51.3402° N, 12.3749° E

LEIPZIG

Most Famous People Born in Leipzig, Germany

Notable people
3,200
Peak decade
1930s
Median birth year
1908
Most distinctive
Publisher 8.9×

For two centuries the publishing capital of the German-speaking world, and the numbers still show it. Leipzig's most distinctive profession is publisher at nearly nine times the global rate, alongside an unusually heavy bench of theologians, art historians, and academic authors — the shape of a city whose book fair, Reclam editions, and university library set what German readers read for two centuries. Bach worked at the Thomaskirche, Leibniz was born here, and Clara Schumann grew up in its salons.

Through the Centuries

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

What Leipzig Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Politician is Leipzig's biggest profession — 10% of all notables (334).

Leipzig over-indexes on publisher8.9× the global rate.

Leipzig under-produces football — only 0.2× the global rate.

  1. Politician334
  2. Actor195
  3. Painter171
  4. Author130
  5. Academic125
  6. Writer113
  7. Historian86
  8. Football80
  1. Publisher368.9×
  2. Art Historian365.9×
  3. Theologian615.3×
  4. Author1304.7×
  5. Chemist454.0×
  6. Academic1253.9×
  7. Physicist392.9×
  8. Historian862.5×
  1. Football800.2×
  2. Singer420.6×

Profession Mix Over Time

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

1500155016001650170017501800185019001950
  • Writing
  • Science
  • Politics & Law
  • Art & Design
  • Sports
  • Film & TV
  • Other
All3,200
Sort By

Showing 227 of 3,200 notable people

0013 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Arnold Gehlen

1904 - 1976

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0014 DESIGNER

Jan Tschichold

1902 - 1974

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0021 PAINTER

Hans Hartung

1904 - 1989

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0025 ART HISTORIAN

Nikolaus Pevsner

1902 - 1983

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0035 FILM

Rudolf Schündler

1906 - 1988

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0040 WRITER

Bruno Apitz

1900 - 1979

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0051 ORGANIST

Helmut Walcha

1907 - 1991

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0059 POLITICAL SCIENTIST

Carl Joachim Friedrich

1901 - 1984

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0083 COMPOSER

Wolfgang Fortner

1907 - 1987

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0089 MATHEMATICIAN

Erich Kähler

1906 - 2000

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0094 WORLD WAR

Siegfried Westphal

1902 - 1982

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0119 JUDGE

Karl Eberhard Schöngarth

1903 - 1946

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0121 ACTOR

Hertha Thiele

1908 - 1984

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0132 JOURNALIST

Ezriel Carlebach

1908 - 1956

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0135 PHOTOGRAPHER

Sonya Noskowiak

1900 - 1975

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0137 PSYCHOLOGIST

Karl Duncker

1903 - 1940

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0173 ACADEMIC

Theodor Viehweg

1907 - 1988

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0174 ARCHITECT

Franz Ehrlich

1907 - 1984

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0177 CHEMIST

Carl Wagner

1901 - 1977

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0179 SCULPTOR

Walter Arnold (sculptor)

1909 - 1979

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0194 LINGUIST

Hans Wehr

1909 - 1981

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0203 CURATOR

Otto Bettmann

1903 - 1998

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0219 POLITICIAN

Fred Oelßner

1903 - 1977

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0223 PHYSICIST

Hans von Halban

1908 - 1964

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0242 WORLD WAR

Erich Kästner (World War I veteran)

1900 - 2008

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0245 SOCIOLOGIST

Sigmund Neumann

1904 - 1962

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0257 COMMUNIST

Robert Uhrig

1903 - 1944

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0273 PHOTOGRAPHER

Rudolf Breslauer

1903 - 1945

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0289 BALLET

Yvonne Georgi

1903 - 1975

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0331 PHARMACIST

Lothar Beutel

1902 - 1986

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0369 RIDER

Rudolf Lippert

1900 - 1945

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0375 MATHEMATICIAN

Ernst Hölder

1901 - 1990

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0381 PHYSICIAN

Hans Ehlich

1901 - 1991

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0396 SPORT

Hans Bernhardt

1906 - 1940

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0409 SCREENWRITER

Felix Lützkendorf

1906 - 1990

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0434 ART HISTORIAN

Ludwig Heinrich Heydenreich

1903 - 1978

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0453 MATHEMATICIAN

Hermann Boerner

1906 - 1982

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0480 ACADEMIC

Rolf Fränkel

1908 - 2001

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0486 PHOTOJOURNALIST

Erich Andres

1905 - 1992

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0513 PHYSICIAN

Hans Bodo Gorgaß

1909 - 1993

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0525 SWIMMER

Hans Eckstein

1908 - 1985

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0528 CERAMIST

Frans Wildenhain

1905 - 1980

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0560 LAWYER

Wilhelm Eilers

1906 - 1989

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0566 CHESS

Hans Klüver

1901 - 1989

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0567 PHYSICIST

Erhard Kietz

1909 - 1982

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0571 ACTOR

Werner Scharf

1905 - 1945

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0585 LAWYER

Rudolf Tröger

1905 - 1940

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0590 ENTREPRENEUR

Isidor Fisch

1905 - 1934

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0600 WRITER

Christian M. Nebehay

1909 - 2003

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0617 ART DIRECTOR

Richard H. Riedel

1904 - 1960

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0638 PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Ernst H. Albrecht

1906 - 1982

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0643 AUTHOR

Arno Pötzsch

1900 - 1956

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0647 COMPOSER

Harilaos Perpessas

1907 - 1995

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0677 ACTOR

Karl Haubenreißer

1903 - 1945

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0687 ORNITHOLOGIST

Hans Kummerlöwe

1903 - 1995

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0696 WRITER

Herbert Rittlinger

1909 - 1978

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0706 POLITICIAN

Otto Schüssler

1905 - 1982

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0709 POLITICIAN

Erich Wendt

1902 - 1965

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0717 PROFESSOR

Wilhelm Hoffmann

1909 - 1969

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0718 ETHNOLOGIST

Eva Lips

1906 - 1988

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0726 HISTORIAN

Werner Markert

1905 - 1965

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0739 SCREENWRITER

Jochen Huth

1905 - 1984

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0746 TRUMPET

Sigmund Petruschka

1903 - 1997

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0757 PSYCHIATRIST

Ernst Illing

1904 - 1946

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0758 ACTOR

Rudolf Reiff

1901 - 1961

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0765 HOCKEY

Werner Freyberg

1902 - 1973

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0778 NATIONALSOZIALISMUS

Erich Frost

1900 - 1987

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0779 HISTORIAN

Franz Lau

1907 - 1973

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0809 PHOTOGRAPHER

Wolfgang Weber (Journalist)

1902 - 1985

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0816 LITHOGRAPHER

Rudolf Opitz

1908 - 1939

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0823 PUBLISHER

Heinrich Maria Ledig-Rowohlt

1908 - 1992

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0824 PHYSICIST

Carl Friedrich Weiss

1901 - 1981

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0829 ACADEMIC

Gerhard Fanselau

1904 - 1982

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0831 SOCIOLOGIST

Otto Stammer

1900 - 1978

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0838 CHESS

Sammi Fajarowicz

1908 - 1940

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0874 THEOLOGIAN

Rudolf Frieling

1901 - 1986

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0880 FOOTBALL

Alfred Kunze

1909 - 1996

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0891 HOCKEY

Rolf Wollner

1906 - 1988

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0892 HOCKEY

Heinz Förstendorf

1907 - 1988

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0957 AUTHOR

Lise Gast

1908 - 1988

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0961 SCREENWRITER

Luiselotte Enderle

1908 - 1991

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0969 ACTOR

Maria Elsner

1905 - 1983

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0982 ART HISTORIAN

Erhard Göpel

1906 - 1966

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0994 ENTREPRENEUR

Otto A. Friedrich

1902 - 1975

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1015 POLITICIAN

Johannes Schäfer (Politiker, 1903)

1903 - 1993

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1038 REGIERUNG

Heinz Gräfe

1908 - 1944

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1061 ACTOR

Heinz Hinze

1905 - 1988

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1080 JUDGE

Heinrich Lange (Jurist)

1900 - 1977

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1108 PAINTER

Albert Hennig

1907 - 1998

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1113 ACTOR

Albert Garbe

1904 - 1975

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1118 PAINTER

Fritz Schulze (Maler)

1903 - 1942

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1150 HISTORIAN

Anneliese Triller

1903 - 1998

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1157 SCULPTOR

Alfred Keller (sculptor)

1902 - 1955

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1158 WRITER

Arthur-Heinz Lehmann

1909 - 1956

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1165 ACADEMIC

Gunnar Dybwad

1909 - 2001

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1167 AUTHOR

Alfred Matusche

1909 - 1973

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1181 PHARMACOLOGIST

Franz Theodor von Brücke

1908 - 1970

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1229 POLITICIAN

Rudolf Haake

1903 - 1945

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1242 MUSIC

Paul Dorn (Sänger)

Born 1905

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1248 THEOLOGIAN

Rudolf Meyer (Theologe)

1909 - 1991

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1299 WRITER

Hans-Wilhelm Smolik

1906 - 1962

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1301 ACTOR

Kurt Steingraf

1905 - 1967

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1314 PHYSICIST

Bernhard Kockel

1909 - 1987

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1325 EDUCATION

Günther Rönnebeck

1901 - 1986

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1363 POLITICIAN

Bruno Plache

1908 - 1949

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1371 ART HISTORIAN

Heinz Ladendorf

1909 - 1992

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1389 COMMUNIST

Kurt Kresse

1904 - 1945

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1406 ACTOR

Wolf Goette

1909 - 1995

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1435 DESIGNER

Helene Rother

1908 - 1999

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1455 ACADEMIC

Herbert Uebermuth

1901 - 1986

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1490 ART HISTORIAN

Erwin Bielefeld

1907 - 1975

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1506 PAINTER

Karl Krug (Maler)

1900 - 1983

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1510 PSYCHIATRIST

Julius Deussen

1906 - 1974

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1543 ACTOR

Hans Flössel

1903 - 1973

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1553 GERMANIST

Martin Greiner

1904 - 1959

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1565 SCREENWRITER

Fritz Böttger (Schriftsteller)

1909 - 1994

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1587 ART HISTORIAN

Robert Oertel

1907 - 1981

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1612 MURDER

Karl Pötzinger

1908 - 1944

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1614 ZOOLOGIST

Alfred Kaestner

1901 - 1971

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1620 TEACHER

Heinz Heubner

1908 - 1995

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1629 ACTOR

Johanna Karl-Lory

1902 - 1997

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1664 SOCIOLOGIST

Hilde Kramer-Fitzgerald

1900 - 1974

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1669 PAINTER

Ernst Graef

1909 - 1985

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1687 ACTOR

Georg A. Profé

1908 - 1977

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1697 ASTRONOMER

Hans-Christian Freiesleben

1903 - 1985

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1733 AUTHOR

Rolf Sievers

1902 - 1949

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1741 COMPOSER

Sydney John Kay

1906 - 1970

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1747 PHYSICIST

Waldemar Ilberg

1901 - 1967

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1748 COMPOSER

Walter Pörschmann

1903 - 1959

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1754 GEOLOGIST

Rudolf Hohl (Geologe)

1906 - 1992

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1755 ART HISTORIAN

Herbert Siebenhüner

1908 - 1996

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1765 MUSIC

Sigfrid Grundeis

1900 - 1953

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1769 VIROLOGIST

Heinz Röhrer

1905 - 1992

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1770 ENGINEER

Hans Mögel

1900 - 1944

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1789 ACADEMIC

Alfred Hermann (Ägyptologe)

1904 - 1967

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1795 JUDGE

Friedrich Bassenge

1901 - 1970

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1808 ART HISTORIAN

Herbert Küas

1900 - 1983

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1812 THEOLOGIAN

Heinz Erich Eisenhuth

1903 - 1983

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1816 PAINTER

Erich Kresse

1902 - 1989

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1823 HISTORIAN

Karl Thieme (Historiker)

1902 - 1963

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1827 POLITICIAN

Harry Kuhn

1900 - 1973

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1836 PAINTER

Walter Herzger

1901 - 1985

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1856 ECONOMIST

Felix Boesler

1901 - 1976

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1869 POLITICIAN

Gerhard Brandes

1902 - 1999

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1906 CARICATURIST

Kurt Flemig

1909 - 1995

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1911 MUSIC

Martin von Hase

1901 - 1971

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1924 PAINTER

Wolfgang Klien

1907 - 2006

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1936 COMPOSER

Fred Lohse

1908 - 1987

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1941 LIBRARIAN

Hans Lülfing

1906 - 1991

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1993 EDUCATION

Richard Berger (Lehrer)

1900 - 1948

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2002 ACADEMIC

Tom Albert Rompelman

1906 - 1984

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2042 POLITICIAN

Walter Uhlmann

1904 - 1991

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2056 CINEMA

Max Grix

1903 - 1973

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2082 PAINTER

Rudolf Haupt (Maler)

Born 1908

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2086 ACADEMIC

Johannes Schlums

1903 - 1980

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2108 PSYCHIATRIST

Gerhart Scheunert

1906 - 1994

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2116 HISTORIAN

Hans Salié

1902 - 1978

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2136 COMPOSER

Theodor Wünschmann

1901 - 1992

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2163 WRITER

Ottomar Jänichen

1900 - 1967

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2178 WRITER

Heinz Wunderlich (Schriftsteller)

1907 - 1990

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2188 JOURNALIST

Erich Richter

1908 - 1989

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2192 AUTHOR

Elisabeth Hartenstein

1900 - 1994

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2193 WISSENSCHAFTLER

Erich Dittrich

1904 - 1972

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2194 CONDUCTOR

Edvard Fendler

1902 - 1987

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2200 KAMPF

Felix Allfarth

1901 - 1923

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2224 PHYSICIAN

Johannes Brüggemann

1907 - 1982

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2229 PHARMACIST

Herbert Hügel

1905 - 1988

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2244 ECONOMIST

Rudolf Fleck (Volkswirt)

1908 - 1985

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2268 ORIENTALIST

Oluf Krückmann

1904 - 1984

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2282 POLITICIAN

Kurt Budäus

1908 - 1963

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2283 FOOTBALL

Gerhard Schulz (arbitre)

1906 - 1969

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2284 PAINTER

Kurt Tessmann

1909 - 1962

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2290 ACADEMIC

Gustav Batereau

1908 - 1974

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2333 PAINTER

Karl Hermann Trinkaus

1904 - 1965

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2334 AUTHOR

Rudolf Habetin

1902 - 1986

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2336 JUDGE

Martin Baring

1904 - 1989

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2343 WRITER

Alfred Zoll

1905 - 1982

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2352 POLITICIAN

Oskar Zschake-Papsdorf

1902 - 1943

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2368 CONDUCTOR

Heinrich Creuzburg

1907 - 1991

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2402 ACTOR

Walter Martin (Schauspieler)

1901 - 1985

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2413 AUTHOR

Bernhard Jansa

1901 - 1967

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2427 ACADEMIC

Rudolf Max Littauer

1905 - 2002

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2438 MISSING

Herbert G. Stiehler

1908 - 1982

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2464 CURATOR

Walter Nikusch

1908 - 1987

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2485 GERMANIST

Gerhard Loose

1907 - 2000

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2489 POLITICIAN

Ralph Liebler

1901 - 1953

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2503 POLITICIAN

Bruno Sommerer

1907 - 1973

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2520 WRITER

Adolf Hechelmann

1905 - 1962

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2553 POLITICIAN

Kurt Roßberg

1906 - 1991

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2564 ACTOR

Irmgard Richter

1902 - 1931

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2569 ENGINEER

Kurt Hain

1908 - 1995

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2589 POLITICIAN

Franz Wilhelm Kieling

1902 - 1953

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2598 TEACHER

Elfriede Arnold-Dinkler

1906 - 1980

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2641 POLITICIAN

Walter Kramer (Politiker)

1903 - 1935

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2643 AVIATRICE

Léna Bernstein

1906 - 1932

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2664 WRITER

Fred Erich Uetrecht

1909 - 1980

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2737 POLITICIAN

Herbert Klemm

1903 - 1957

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2740 INTERNIST

Rudolf Mancke

1900 - 1968

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2774 AUTHOR

Luise Zschöttge

Born 1908

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2837 POLITICIAN

Horst Knöpke

1907 - 1998

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2848 POLITICIAN

Hans Neumeister

1908 - 1996

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2869 ENTREPRENEUR

Walter Steinweden

1900 - 1990

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2882 BOOKBINDER

Eleonore Klee

1901 - 1994

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2904 ROWER

Gerhard Voigt

Born 1904

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2922 WRITER

Herbert Bodenschatz

1903 - 1972

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2935 ARCHITECT

Kurt Schwarze (Architekt)

1900 - 1976

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2959 POLITICIAN

Hans-Georg Vötter

1901 - 1943

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2969 SCULPTOR

Hellmuth Chemnitz

1903 - 1969

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2995 POLITICIAN

Otto Leopold

1901 - 1975

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3004 ARTIST

Martin Poser

1909 - 1999

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3019 POLITICIAN

Herbert Holtzhauer

1906 - 1987

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3028 SOLDIER

Lothar Hofmann

1903 - 1989

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3034 WIDERSTAND

Herbert Bergner

1907 - 1987

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3040 AUGENARZT

Heinrich von Wolffersdorff

1905 - 1966

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3042 POLITICIAN

Franz Jahn (Politiker)

1909 - 1989

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3043 LEITER

Waldemar Eißfeld

1908 - 1982

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3063 TURNER

Erich Riedeberger

1903 - 1969

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3075 ACADEMIC

Rudolf Schumacher

1908 - 2011

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3085 NATIONALSOZIALISMUS

Walter Heinze (Widerstandskämpfer)

1900 - 1933

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3087 POLITICIAN

Walter Jurich

1902 - 1960

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3136 POLITICIAN

Oskar Walz

1904 - 1993

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3157 COACH

Fritz Brenne

1901 - 2003

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3165 POLITICIAN

Otto Quade

1907 - 1985

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3167 POLITICIAN

Herbert Thiele (Widerstandskämpfer, 1907)

1907 - 1940

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3174 PAINTER

Marianne Herberg

1901 - 1991

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3177 POLITICIAN

Elisabeth Jensen (Politikerin, 1908)

1908 - 1978

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3194 POLITICIAN

Herbert Böhme (Politiker)

1907 - 1990

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