51.1098° N, 17.0327° E

WROCLAW

Most Famous People Born in Wroclaw, Poland

Notable people
2,376
Peak decade
1920s
Median birth year
1900
Most distinctive
Theologian 4.9×

A city that changed countries after 1945, and whose bench still reads like two cities layered on top of each other. Wroclaw's distinctive professions — theologians, authors, botanists, chemists, mathematicians, physicians — belong almost entirely to the pre-war German Breslau, a Silesian university town whose famous sons were Max Born, Fritz Haber, Bonhoeffer, and Edith Stein. The 19th-century bar is one of the heaviest in Eastern Europe, and almost none of that bench survived into the postwar Polish city.

Through the Centuries

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

What Wroclaw Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Politician is Wroclaw's biggest profession — 10% of all notables (247).

Wroclaw over-indexes on theologian4.9× the global rate.

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

  1. Politician247
  2. Actor120
  3. Painter113
  4. Writer97
  5. Academic85
  6. Author75
  7. Historian72
  8. Lawyer57
  1. Theologian424.9×
  2. Author753.7×
  3. Botanist353.6×
  4. Chemist303.6×
  5. Academic853.5×
  6. Physician523.2×
  7. Mathematician353.0×
  8. Judge332.9×
  1. Football550.2×

Profession Mix Over Time

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

1500155016001650170017501800185019001950
  • Science
  • Writing
  • Politics & Law
  • Art & Design
  • Sports
  • Film & TV
  • Other
All2,376
Sort By

Showing 147 of 2,376 notable people

0043 POLITICIAN

Karl Schiller

1911 - 1994

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0060 POLITICIAN

Heinrich Albertz

1915 - 1993

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0130 ECONOMIST

Rudolf Meidner

1914 - 2005

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0138 VIROLOGIST

Heinz Fraenkel-Conrat

1910 - 1999

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0149 FILM

Hans Billian

1918 - 2007

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0174 HARPSICHORDIST

Hans Pischner

1914 - 2016

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0186 PHYSICIST

Karl Zimmer

1911 - 1988

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0193 CONDUCTOR

Kurt Redel

1918 - 2013

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0243 FILM

Norman Dyhrenfurth

1918 - 2017

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0244 AEROSPACE

Walter Thiel

1910 - 1943

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0341 CONDUCTOR

Jan Meyerowitz

1913 - 1998

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0349 OPFER

Hans Walter Schmidt

1912 - 1934

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0363 PHOTOGRAPHER

Eva Sandberg Xiao

1911 - 2001

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0364 WRITER

Hildegard Maria Rauchfuß

1918 - 2000

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0380 POLITICIAN

Ernesto Kroch

1917 - 2012

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0396 FOOTBALL

Richard Hanke

1910 - 1980

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0409 PHOTOGRAPHER

Pierre Gassmann

1913 - 2004

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0424 ACTOR

Charlotte Witthauer

1915 - 1980

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0434 ACTOR

Ruth Lommel

1918 - 2012

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0455 PIANIST

Hans-Arno Simon

1919 - 1989

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0492 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Alexander Fuks

1917 - 1978

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0499 OFFICER

Horst Ademeit

1912 - 1944

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0501 BOXER

Josef Miner

1911 - 1944

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0538 COMPOSER

Rodolfo Holzmann

1910 - 1992

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0545 WRITER

Jadwiga Żylińska

1910 - 2009

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0558 THEOLOGIAN

George Forell

1919 - 2011

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0559 MUSIC

Erhard Bauschke

1912 - 1945

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0579 ARCHITECT

Paul Friedrich Posenenske

1919 - 2004

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0591 PHILOLOGIST

Henry Rudolph Immerwahr

1916 - 2013

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0606 ACTOR

Walter Jokisch

1914 - 1984

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0614 MILITAR

Johannes Wiese

1915 - 1991

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0638 PHYSICIAN

Fritz Linder

1912 - 1994

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0641 HISTORIAN

Joseph Walk

1914 - 2005

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0682 JUDGE

Martin Hirsch

1913 - 1992

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0691 POLITICIAN

Renate Haußleiter-Malluche

1917 - 1994

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0692 ACTOR

Günther Sauer

1919 - 1990

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0717 ACTOR

Ilse Korseck

1911 - 1933

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0739 ECONOMIST

Heinz Arndt

1915 - 2002

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0753 POLITICIAN

Robert Bialek

1915 - 1956

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0774 ACTOR

Gerhard Frei

1911 - 1989

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0791 FILM

Helmut Nentwig

1916 - 2007

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0820 PAINTER

Ruth Arion

1912 - 1998

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0825 PAINTER

Gerhard Fietz

1910 - 1997

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0858 LINGUIST

Henry M. Hoenigswald

1915 - 2003

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0871 PAINTER

Willi Ulfig

1910 - 1983

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0889 MURDER

Lothar Fendler

1913 - 1951

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0890 ENVIRONMENTALIST

Günter Holzmann

1912 - 2001

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0931 ACTOR

Horst Preusker

1913 - 1976

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0937 PAINTER

Marianne Manasse

1911 - 1984

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0998 PAINTER

Gerhart Hein

1910 - 1998

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1011 FARMER

Prince Heinrich I Reuss of Köstritz

1910 - 1982

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1043 AUTHOR

Johann Christoph Hampe

1913 - 1990

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1071 POLITICIAN

Brigitte Schröder

1917 - 2000

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1074 FOOTBALL

Fritz Langner

1912 - 1998

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1076 PUBLISHER

Reinhart von Eichborn

1911 - 1990

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1104 ACTOR

Hannes Keppler

1915 - 1974

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1136 POLITICIAN

Erich Peter Neumann

1912 - 1973

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1150 LAWYER

Günther Knobloch

1910 - 1970

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1161 LAWYER

Hans Schultz (Jurist)

1912 - 2003

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1162 POLITICIAN

Fritz Wenzel

1910 - 1976

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1191 ORNITHOLOGIST

Friedrich Wilhelm Merkel

1911 - 2002

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1198 MILITAR

Heinz Berger

1917 - 1996

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1203 WRITER

Ernst Günther Bleisch

1914 - 2003

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1210 THEOLOGIAN

Wolfgang Pax

1912 - 1993

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1214 FIGHTER

Günther Scholz

1911 - 2014

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1218 MISSING

Wolfgang Birkner

1913 - 1945

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1240 ACADEMIC

Heimo Rau

1912 - 1993

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1262 CONDUCTOR

Lothar Perl

1910 - 1975

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1286 OFFICER

Walter Carganico

1913 - 2005

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1295 MUSIC

Hans-Peter Schmitz

1916 - 1995

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1300 RELIGIOUS

Peter Pauly

Born 1917

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1345 PAINTER

Günter Hildebrand

1911 - 1994

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1348 WRITER

Eberhard Cyran

1914 - 1998

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1360 ARCHAEOLOGIST

Günter Smolla

1919 - 2006

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1379 PHYSICIAN

Wolfgang Müller-Osten

1910 - 1995

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1386 ACADEMIC

Gotthard Wolf

1910 - 1995

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1400 ART HISTORIAN

Claude Schaefer

1913 - 2010

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1413 PUBLISHER

Horst Erdmann

1919 - 1993

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1414 ARCHAEOLOGIST

Elisabeth Ettlinger

1915 - 2012

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1431 POLITICAL SCIENTIST

Hans-Günther Assel

1918 - 2002

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1446 POLITICIAN

Paul Ludwig (Widerstandskämpfer)

1910 - 1992

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1461 ACADEMIC

Fritz Hoffmann (Theologe)

1913 - 2007

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1464 ACADEMIC

Walter Dürig

1913 - 1992

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1488 PROFESSOR

Dietrich Gerhardt (Slawist)

1911 - 2011

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1514 ACTOR

Bernd Kampka

1919 - 1997

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1523 INDOLOGIST

Gustav Roth

1916 - 2008

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1525 ACADEMIC

Erwin Huxhold

1914 - 2005

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1528 POLITICIAN

Gerhard Kroll (Politiker)

1910 - 1963

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1533 CIVIL SERVICE

Wolfgang Seel (Universitätskanzler)

1915 - 2008

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1544 SINGER

Inga Ley

1916 - 1942

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1559 PAINTER

Heinrich Kiefer (Maler)

1911 - 1980

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1573 VORSITZENDER

Hans Groebe

Born 1916

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1583 POLITICIAN

Franz Meinow

1910 - 1947

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1591 POLITICIAN

Heinz Adler

1912 - 1990

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1592 ARCHAEOLOGIST

Christian Pescheck (Prähistoriker)

1912 - 2003

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1595 POLITICIAN

Kurt Fichtner

1916 - 2003

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1613 POLITICIAN

Heinz Putzrath

1916 - 1996

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1616 LAWYER

Oskar Wenzky

1911 - 1980

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1626 PAINTER

Hans Kreuzer

1911 - 1988

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1640 OPFER

Erich Schiewek

1913 - 1934

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1689 EDUCATION

Gerhard Möbus

1912 - 1965

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1709 JOURNALIST

Charlotte Wasser

1914 - 2001

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1741 CHESS

Gerhard Latzel

1912 - 1980

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1755 POLITICIAN

Clemens Riedel

1914 - 2003

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1756 VORSITZENDER

Eugen Gollomb

1917 - 1988

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1769 PAINTER

Heinz Gruchot

1918 - 1994

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1776 ACADEMIC

Ekkehard Eichberg

1916 - 1999

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1789 TRADE UNION

Herbert A. Tulatz

1914 - 1968

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1800 DIPLOMAT

Joachim Jaenicke

1915 - 2007

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1808 POLITICIAN

Maria Lobe

1912 - 2001

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1849 POLITICIAN

Willy Reichstein

1915 - 1978

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1851 ARCHIVAR

Günther Meinert

1912 - 1988

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1894 POLITICIAN

Hans-Werner Staratzke

1912 - 2004

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1899 MATHEMATICIAN

Hans-Joachim Kanold

1914 - 2012

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1903 PHYSICIST

Werner Rambauske

1911 - 1988

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1933 POLITICIAN

Fritz Schulz (Politiker)

1910 - 1991

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1937 ACADEMIC

Kurt Illner

1917 - 1990

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1984 POLITICIAN

Werner Kubitza

1919 - 1995

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1993 ACTOR

Helga Dohrn

Born 1914

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1996 POLITICIAN

Johanna Blecha

1916 - 2000

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2056 POLITICIAN

Fred Sagner

1919 - 2009

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2070 POLITICIAN

Hans Beitz

1917 - 1992

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2093 MUSIC

Heinz Hofmann (Musiker)

Born 1917

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2094 OFFICER

Horst Carganico

1917 - 1944

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2097 MOSSAD

Jakoov Meidad

1919 - 2012

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2099 TRUMPET

Günter Herzog

1910 - 1942

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2100 OFFICER

Hans-Detlef Gollert-Hansen

1913 - 1945

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2106 OFFICER

Heinz Behnke

1919 - 2002

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2112 OFFICER

Walter Bradel

1911 - 1943

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2133 POLITICIAN

Gerhard Heidenreich

1916 - 2001

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2139 SINGER

Claire Frühling-Gerlach

1910 - 1994

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2140 ARCHITECT

Hartmut Colden

1915 - 1982

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2158 POLITICIAN

Paul Hentschel

1913 - 1959

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2165 POLITICIAN

Lisa Krause

1914 - 1965

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2208 ARCHITECT

Hans Konwiarz

1919 - 2018

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2244 POLITICIAN

Klaus Scheelhaase

Born 1919

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2265 OFFICER

Ewald Baranek

1919 - 1944

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2275 SOLDIER

Joachim Brünner

1919 - 1944

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2281 FOOTBALL

Josef Famula

1919 - 1985

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2286 SOLDIER

Rudolf Büchler

1915 - 1944

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2294 SOLDIER

Christian-Brandt Coester

1919 - 1943

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2302 POLITICIAN

Ernst Fabisch

1910 - 1943

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2311 POLITICIAN

Adolf Blasek

1919 - 2008

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2322 POLITICIAN

Georg Reichelt

1919 - 2014

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2336 POLITICIAN

Gerda Nowack

1915 - 1986

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2348 FOOTBALL

Hermann Heinzel (Fußballspieler)

1910 - 1945

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2358 POLITICIAN

Kurt Herzog (Politiker, 1910)

1910 - 1951

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