47.3744° N, 8.5411° E

ZURICH

Most Famous People Born in Zurich, Switzerland

Notable people
2,462
Peak decade
1940s
Median birth year
1941
Most distinctive
Author 3.5×

A Reformed Swiss city with a disproportionately large academic-and-letters bench. Zurich's distinctive professions are authors, academics, architects, artists, and physicists — the trades of a German-language university town that runs from Gottfried Keller through Max Frisch on the literary side and Einstein and Pauli on the scientific. Pestalozzi, Rorschach, and Elisabeth Kübler-Ross all belong to this bench, and nearly eighty per cent of the names were born after 1900.

Through the Centuries

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

What Zurich Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Politician is Zurich's biggest profession — 7% of all notables (164).

Zurich over-indexes on author3.5× the global rate.

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

  1. Politician164
  2. Actor141
  3. Writer128
  4. Football114
  5. Painter102
  6. Academic80
  7. Sport77
  8. Author74
  1. Author743.5×
  2. Academic803.2×
  3. Architect572.6×
  4. Artist632.5×
  5. Physicist252.4×
  6. Film682.3×
  7. Sculptor322.0×
  8. Historian512.0×
  1. Football1140.4×
  2. Politician1640.6×

Profession Mix Over Time

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

1550160016501700175018001850190019502000
  • Writing
  • Sports
  • Art & Design
  • Science
  • Film & TV
  • Music
  • Other
All2,462
Sort By

2,462 notable people

0601 POLITICIAN

Alfred Heer

Born 1961

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0602 PIANIST

Stefan Rusconi

Born 1979

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0603 SCULPTOR

Vincenzo Baviera

Born 1945

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0604 HUMANITÄR

Margherita Zoebeli

1912 - 1996

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0605 PHOTOGRAPHER

Olivia Heussler

Born 1957

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0606 ARTIST

Alex Sadkowsky

Born 1934

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0607 RACER

Fritz Egli

Born 1937

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0608 GAME

Henry Makow

Born 1949

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0609 WRITER

August Corrodi

1826 - 1885

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0610 PAINTER

Conrad Meyer (painter)

1618 - 1689

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0611 ARCHITECT

Gret Loewensberg

Born 1943

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0612 FILM

Hans-Ulrich Schlumpf

Born 1939

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0613 SURGEON

Jean de Muralt

1645 - 1733

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0614 ARCHAEOLOGIST

Marion Lichardus-Itten

Born 1941

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0615 COMPOSER

Toni Leutwiler

1923 - 2009

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0616 OFFICER

Peter Sauerbruch

1913 - 2010

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0617 PHOTOGRAPHER

Patricia Faessler

Born 1974

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0618 WRITER

Jens Steiner

Born 1975

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0619 SCREENWRITER

Anka Schmid

Born 1961

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0620 COMPOSER

Werner Kaegi (composer)

Born 1926

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0621 FOOTBALL

Fritz Schmid (football manager)

Born 1959

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0622 MUSIC

Christian Weber (double bass player)

Born 1972

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0623 PHILOLOGIST

Peter von Möllendorff

Born 1963

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0624 FENCER

Peer Borsky

Born 1990

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0625 AUTHOR

Urs Eggli

Born 1959

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0626 ARCHITECT

Dieter Kienast

1945 - 1998

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0627 HISTORIAN

Kurt W. Forster

Born 1935

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0628 HISTORIAN

Regula Frei-Stolba

Born 1940

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0629 POLITICIAN

Max Leo Keller

1897 - 1956

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0630 PHYSICIAN

Salomon Gluck

1914 - 1944

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0631 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Rudolf Martin (anthropologist)

1864 - 1925

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0632 ROWER

Gottfried Kottmann

1932 - 1964

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0633 FILM

Marianne Pletscher

Born 1946

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0634 PRODUCER

Tommy Vetterli

Born 1967

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0635 ECOLOGIST

Richard Vollenweider

1922 - 2007

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0636 BOTANIST

Hans Krainz

1906 - 1980

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0637 COMPOSER

Alfred Baum (composer)

1904 - 1993

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0638 MANAGER

Werner Abegg

1903 - 1984

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0639 WRITER

Roger Graf

Born 1958

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0640 LAWYER

Yves Nidegger

Born 1957

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0641 DESIGNER

Walter Herdeg

1908 - 1995

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0642 ACTOR

Max Moor (Fernsehmoderator)

Born 1958

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0643 CURLER

Irene Schori

Born 1983

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0644 WRITER

Mitra Devi

1963 - 2018

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0645 MATHEMATICIAN

Ernest Michael

1925 - 2013

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0646 HOCKEY

Roman Schlagenhauf

Born 1989

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0647 MUSIC

Stephan Wittwer

Born 1953

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0648 ACTOR

Billy Frick

1911 - 1977

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0649 POLITICIAN

Hans Conzett

1915 - 1996

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0650 SPORT

Jesko Raffin

Born 1996

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0651 BOBSLED

Walter Graf

Born 1937

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0652 SINGER

Heidi Brunner

Born 1961

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0653 BOTANIST

Elias Landolt (Geobotaniker)

1926 - 2013

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0654 ACTOR

Beatrice Kessler

Born 1949

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0655 SOCIOLOGIST

Walter Rüegg

1918 - 2015

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0656 HISTORIAN

Caspar Hirschi

Born 1975

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0657 FOOTBALL

Urs Meier (footballer)

Born 1961

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0658 RACER

Bruno Kneubühler

Born 1946

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0659 PAINTER

Christoph Rütimann

Born 1955

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0660 COMPOSER

Adolf Brunner (composer)

1901 - 1992

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0661 POLITICIAN

Robert Tobler

1901 - 1962

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0662 SCULPTOR

Albert Schilling

1904 - 1987

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0663 BOBSLED

Oscar Geier

1882 - 1942

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0664 SCULPTOR

Daniela Yaniv-Richter

Born 1956

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0665 SPORT

Albert Blattmann

1904 - 1967

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0666 PIANIST

Hans Jelmoli

1877 - 1936

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0667 JOURNALIST

Martin Meyer (Publizist)

Born 1951

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0668 ARTIST

Angela Marzullo

Born 1971

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0669 PROFESSOR

Karl Otto Hunziker

1841 - 1909

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0670 PAINTER

Johann Heinrich Keller

1692 - 1765

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0671 POLITICIAN

Roland Eberle

Born 1953

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0672 PAINTER

Mascha Mioni

Born 1941

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0673 AUTHOR

Kurt Weil

1932 - 2012

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0674 WRITER

Jürg Obrist

Born 1947

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0675 ACTOR

Heinz Woester

1901 - 1970

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0676 SCÈNE

Claude Stratz

1946 - 2007

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0677 ATHLETIC

Marco Cribari

Born 1985

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0678 PAINTER

Franz K. Opitz

1916 - 1998

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0679 PRESENTER

Beat Glogger

Born 1960

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0680 DESIGNER

Julia Born

Born 1975

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0681 FOOTBALL

Thomas Weller

Born 1980

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0682 MUSIC

Giuliano Sommerhalder

Born 1985

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0683 CIRCUS

David Dimitri

Born 1963

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0684 POLITICIAN

Vreni Spoerry

Born 1938

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0685 ACTOR

Friedrich Ettel

1890 - 1941

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0686 HISTORIAN

Aram Mattioli

Born 1961

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0687 PHILOLOGIST

Karl Schmid (philologue, 1907)

1907 - 1974

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0688 MILITAR

Roger Masson

1894 - 1967

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0689 ARTIST

Pierre Gauchat

1902 - 1956

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0690 FILM

Viviane Andereggen

Born 1985

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0691 ACADEMIC

Hedi Fritz-Niggli

1921 - 2005

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0692 HISTORIAN

Ludwig Hirzel (historian)

1838 - 1897

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0693 PAINTER

Ludwig Hess

1760 - 1800

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0694 POLITICIAN

Jacqueline de Quattro

Born 1960

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0695 ACTOR

Wolfgang Hess (Synchronsprecher)

1937 - 2016

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0696 LAWYER

Sigi Feigel

1921 - 2004

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0697 FOOTBALL

Arbenit Xhemajli

Born 1998

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0698 ACADEMIC

Max Frei-Sulzer

1913 - 1983

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0699 PSYCHIATRIST

Hans Binder (Psychiater)

1899 - 1989

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0700 HOCHSCHULE

Fiona Hefti

Born 1980

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0701 RACING

Max de Terra

1918 - 1982

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0702 LAWYER

Ottmar Bühler

1884 - 1965

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0703 MUSIC

Toni Vescoli

Born 1942

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0704 PIANIST

Chris Wiesendanger

Born 1965

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0705 HOCKEY

Sébastien Reuille

Born 1981

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0706 CONDUCTOR

Titus Engel

Born 1975

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0707 FILM

Karl Suter

1926 - 1977

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0708 PAINTER

Edwin Ganz

1871 - 1948

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0709 PAINTER

Eduard Gubler

1891 - 1971

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0710 PHYSICIST

Peter Minkowski

Born 1941

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0711 COMPOSER

Alfred Zimmerlin

Born 1955

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0712 CARDIOLOGIST

Max Holzmann

1899 - 1994

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0713 PHYSICIAN

Anton Schneeberger

1530 - 1581

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0714 PAINTER

Rudolf Füssli

1709 - 1793

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0715 FOOTBALL

Fabian Rohner

Born 1998

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0716 FILM

Timo von Gunten

Born 1989

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0717 ACADEMIC

Hans Konrad von Orelli

1846 - 1912

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0718 ACTOR

Katja Paryla

1940 - 2013

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0719 SPORT

Jean Brun

1926 - 1993

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0720 TRADE UNION

Verena Conzett-Knecht

1861 - 1947

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0721 WRITER

Georgi Nikolajewitsch Munblit

1904 - 1994

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0722 HISTORIAN

Peter Stadler

1925 - 2012

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0723 ASTROPHYSICIST

Kevin Schawinski

Born 1981

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0724 POLITICIAN

Berthe Zimmermann

1902 - 1937

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0725 SAXOPHONIST

Christoph Irniger

Born 1979

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0726 ZOOLOGIST

Eduard Heinrich Graeffe

1833 - 1916

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0727 COMEDIAN

Lorenz Keiser

Born 1959

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0728 SPORT

Walter Blattmann

1910 - 1965

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0729 POLITICIAN

Thomas Hurter

Born 1963

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0730 PHILOSOPHER

Arthur Pap

1921 - 1959

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0731 POLITICIAN

Walter Renschler

1932 - 2006

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0732 ROWER

Émile Knecht

1923 - 2019

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0733 AUTHOR

Barbara Schulthess

1745 - 1818

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0734 SCREENWRITER

David Wechsler (Autor)

1918 - 1990

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0735 PALAEONTOLOGIST

Emil Kuhn-Schnyder

1905 - 1994

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0736 PRINCE

Prince Philipp of Liechtenstein

Born 1946

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0737 MARTIAL ART

Yasubey Enomoto

Born 1983

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0738 FILM

Kristian Widmer

Born 1967

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0739 FILM

Martin Rikli

1898 - 1969

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0740 CHEMIST

Hans Primas

1928 - 2014

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0741 HOCKEY

Otto Schubiger

1925 - 2019

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0742 THERAPIST

Alice Holzhey-Kunz

Born 1943

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0743 WRITER

Walterio Meyer Rusca

1882 - 1969

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0744 AUTHOR

Roswitha Quadflieg

Born 1949

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0745 THEOLOGIAN

Johann Jakob Breitinger (Antistès)

1575 - 1645

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0746 RACING

Xavier Perrot

1932 - 2008

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0747 ACADEMIC

Martin Schweizer

Born 1961

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0748 WRITER

Katja Brunner

Born 1991

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0749 COMPOSER

Daniel Hess

Born 1965

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0750 ARTIST

Andreas Heusser

Born 1976

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0751 CHEMIST

André Dreiding

1919 - 2013

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0752 PHYSICIST

Charles Enz

Born 1925

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0753 PAINTER

Albert von Escher

1833 - 1905

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0754 FOOTBALL

Maren Haile-Selassie

Born 1999

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0755 HOCKEY

Hans Bänninger

1924 - 2007

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0756 SAXOPHONIST

Eddie Brunner

1912 - 1960

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0757 ACTOR

Ueli Beck

1930 - 2010

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0758 POLITICAL SCIENTIST

Curt Gasteyger

1929 - 2020

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0759 POLITICIAN

Erwin Jaeckle

1909 - 1997

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0760 FOOTBALL

René Hüssy

1928 - 2007

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0761 PRESENTER

Andrea Meier

Born 1970

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0762 ENTREPRENEUR

August Abegg

1861 - 1924

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0763 WRITER

Jean Villain

1928 - 2006

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0764 SINGER

Aviel Cahn

Born 1974

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0765 POLITICIAN

Barbara Kistler

1955 - 1993

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0766 CURLER

Claudio Pescia

Born 1963

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0767 RIDER

Daniel Ramseier

Born 1963

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0768 BOTANIST

Walter Gams

1934 - 2017

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0769 WRITER

Jürg Acklin

Born 1945

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0770 PAINTER

Willi Hartung

1915 - 1987

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0771 ARTIST

Karl Bickel

1886 - 1982

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0772 FOOTBALL

Nuno da Silva

Born 1994

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0773 PREACHER

Ivo Sasek

Born 1956

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0774 SPORT

Marlene Albrecht

Born 1988

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0775 PHILOSOPHER

Hans Barth (Philosoph)

1904 - 1965

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0776 PHYSICIST

Georg Busch (Physiker)

1908 - 2000

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0777 ARCHITECT

Wim Eckert

Born 1969

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0778 ACADEMIC

Ludwig Hirzel

1801 - 1841

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0779 SPORT

Emil Richli

1904 - 1934

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0780 JAZZ

Dieter Ulrich

Born 1958

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0781 PLAYER

Walter Schoeller

1889 - 1979

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0782 CURLER

Esther Neuenschwander

Born 1983

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0783 SCULPTOR

Johann Melchior Kambly

1718 - 1783

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0784 SINGER

Lucia Cadotsch

Born 1984

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0785 ACADEMIC

Daniel Barben

Born 1961

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0786 HISTORIAN

Hans Heinrich Füssli

1745 - 1832

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0787 POLITICIAN

Melchior Römer

1831 - 1895

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0788 WRITER

Rolf Niederhauser

Born 1951

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0789 BIOCHEMIST

Robert Schwyzer

1920 - 2015

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0790 LINGUIST

Ivo Hajnal

Born 1961

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0791 COMPOSER

Victor Fenigstein

Born 1924

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0792 THEATRE

Werner Düggelin

1929 - 2020

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0793 ACTOR

Luna Wedler

Born 1999

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0794 WRITER

Olga Meyer

1889 - 1972

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0795 AUTHOR

Traugott Vogel

1894 - 1975

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0796 SINGER

Kurt Maloo

Born 1953

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0797 PHOTOGRAPHER

Roger Eberhard

Born 1984

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0798 COMPOSER

Bernard Schulé

1909 - 1996

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0799 ATHLETE

Nina Brenn

Born 1979

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0800 WRITER

Rolf Lappert

Born 1958

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0801 FOOTBALL

Urs Schönenberger

Born 1959

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0802 FOOTBALL

David Pallas

Born 1980

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0803 ARTIST

Sasha Huber

Born 1975

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0804 ACADEMIC

Alfred Dufour

Born 1938

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0805 FILM

Heinz Nigg

Born 1949

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0806 COMEDIAN

Beat Schlatter

Born 1961

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0807 VIOLIN

Maya Homburger

Born 1953

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0808 CHEMIST

Alfons Baiker

Born 1945

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0809 RACER

Tanja Morel

Born 1975

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0810 THEOLOGIAN

Bénédict Turrettini

1588 - 1631

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0811 SOLDIER

William Frülich of Soleure

Died 1562

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0812 COMPOSER

Rolf Urs Ringger

1935 - 2019

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0813 JUMPER

Thomas Fuchs (cavalier)

Born 1957

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0814 JOURNALIST

Gerda Zeltner-Neukomm

1915 - 2012

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0815 PRIEST

Heinrich Bolleter

Born 1941

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0816 CHEMIST

Christoph Heinrich Hirzel

1828 - 1908

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0817 ARTIST

Matthias Pfenninger

1739 - 1813

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0818 PAINTER

Caro Niederer

Born 1963

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0819 ART HISTORIAN

Friedrich Salomon Vögelin

1837 - 1888

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0820 POLITICIAN

Verena Grendelmeier

1939 - 2018

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0821 SPORT

Hans Hollenstein

Born 1929

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0822 AUTHOR

Jürg Jegge

Born 1943

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0823 HISTORIAN

Ernst Gagliardi

1882 - 1940

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0824 PLAYER

Alexander Sadecky

Born 1987

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0825 ENTREPRENEUR

Michael Kohn

1925 - 2018

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0826 LINGUIST

Robert Schläpfer

1923 - 2001

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0827 ATHLETIC

Felix Böhni

Born 1958

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0828 WRITER

Rose Woldstedt-Lauth

1889 - 1966

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0829 SWIMMER

Chantal Strasser

Born 1978

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0830 HANDBALL

Erland Herkenrath

1912 - 2003

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0831 CHEMIST

Walter Giger

Born 1943

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0832 HOCKEY

Luca Boltshauser

Born 1993

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0833 BUSINESS

Ernst Göhner

1900 - 1971

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0834 WRITER

Raffaele De Grada (scrittore)

1916 - 2010

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0835 HISTORIAN

Raphael Gross

Born 1966

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0836 PIANIST

Fred Böhler

1912 - 1995

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0837 ARCHITECT

Bernhard Hoesli

1923 - 1984

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0838 MUSIC

Fabian Römer (Komponist)

Born 1973

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0839 AUTHOR

Hans Ulrich Steger

1923 - 2016

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0840 PRESENTER

Stefan Zweifel

Born 1967

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0841 JUMPER

Charles-Gustave Kuhn

1889 - 1952

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0842 ROWER

Pamela Weisshaupt

Born 1979

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0843 BEGLEITEN

Louis Häfliger

1904 - 1993

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0844 POLITICIAN

Carlo Sommaruga

Born 1959

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0845 CONDUCTOR

Jakob Zeugheer

1803 - 1865

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0846 LINGUIST

Guido Seiler

Born 1971

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0847 ARTIST

M. Vänçi Stirnemann

Born 1951

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0848 EDUCATION

Anna Pestalozzi

1738 - 1815

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0849 BUSINESS

Urs Rohner

Born 1959

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0850 JOCKEY

DJ Energy

1973 - 2011

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0851 WRITER

Fridolin Tschudi

1912 - 1966

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0852 DERMATOLOGIST

Walter Burckhardt

1905 - 1971

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0853 SKATER

Lucian Büeler

1910 - 1952

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0854 PAINTER

Amadé Barth

1899 - 1926

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0855 SOCIOLOGIST

Franz-Xaver Kaufmann

Born 1932

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0856 ART HISTORIAN

Franz Meyer (Kunsthistoriker)

1919 - 2007

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0857 ACADEMIC

Konrad Feilchenfeldt

Born 1944

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0858 JOURNALIST

Monika Dettwiler

Born 1948

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0859 POLITICIAN

Peter Malama

1960 - 2012

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0860 WRITER

Dante Andrea Franzetti

1959 - 2015

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0861 COXSWAIN

André Moccand

Born 1931

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0862 COMPOSER

Walter Schulthess

1894 - 1971

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0863 PLAYER

Alexander Ritschard

Born 1994

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0864 SPORT

Hans Rudolf Spillmann

Born 1932

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0865 FILM

Douglas Wolfsperger

Born 1957

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0866 ACTOR

Isabella Schmid

Born 1970

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0867 SAXOPHONIST

Co Streiff

Born 1959

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0868 ARTIST

Beat Kuert

Born 1946

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0869 WRITER

Petra Morsbach

Born 1956

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0870 DOCENT

Silvia Staub-Bernasconi

Born 1936

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0871 JOURNALIST

Susan Boos

Born 1963

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0872 ACADEMIC

Konrad Schmid (theologian)

Born 1965

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0873 WRITER

Eric Gujer

Born 1962

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0874 PAINTER

Sali Herman

1898 - 1993

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0875 SPORT

Oskar von Büren

Born 1933

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0876 WRITER

Albert Ehrismann

1908 - 1998

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0877 ACADEMIC

Hans-Rudolf Meier

Born 1956

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0878 SWIMMER

Carla Stampfli

Born 1984

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0879 ACTOR

Stefan Huber (Regisseur)

Born 1960

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0880 SINGER

Adrian Stern

Born 1975

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0881 WRITER

Hans Conrad Zander

Born 1937

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0882 ACTOR

Ursula Cantieni

Born 1947

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0883 HOCKEY

Florian Blatter

Born 1984

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0884 PSYCHOLOGIST

Allan Guggenbühl

Born 1952

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0885 SPORT

Josef Wagner (cyclist)

1916 - 2003

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0886 HOCKEY

Lukas Grauwiler

Born 1984

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0887 ACTOR

Sabina Schneebeli

Born 1963

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0888 SWIMMER

Flori Lang

Born 1983

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0889 ARTIST

Kaspar Fischer

1938 - 2000

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0890 COMPOSER

Christian von Borries

Born 1961

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0891 WRITER

Roger Stein

Born 1975

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0892 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Luc Schaedler

Born 1963

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0893 PAINTER

Hans Leu el Joven

1490 - 1531

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0894 WRITER

Carlo Formenti (giornalista)

Born 1947

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0895 JOURNALIST

Arthur Welti

1901 - 1961

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0896 ROWER

Peter Stebler

1927 - 2010

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0897 ENGRAVER

David Herrliberger

1697 - 1777

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0898 POLITICIAN

Eva Segmüller

Born 1932

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0899 HOCKEY

Daniel Schnyder

Born 1985

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0900 ACTOR

Daniel Rohr

Born 1960

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