53.5500° N, 10.0000° E

HAMBURG

Most Famous People Born in Hamburg, Germany

Notable people
7,049
Peak decade
1960s
Median birth year
1927
Most distinctive
Merchant 13.2×

A merchant republic in everything but name. Hamburg's most distinctive profession is merchant at more than thirteen times the global rate — the officers of a Hanseatic free port that governed itself through its own Senate until the 19th century — alongside an unusually thick column of authors, theologians, judges, and academics. Politicians still account for almost a sixth of all notable births here, more than in any other German city, and the 1800s are unusually heavy.

Standouts

What Hamburg Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Politician is Hamburg's biggest profession — 14% of all notables (979).

Hamburg over-indexes on merchant 13.2× the global rate.

Hamburg under-produces football — only 0.3× the global rate.

  1. Politician 979 1.2×
  2. Actor 725 1.9×
  3. Painter 335 1.8×
  4. Writer 277 1.2×
  5. Author 250 4.1×
  6. Football 241 0.3×
  7. Academic 239 3.4×
  8. Lawyer 170 1.4×
  1. Merchant 81 13.2×
  2. Author 250 4.1×
  3. Theologian 94 3.7×
  4. Academic 239 3.4×
  5. Judge 74 2.2×
  6. Actor 725 1.9×
  7. Painter 335 1.8×
  1. Football 241 0.3×
  2. Singer 101 0.7×

Profession Mix Over Time

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

1600 1650 1700 1750 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000
  • Politics & Law
  • Writing
  • Film & TV
  • Science
  • Art & Design
  • Sports
  • Other
All7,049
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7,049 notable people

0001 POLITICIAN

Angela Merkel

Born 1954

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0002 COMPOSER

Johannes Brahms

1833 - 1897

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0003 COMPOSER

Felix Mendelssohn

1809 - 1847

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0004 POLITICIAN

Helmut Schmidt

1918 - 2015

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0005 CREATIVE

Karl Lagerfeld

1933 - 2019

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0006 PHYSICIST

Heinrich Hertz

1857 - 1894

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0007 WRITER

Carl von Ossietzky

1889 - 1938

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0008 POLITICIAN

Ernst Thälmann

1886 - 1944

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0009 PLAYWRIGHT

Wolfgang Borchert

1921 - 1947

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0010 FILM

Fatih Akin

Born 1973

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0011 ARCHITECT

Peter Behrens

1868 - 1940

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0012 BIOLOGIST

Matthias Jakob Schleiden

1804 - 1881

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0013 PHILOSOPHER

Ralf Dahrendorf

1929 - 2009

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0014 FOOTBALL

Uwe Seeler

Born 1936

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0015 SINGER

Wolf Biermann

Born 1936

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0016 COMPOSER

Fanny Mendelssohn

1805 - 1847

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0017 SINGER

Hans Albers

1891 - 1960

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0018 FOOTBALL

Stefan Effenberg

Born 1968

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0019 PHYSICIST

James Franck

1882 - 1964

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0020 ART HISTORIAN

Aby Warburg

1866 - 1929

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0021 ARCHITECT

Gottfried Semper

1803 - 1879

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0022 PHYSICIST

Gustav Ludwig Hertz

1887 - 1975

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0023 FILM

Douglas Sirk

1897 - 1987

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0024 ACTOR

Christiane F.

Born 1961

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0025 SCULPTOR

Eva Hesse

1936 - 1970

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0026 AUTHOR

Arno Schmidt

1914 - 1979

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0027 FOOTBALL

Andreas Brehme

Born 1960

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0028 COMPOSER

Bert Kaempfert

1923 - 1980

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0029 SCREENWRITER

Jürgen Vogel

Born 1968

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0030 ASTRONOMER

Johann Franz Encke

1791 - 1865

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0031 PLAYER

Tommy Haas

Born 1978

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0032 PHYSICIST

Manfred von Ardenne

1907 - 1997

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0033 WRITER

Uwe Timm

Born 1940

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0034 ACTOR

Emmy Göring

1893 - 1973

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0035 ACTOR

Susanne Lothar

1960 - 2012

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0036 SINGER

Jasmin Wagner

Born 1980

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0037 PHILOSOPHER

Hans Reichenbach

1891 - 1953

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0038 SCHOLAR

Heinrich Barth

1821 - 1865

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0039 THEOLOGIAN

Jürgen Moltmann

Born 1926

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0040 FILM

Oliver Hirschbiegel

Born 1957

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0041 ACTOR

Karin Schubert

Born 1944

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0042 ASTRONOMER

Gerhard Herzberg

1904 - 1999

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0043 RAPPER

Samy Deluxe

Born 1977

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0044 LINGUIST

Walter Jens

1923 - 2013

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0045 FOOTBALL

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting

Born 1989

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0046 COMPOSER

Johann Mattheson

1681 - 1764

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0047 PHYSICIST

J. Hans D. Jensen

1907 - 1973

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0048 ENTREPRENEUR

John Rabe

1882 - 1950

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0049 RABBI

Samson Raphael Hirsch

1808 - 1888

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0050 PHOTOGRAPHER

Astrid Kirchherr

1938 - 2020

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0051 ACTOR

Renée Adorée

1897 - 1933

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0052 POLITICIAN

Peer Steinbrück

Born 1947

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0053 ASTRONOMER

Johann Elert Bode

1747 - 1826

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0054 GUITAR

Kai Hansen

Born 1963

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0055 MUSIC

Nils Frahm

Born 1982

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0056 PHOTOGRAPHER

Bill Brandt

1904 - 1983

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0057 WRITER

Hermann Kant

1926 - 2016

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0058 ACTOR

Hannah Herzsprung

Born 1981

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0059 THEATRE

Helmut Griem

1932 - 2004

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0060 CHEMIST

Otto Diels

1876 - 1954

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0061 COMPOSER

Paul Dessau

1894 - 1979

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0062 FOOTBALL

Patrick Owomoyela

Born 1979

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0063 FOOTBALL

Ivan Klasnić

Born 1980

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0064 ACTOR

Kostja Ullmann

Born 1984

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0065 MERCHANT

Carl Hagenbeck

1844 - 1913

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0066 SINGER

Jan Delay

Born 1976

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0067 MILITAR

Walther von Seydlitz-Kurzbach

1888 - 1976

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0068 MODEL

Tatjana Patitz

Born 1966

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0069 ACTOR

Evelyn Hamann

1942 - 2007

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0070 ACTOR

Toni Garrn

Born 1992

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0071 MUSIC

Boys Noize

Born 1982

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0072 ACTOR

Sig Ruman

1884 - 1967

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0073 ACTOR

Brigitte Mira

1910 - 2005

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0074 COMPOSER

Ferdinand David (musician)

1810 - 1873

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0075 SINGER

Michael Kiske

Born 1968

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0076 ACTOR

Raimund Harmstorf

1939 - 1998

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0077 COMPOSER

Fredrik Pacius

1809 - 1891

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0078 MUSIC

Michael Rother

Born 1950

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0079 PHILOSOPHER

Hermann Samuel Reimarus

1694 - 1768

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0080 WRITER

Ralph Giordano

1923 - 2014

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0081 AUTHOR

Wolfgang Hildesheimer

1916 - 1991

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0082 EDUCATION

Johann Bernhard Basedow

1723 - 1790

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0083 PRODUCER

Felix Jaehn

Born 1994

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0084 HISTORIAN

Eduard Meyer

1855 - 1930

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0085 PAINTER

Horst Janssen

1929 - 1995

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0086 ACTOR

Holger Meins

1941 - 1974

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0087 WIFE OF

Martha Bernays

1861 - 1951

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0088 POLITICIAN

Klaus von Dohnányi

Born 1928

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0089 ENTREPRENEUR

Albert Ballin

1857 - 1918

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0090 BANK

Paul Warburg

1868 - 1932

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0091 WRITER

Felix Dahn

1834 - 1912

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0092 ACTOR

Heidi Kabel

1914 - 2010

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0093 MATHEMATICIAN

Michael Artin

Born 1934

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0094 FOOTBALL

Martin Harnik

Born 1987

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0095 POLITICIAN

Hans-Olaf Henkel

Born 1940

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0096 SINGER

Joachim Witt

Born 1949

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0097 PHILOSOPHER

Thomas Pogge

Born 1953

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0098 ACTOR

Eva Habermann

Born 1976

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0099 COLLECTOR

Siegfried Bing

1838 - 1905

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0100 FILM

Reinhold Schünzel

1886 - 1954

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0101 PÉDAGOGUE

Loki Schmidt

1919 - 2010

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0102 PRODUCER

Alex Christensen

Born 1967

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0103 WRITER

H. A. Rey

1898 - 1977

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0104 BOTANIST

Otto Warburg (botanist)

1859 - 1938

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0105 JOURNALIST

Hans Massaquoi

1926 - 2013

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0106 FOOTBALL

Levin Öztunalı

Born 1996

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0107 THEOLOGIAN

Johann Hinrich Wichern

1808 - 1881

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0108 WRITER

Willi Bredel

1901 - 1964

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0109 POLITICIAN

Hans Apel

1932 - 2011

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0110 POET

Barthold Heinrich Brockes

1680 - 1747

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0111 WRITER

Friedrich Gerstäcker

1816 - 1872

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0112 BIOGRAPHER

Glückel of Hameln

1646 - 1724

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0113 BIOLOGIST

Hinrich Lichtenstein

1780 - 1857

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0114 ACTOR

Harry Meyen

1924 - 1979

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0115 PAINTER

Mati Klarwein

1932 - 2002

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0116 COMPOSER

Emil von Sauer

1862 - 1942

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0117 POET

May Ayim

1960 - 1996

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0118 ACTOR

Hans Nielsen (actor)

1911 - 1965

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0119 SINGER

Lian Ross

Born 1962

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0120 ACTOR

Hannelore Hoger

Born 1942

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0121 WRITER

Wilhelmine Schröder-Devrient

1804 - 1860

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0122 ACTOR

Caroline Beil

Born 1966

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0123 ART HISTORIAN

Percy Ernst Schramm

1894 - 1970

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0124 AUTHOR

Wolfgang Herrndorf

1965 - 2013

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0125 MATHEMATICIAN

Max Dehn

1878 - 1952

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0126 FOOTBALL

Jeffrey Schlupp

Born 1992

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0127 PHYSICIST

Johann Christian Poggendorff

1796 - 1877

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0128 GUITAR

Roland Grapow

Born 1959

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0129 PHYSICIST

Jürgen Ehlers

1929 - 2008

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0130 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Ami Boué

1794 - 1881

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0131 ACTOR

Adam Bousdoukos

Born 1974

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0132 PAINTER

Christian Wilhelm Allers

1857 - 1915

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0133 PHILOLOGIST

Erwin Rohde

1845 - 1898

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0134 BUSINESS

John Browne, Baron Browne of Madingley

Born 1948

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0135 FOOTBALL

Jonathan Tah

Born 1996

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0136 MUSIC

Frank Peterson

Born 1963

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0137 POET

Hans Leip

1893 - 1983

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0138 ASSYRIOLOGIST

Julius Oppert

1825 - 1905

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0139 FILM

Axel von Ambesser

1910 - 1988

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0140 WRITER

Hans Erich Nossack

1901 - 1977

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0141 ACTOR

Collien Ulmen-Fernandes

Born 1981

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0142 ACTOR

Harry Rowohlt

1945 - 2015

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0143 DRIVER

Manfred von Brauchitsch

1905 - 2003

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0144 ACTOR

Nina Bott

Born 1978

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0145 PAINTER

David Klöcker Ehrenstrahl

1628 - 1698

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0146 BANK

Max Warburg

1867 - 1946

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0147 MILITAR

Ulrich Wille

1848 - 1925

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0148 VIOLIN

Christian Tetzlaff

Born 1966

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0149 AUTHOR

Axel Scheffler

Born 1957

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0150 SOLDIER

Robert Mulka

1895 - 1969

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0151 FOOTBALL

Uli Stein

Born 1954

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0152 DRUMMER

Ingo Schwichtenberg

1965 - 1995

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0153 ACTOR

Johanna Gastdorf

Born 1959

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0154 PHOTOGRAPHER

Herbert List

1903 - 1975

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0155 FOOTBALL

Tunay Torun

Born 1990

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0156 FILM

John Brahm

1893 - 1982

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0157 PAINTER

Richard Lindner (painter)

1901 - 1978

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0158 ACTOR

Dolly Haas

1910 - 1994

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0159 POLITICIAN

Aydan Özoğuz

Born 1967

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0160 WRITER

Karen Duve

Born 1961

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0161 ACTOR

Jannik Schümann

Born 1992

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0162 POLITICIAN

Volker Rühe

Born 1942

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0163 SINGER

Peter Heppner

Born 1967

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0164 INDOLOGIST

Hermann Oldenberg

1854 - 1920

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0165 PAINTER

Balthasar Denner

1685 - 1749

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0166 ENTREPRENEUR

Alfred Beit

1853 - 1906

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0167 ACTOR

Ursula Thiess

1924 - 2010

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0168 POET

Johann von Rist

1607 - 1667

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0169 ACTOR

Doris Kunstmann

Born 1944

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0170 POLITICIAN

Ole von Beust

Born 1955

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0171 SOLDIER

Kurt Becher

1909 - 1995

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0172 COMPOSER

Berthold Goldschmidt

1903 - 1996

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0173 AUTHOR

John Lanchester

Born 1962

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0174 PHYSICIST

Robert Pohl

1884 - 1976

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0175 ACTOR

Sig Arno

1895 - 1975

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0176 POLITICIAN

Walther Leisler Kiep

1926 - 2016

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0177 ACTOR

Nina Petri

Born 1963

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0178 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Adolf Bernhard Meyer

1840 - 1911

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0179 JOURNALIST

Philipp Blom

Born 1970

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0180 SCULPTOR

Gego

1912 - 1994

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0181 ACTOR

Christoph M. Ohrt

Born 1960

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0182 ACTOR

Agnes Windeck

1888 - 1975

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0183 COMPOSER

Jean Gilbert

1879 - 1942

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0184 SCREENWRITER

Bodo Kirchhoff

Born 1948

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0185 HISTORIAN

Sönke Neitzel

Born 1968

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0186 PHYSIOLOGIST

Wilhelm Kühne

1837 - 1900

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0187 LAWYER

Claus Roxin

Born 1931

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0188 ACTOR

Patrick Bach

Born 1968

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0189 WRITER

Henry Winterfeld

1901 - 1990

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0190 PAINTER

Anita Rée

1885 - 1933

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0191 ACTOR

Jürgen Roland

1925 - 2007

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0192 OPPONENT

Helmuth Hübener

1925 - 1942

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0193 FOOTBALL

Zlatan Bajramović

Born 1979

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0194 ACTOR

Vijessna Ferkic

Born 1987

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0195 ACTOR

Wanja Mues

Born 1973

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0196 MUSIC

Oliver Shanti

Born 1948

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0197 PRESENTER

Jörg Pilawa

Born 1965

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0198 POLITICIAN

Christine Buchholz

Born 1971

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0199 ACTOR

Camilla Spira

1906 - 1997

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0200 POET

Friedrich von Hagedorn

1708 - 1754

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0201 WRITER

Margret Rey

1906 - 1996

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0202 SOLDIER

Otto Kumm

1909 - 2004

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0203 FILM

Erich Engel

1891 - 1966

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0204 FOOTBALL

Zhi-Gin Lam

Born 1991

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0205 SINGER

Dagmar Krause

Born 1950

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0206 POLITICIAN

Stephan Weil

Born 1958

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0207 WRITER

Adele Schopenhauer

1797 - 1849

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0208 COMPOSER

Otto Goldschmidt

1829 - 1907

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0209 MUSIC

Michael Weikath

Born 1962

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0210 WRITER

Kirsten Boie

Born 1950

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0211 WRITER

James H. Schmitz

1911 - 1981

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0212 BASSIST

Markus Grosskopf

Born 1965

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0213 ACTOR

Christiane Krüger

Born 1945

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0214 OFFICER

Bruno Streckenbach

1902 - 1977

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0215 WRITER

Jutta Bauer

Born 1955

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0216 PLAYWRIGHT

Falk Richter

Born 1969

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0217 CHEMIST

Wilhelm Rudolph Fittig

1835 - 1910

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0218 PAINTER

Otto Eckmann

1865 - 1902

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0219 BANK

Felix M. Warburg

1871 - 1937

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0220 SONGWRITER

Rolf Zuckowski

Born 1947

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0221 WRITER

Peter Pohl

Born 1940

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0222 ACTOR

Marek Erhardt

Born 1969

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0223 BASKET

Patrick Femerling

Born 1975

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0224 ATHLETIC

Arne Gabius

Born 1981

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0225 ACTOR

Ingrid Andree

Born 1931

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0226 ACTOR

Jenny Gröllmann

1947 - 2006

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0227 HISTORIAN

Ernst Bernheim

1850 - 1942

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0228 AUTHOR

Jan Wagner (poet)

Born 1971

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0229 FILM

Andreas Schnaas

Born 1968

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0230 SINGER

Nadja Abd el Farrag

Born 1965

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0231 BOTANIST

Paul Gerson Unna

1850 - 1929

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0232 CLUB

Special D.

Born 1980

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0233 POLICE

Carl Oberg

1897 - 1965

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0234 ACTOR

Boy Gobert

1925 - 1986

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0235 ORNITHOLOGIST

Ernst Hartert

1859 - 1933

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0236 SINGER

Hanna Schwarz

Born 1943

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0237 POET

Naphtali Hirz Wessely

1725 - 1805

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0238 SCREENWRITER

Hanns Kräly

1884 - 1950

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0239 COMPOSER

Johann Schop

1590 - 1667

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0240 MUSIC

Hermann Baumann (musician)

Born 1934

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0241 GYMNAST

Isao Yoneda

Born 1977

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0242 ACTOR

Marquard Bohm

1941 - 2006

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0243 ART HISTORIAN

Gustav Friedrich Waagen

1794 - 1868

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0244 ACTOR

Maren Eggert

Born 1974

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0245 ACTOR

Sandra Nettelbeck

Born 1966

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0246 COMPOSER

Hieronymus Praetorius

1560 - 1629

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0247 WRITER

Otto Brahm

1856 - 1912

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0248 FOOTBALL

Ömer Şişmanoğlu

Born 1989

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0249 ACTOR

Michael Maertens

Born 1963

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0250 ACTOR

Sophie Schütt

Born 1974

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0251 AUTHOR

Diedrich Diederichsen

Born 1957

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0252 ENGINEER

Johann Georg Halske

1814 - 1890

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0253 SCHOLAR

Johann Friedrich Gronovius

1611 - 1671

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0254 SINGER

Frl. Menke

Born 1960

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0255 PAINTER

Christian Ernst Bernhard Morgenstern

1805 - 1867

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0256 CHEMIST

Bernhard Tollens

1841 - 1918

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0257 JOURNALIST

Kai Hermann

Born 1938

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0258 PROFESSOR

Andreas Schleicher

Born 1964

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0259 COLLECTOR

Cornelius Gurlitt (collectionneur)

1932 - 2014

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0260 MATHEMATICIAN

Paul Cohn

1924 - 2006

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0261 POLITICIAN

Wilhelm Kaisen

1887 - 1979

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0262 BANK

James Warburg

1896 - 1969

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0263 PLAYER

Alexander Zverev

Born 1997

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0264 FOOTBALL

Holger Hieronymus

Born 1959

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0265 ART HISTORIAN

Alfred Lichtwark

1852 - 1914

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0266 HISTORIAN

Georg Iggers

1926 - 2017

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0267 COMPOSER

Moritz von Oswald

Born 1962

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0268 PIANIST

Axel Zwingenberger

Born 1955

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0269 PHYSICIST

Christian Ludwig Gerling

1788 - 1864

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0270 LAWYER

Georg Friedrich von Martens

1756 - 1821

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0271 FOOTBALL

Karim Guédé

Born 1985

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0272 ROWER

Peter-Michael Kolbe

Born 1953

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0273 OFFICER

Ulrich Friedrich Woldemar von Löwendal

1700 - 1755

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0274 CHEMIST

Gustav Embden

1874 - 1933

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0275 LINGUIST

Kuno Meyer

1858 - 1919

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0276 HISTORIAN

Barbara Aland

Born 1937

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0277 SINGER

Sascha Konietzko

Born 1961

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0278 ACTOR

Carolyn Genzkow

Born 1992

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0279 THEOLOGIAN

Helmut Koester

1926 - 2016

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0280 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Alfred Rust

1900 - 1983

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0281 FOOTBALL

Holger Stanislawski

Born 1969

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0282 SINGER

Billie Ray Martin

Born 1970

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0283 BOTANIST

Ludwig Diels

1874 - 1945

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0284 MUSIC

Michael Hoenig

Born 1952

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0285 PIANIST

Bodo Wartke

Born 1977

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0286 CHEMIST

Hans Meerwein

1879 - 1965

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0287 PLAYER

Margareta Kozuch

Born 1986

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0288 ACTOR

Susan Sideropoulos

Born 1980

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0289 FOOTBALL

Otto Addo

Born 1975

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0290 HOCKEY

Tobias Hauke

Born 1987

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0291 KOMMANDANT

Luis Vernet

1791 - 1871

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0292 PLAYER

Michael Westphal

1965 - 1991

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0293 SCREENWRITER

Helga Feddersen

1930 - 1990

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0294 MATHEMATICIAN

Heinrich Behnke

1898 - 1979

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0295 FEMINIST

Lida Gustava Heymann

1868 - 1943

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0296 PHILOLOGIST

Jakob Bernays

1824 - 1881

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0297 CHEMIST

Alfred Einhorn

1856 - 1917

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0298 PHILANTHROPIST

Amalie Sieveking

1794 - 1859

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0299 SCULPTOR

Wilhelm von Hanno

1826 - 1882

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0300 MEDIEVALIST

Gerd Althoff

Born 1943

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