0724 ARTIST

Manfred Spies (Grafiker)

Born 1941

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0725 PAINTER

Anton Schäffer

1722 - 1799

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0726 ACTOR

Walter Hoor

1924 - 2016

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0727 ACADEMIC

Helge Pross

1927 - 1984

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0728 PAINTER

Wilhelm Beckmann (Maler)

1852 - 1942

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0729 BACTERIOLOGIST

Hellmuth Simons

1893 - 1969

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0730 CHEMIST

Hugo Henkel

1881 - 1952

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0731 LIBRARIAN

Hanna Meuter

1889 - 1964

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0732 POET

Gabriele Wolff

Born 1955

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0733 WRITER

Frauke Scheunemann

Born 1969

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0734 WRITER

Heinz Risse

1898 - 1989

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0735 LAWYER

Christian Calliess

Born 1964

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0736 SCREENWRITER

Isabel Kleefeld

Born 1966

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0737 WRITER

Wiebke Lorenz

Born 1972

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0738 THEOLOGE

Georg Schwikart

Born 1964

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0739 DESIGNER

Rudolf Stang

1831 - 1927

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0740 MILITAR

Lorenz Cantador

1810 - 1883

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0741 PAINTER

Carl Lambertz

1910 - 1996

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0742 WRITER

Francisco Tanzer

1921 - 2003

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0743 WRITER

Hans Peter Riegel

Born 1959

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0744 PAINTER

Hans Kohlschein

1879 - 1948

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0745 LINGUIST

Heinz Jürgen Wolf

1936 - 2016

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0746 JOCKEY

Roberto Cappelluti

Born 1965

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0747 WRITER

Dirk Alvermann (Fotograf)

1937 - 2013

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0748 POLITICIAN

Achim Rohde

Born 1936

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0749 PAINTER

Theo Champion

1887 - 1952

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0750 SPORT

Hans Bockkom

1907 - 1981

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0751 ARCHITECT

Fritz G. Winter

1910 - 1986

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0752 AUTHOR

Stefan Bollmann

Born 1958

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0753 ARCHITECT

Gustav Hassenpflug

1907 - 1977

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0754 SONGWRITER

Sammy Amara

Born 1979

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0755 WRITER

Klaus Waller

Born 1946

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0756 ART HISTORIAN

Franz Brulliot

1780 - 1836

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0757 ACTOR

Peter Esser (Schauspieler)

1886 - 1970

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0758 ACADEMIC

Helmut Kirchmeyer

Born 1930

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0759 ARTIST

Miriam Vlaming

Born 1971

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0760 DRUMMER

Frank Köllges

1952 - 2012

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0761 MUSIC

Alexander von Puttkamer

Born 1973

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0762 RELIGIOUS

Christian Wierstraet

1466 - 1496

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0763 JOURNALIST

Günter Beaugrand

1927 - 2018

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0764 POLITICIAN

Jan Heinisch

Born 1976

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0765 SAXOPHONIST

Klaus Gesing

Born 1968

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0766 AUTHOR

Karl Emerich Krämer

1918 - 1987

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0767 ECONOMIST

Bernd Skiera

Born 1966

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0768 AUTHOR

Nelly Dix

1923 - 1955

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0769 RIDER

Hannelore Weygand

1924 - 2017

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0770 ACTOR

Jean Thomé

1933 - 1980

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0771 PAINTER

Else Sehrig-Vehling

1897 - 1994

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0772 FOOTBALL

Johannes Dörfler

Born 1996

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0773 ROWER

Andreas Schmelz

Born 1960

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0774 THEOLOGIAN

Yorick Spiegel

1935 - 2010

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0775 MEDIEVALIST

Bea Lundt

Born 1950

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0776 COMPOSER

Dirk Reith

Born 1947

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0777 ROMANIST

Wolfgang Dahmen (Romanist)

Born 1950

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0778 HERALDIST

Laurent Philippe Charles van den Bergh

1805 - 1887

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0779 ACTOR

Carl Napp

1890 - 1957

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0780 DIPLOMAT

Lutz Görgens

Born 1951

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0781 MANAGER

Ulrich Lehner

Born 1946

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0782 ACTOR

Hannelore Cremer

Born 1936

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0783 POLITICIAN

Erwin Albrecht

1900 - 1985

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0784 AUTHOR

Horst Pukallus

Born 1949

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0785 SCULPTOR

Thomas Schönauer

Born 1953

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0786 PAINTER

Carl Hilgers

1818 - 1890

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0787 LAWYER

Theodor van Eupen

1907 - 1944

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0788 ACTOR

Lars Pape

Born 1971

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0789 SOLDIER

Cassius Freiherr von Montigny

1890 - 1940

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0790 HISTORIAN

Heinz Hürten

1928 - 2018

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0791 ACTOR

Karl-Friedrich Gerster

1932 - 2013

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0792 SCREENWRITER

Torsten Dewi

Born 1968

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0793 ACADEMIC

Herbert Kaufmann (Augenarzt)

Born 1941

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0794 LAWYER

Michael Frege

Born 1959

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0795 MUSIC

Uri Frost

Born 1962

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0796 ACTOR

Vincent zur Linden

Born 1994

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0797 POLITICIAN

Klaus Peter Rauen

1935 - 2018

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0798 JOCKEY

Alex Niggemann

Born 1984

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0799 PAINTER

Roland Anheisser

1877 - 1949

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0800 WRITER

Eva-Maria Berg

Born 1949

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0801 PAINTER

Stefan Kürten

Born 1963

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0802 SINGER

Alexandra Helmig

Born 1975

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0803 WRITER

Cajus Bekker

1924 - 1975

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0804 AUTHOR

Rolf Bongs

1907 - 1981

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0805 PAINTER

Carl Plückebaum

1880 - 1952

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0806 SCIENTIST

Benedikt Schmittmann

1872 - 1939

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0807 PAINTER

Diether Kressel

1925 - 2015

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0808 PHILOSOPHER

Geert Keil

Born 1963

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0809 PHYSICIST

Michael Schreckenberg (Physiker)

Born 1956

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0810 AUTHOR

Heinz-Norbert Jocks

Born 1955

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0811 POLITICIAN

Antje Tillmann

Born 1964

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0812 WRITER

Wehwalt Koslovsky

Born 1972

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0813 SCENOGRAPHER

Pit Fischer

1937 - 2010

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0814 ACTOR

Marianne Lutz

1939 - 2018

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0815 ACADEMIC

Stephan Breidenbach

Born 1955

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0816 AUTHOR

Michael Jungblut

1937 - 2020

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0817 WRITER

Heike Laufenburg

Born 1961

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0818 COMPOSER

Ernst Klusen

1909 - 1988

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0819 PHILOSOPHER

Kurt Bayertz

Born 1948

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0820 ACADEMIC

Haimo Schack

Born 1952

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0821 JOURNALIST

Bernd Ruland

1914 - 1976

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0822 HISTORIAN

Gangolf Hübinger

Born 1950

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0823 ROWER

Felix Otto (rower)

Born 1983

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0824 MATHEMATICIAN

Bernhard Ganter

Born 1949

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0825 ACADEMIC

Katharina Gräfin von Schlieffen

Born 1956

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0826 ACTOR

Annette Mayer

Born 1962

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0827 ILLUSTRATOR

Johann Baptist Sonderland

1805 - 1878

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0828 PROFESSOR

Ulrich Scheuner

1903 - 1981

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0829 POLITICIAN

Léandre Desmaisières

1794 - 1864

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0830 PRODUCER

Suff Daddy

-

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0831 POLITICIAN

Ernst von Mirbach

1844 - 1925

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0832 ATHLETIC

Hendrik Pfeiffer

Born 1993

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0833 COOK

Ralf Bos

Born 1961

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0834 ACTOR

Bodo Staiger

1949 - 2019

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0835 SWIMMER

Erik Hochstein

Born 1968

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0836 POLITICIAN

Karin Junker

Born 1940

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0837 FOOTBALL

Patrick Schikowski

Born 1992

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0838 POLITICIAN

Toni Menzinger

1905 - 2007

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0839 AUTHOR

Karl Ude

1906 - 1997

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0840 ACADEMIC

Kerstin Wolff

Born 1967

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0841 HISTORIAN

Kurt Düwell

Born 1937

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0842 POLITICIAN

Sandra Scheeres

Born 1970

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0843 ACTOR

Hilde Kneip

1912 - 1985

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0844 EDUCATION

Stefan Vesper

Born 1956

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0845 FILM

Friedemann Beyer

Born 1955

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0846 ACADEMIC

Eve-Marie Engels

Born 1951

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0847 MATHEMATICIAN

Ulrich Trottenberg

Born 1945

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0848 HISTORIAN

Raymund Kottje

1926 - 2013

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0849 ACTOR

Otto Dierichs

1900 - 1978

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0850 VERURTEILT

Erich von Halacz

Born 1929

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0851 ACTOR

Tobias Kasimirowicz

Born 1976

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0852 ART HISTORIAN

Hubertus Kohle

Born 1959

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0853 ACTOR

Gert Wiedenhofen

1927 - 2001

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0854 PAINTER

Heinrich Böhmer (Maler)

1852 - 1907

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0855 POLITICAL SCIENTIST

Karl-Peter Fritzsche

Born 1950

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0856 MUSIC

Florian van Volxem

Born 1973

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0857 FILM

Anton Vassil

Born 1966

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0858 HOCKEY

Melanie Cremer

Born 1970

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0859 POLITICIAN

Josef Krings

1926 - 2019

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0860 FILM

Hubertus Siegert

Born 1959

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0861 ACADEMIC

Ulrich Engel (Theologe)

Born 1961

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0862 FOOTBALL

Gaetano De Rosa

Born 1973

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0863 ACTOR

Julia Schmidt (Schauspielerin)

Born 1973

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0864 ACADEMIC

Johannes Ludwig (Architekt, 1904)

1904 - 1996

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0865 AUTHOR

Manuela Reichart

Born 1950

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0866 ENTREPRENEUR

Jost Henkel

1909 - 1961

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0867 PHILOLOGIST

Horst Dieter Schlosser

Born 1937

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0868 JOURNALIST

Klaus-Henning Rosen

Born 1938

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0869 PAINTER

Frans van der Mijn

1719 - 1783

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0870 PHYSICIAN

Michael Spitzbart

Born 1957

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0871 MUSIC

Wolfgang Riechmann

1947 - 1978

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0872 HISTORIAN

Petra Schulte

Born 1970

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0873 POLITICIAN

Reinhard Mumm

1873 - 1932

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0874 DRUMMER

Christian Thomé

Born 1970

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0875 SCHOLAR

Klaus Otto Nass

1931 - 2017

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0876 HISTORIAN

Irene Franken

Born 1952

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0877 AUTHOR

Jörg Bremer

Born 1952

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0878 SCHOLAR

Charlotte Fonrobert

Born 1965

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0879 ACTOR

Kay Voges

Born 1972

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0880 LAWYER

Johanne Walhorn

1911 - 1995

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0881 ENTREPRENEUR

Paul-Otto Faßbender

Born 1946

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0882 PHOTOGRAPHER

Walter Vogel (Fotograf)

Born 1932

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0883 POLITICIAN

Edmund Freiherr von Loë-Imstenradt

1749 - 1813

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0884 MUSIC

Christian Morgenstern (Musiker)

1975 - 2003

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0885 PAINTER

Johann Joseph Langenhöffel

1750 - 1807

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0886 CORRESPONDENT

Karl-Heinz Wocker

1928 - 1985

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0887 FILM

Rolf Berg

Born 1957

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0888 WRITER

Dirk van Gunsteren

Born 1953

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0889 FILM

Uwe Schott

Born 1966

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0890 POLITICIAN

Raban Adelmann (Politiker)

1912 - 1992

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0891 COMPOSER

Jörg Udo Lensing

Born 1960

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0892 PHILOSOPHER

Rafael Hüntelmann

Born 1958

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0893 PHYSICIAN

Wolfgang Schareck

Born 1953

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0894 ACTOR

Marita Gründgens

1903 - 1985

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0895 ARCHITECT

Hans Heinz Lüttgen

1895 - 1977

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0896 POLITICIAN

Werner Ballauff

1890 - 1973

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0897 FILM

Tom Ockers

Born 1962

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0898 SCREENWRITER

Joachim Hammann

Born 1946

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0899 MISSING

Friedrich von Schenk

1785 - 1866

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0900 ART HISTORIAN

Bernd Wolfgang Lindemann

Born 1951

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