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Klinger, Friedrich Maximilian von

(Encyclopedia)Klinger, Friedrich Maximilian von frēˈdrĭkh mäkˌsēmēˈlyän fən klĭngˈər [key], 1752–1831, German dramatist. A friend of the young Goethe, he was a playwright for a theatrical troupe and ...

Hofmann, August Wilhelm von

(Encyclopedia)Hofmann, August Wilhelm von ouˈgo͝ost vĭlˈhĕlm fən hôfˈmän [key], 1818–92, German organic chemist. He was professor at the Univ. of Berlin from 1865 and was a founder (1868) of the German C...

Eck, Johann Maier von

(Encyclopedia)Eck, Johann Maier von yōˈhän mīˈər fən ĕk [key], 1486–1543, German Roman Catholic theologian. He was of peasant stock, the name von Eck being taken from his birthplace in Swabia. He was a br...

Varnhagen von Ense, Karl August

(Encyclopedia)Varnhagen von Ense, Karl August kärl ouˈgo͝ost färnˈhägən fən ĕnˈzə [key], 1785–1858, German poet, historian, and journalist. He collaborated with Chamisso and other writers and wrote Bio...

Nordenskjöld, Nils Adolf Erik, Baron

(Encyclopedia)Nordenskjöld, Nils Adolf Erik, Baron nĭls äˈdôlf āˈrĭk no͞orˈdənshöld [key], 1832–1901, Swedish geologist and arctic explorer, first to navigate the Northeast Passage, b. Finland. He ser...

Ranke, Leopold von

(Encyclopedia)Ranke, Leopold von lāˈōpôlt fən rängˈkə [key], 1795–1886, German historian, generally recognized as the father of the modern objective historical school. He applied and elaborated Barthold N...

Hindenburg, Paul von

(Encyclopedia)Hindenburg, Paul von hĭnˈdənbûrg, Ger. poul fən hĭnˈdənbo͝ork [key], 1847–1934, German field marshal and president (1925–34), b. Poznan (then in Prussia). His full name was Paul Ludwig Ha...

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