German politician
Frieda Nadig in 1948 or 1949 during her time at the Parlamentarischer Rat. Photo by Erna Wagner-Hehmke
[de] (1905-1992)
Friederike Nadig (11 December 1897 – 14 August 1970) was a German politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). One of the four women members of the Parlamentarischer Rat who drafted the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany in 1948/49, she was one of the Mothers of the Basic Law [de].
Life
Friederike Charlotte Louise Nadig was born in Herford on 11 December 1897. Her father Wilhelm Nadig, a joiner, was a SPD politician who served in the Landtag of Prussia from 1919 to 1931. Her mother Luise Henriette Friederike Drewes was a seamstress.
After being educated at a Bürgerschule, Nadig completed vocational training as a sales clerk at the Konsumverein Herford co-operative and worked as saleswoman from 1914 to 1920. From 1920 to 1922 she studied at the Social Women's School of Alice Salomon in Berlin, where she qualified as a social worker. From 1922, she was a youth social worker in the city of Bielefeld social office and volunteered in the Arbeiterwohlfahrt [de] (Worker's Welfare), a social aid organisation. In May 1933, Nadig was summarily dismissed from her job for "unreliability" based on her "Marxist attitude" and the Nazi Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service. After three years of unemployment and difficulties caused by the political reasons for her dismissal, she found a position at the public health office of Ahrweiler in early 1936 and stayed there until the end of the war, using her influence to protect people against Nazi euthanasia laws.
Reconstructed shelter in the Silberbergtunnel
In 1944/45, she was among those 2500 Ahrweiler residents who temporarily lived in the Silberbergtunnel [de], a tunnel (part of the never-finished Strategic Railway Embankment) in a nearby mountain that was used as shelter from Allied bomb attacks. In 1946, after a query by Nadig, the city of Bielefeld annulled her 1933 dismissal, but Nadig took a salaried position at the Arbeiterwohlfahrt Westfalen-Ost instead, where she was involved in the creation of retirement homes and childcare facilities. She retired from the Arbeiterwohlfahrt in 1966, as managing director of the regional office. Nadig died in Bad Oeynhausen on 14 August 1970.
Political career
Nadig became a member of the Arbeiterjugend (worker's youth) in 1914 and joined the SPD in 1916. After gaining reputation as an expert for youth and women's issues within the regional SPD, she was elected a member of the provincial diet of Westphalia in 1929 and again in 1933, shortly before the provincial diet was dissolved. In the Nazi era, she was not allowed to be active politically.
After the end of the war, Nadig helped rebuild the SPD in Bielefeld and in Ostwestfalen. In 1947, she became a member of the British Occupation Zone's Zonal Advisory Council [de] and was later elected member of the Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia, serving from 20 April 1947 to 17 June 1950. In 1948, she was sent to the Parlamentarischer Rat in Bonn as a representative of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Nadig was a member of the Bundestag from 1949 to 1961, winning election as first-past-the post candidate three times, in the constituencies of Bielefeld-Stadt and Bielefeld-Halle. Her main political work was on women's equality in marriage and family law.
Influence on the Parliamentary Council
Nadig was one of only four women members of the Parliamentary Council, the four "Mothers of the Basic Law". She was one of 12 members of the Grundsatzausschuss, the committee responsible for foundational principles. She and Elisabeth Selbert were instrumental in having equal rights for women included in the Basic Law, and it was Nadig who proposed the SPD amendment motion to include the sentence "men and women have equal rights" in the committee session on 30 November 1948. It was rejected by the committee on that day and by the Hauptausschuss, the coordinating committee, on 3 December 1948. Selbert and Nadig organised a wide-ranging protest of women across German society, and a large number of letters and resolutions by women and women's organisations reached the Parliamentary Council. The coordinating committee then passed the equal rights amendment unanimously on 18 January 1949. Nadig attempted to explicitly include the right to equal pay, but the coordinating committee decided this was already implicit in the equal rights statement, however, this turned out not to be the case in practice.
Nadig also attempted to guarantee equal rights for children born out of wedlock and worked to secure the right for conscientious objection in the Basic Law.
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CDU/CSU | CDU/CSU |
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SPD | |
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FDP | FDP |
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Speaker: Theodor Heuss until 12 September 1949; Hermann Schäfer until 10 January 1951; August-Martin Euler until 6 May 1952; Hermann Schäfer from 6 May 1952 |
- Members:
- Atzenroth
- Becker
- Blank
- Blücher
- Dannemann
- Dehler
- Dirscherl
- Eberhard (from 3 October 1952)
- Euler
- Fassbender
- Friedrich (from 5 October 1950 Non-attached, from 16 November 1950 BHE/DG, from 2 April 1952 FDP-Gast)
- Frühwald
- Funcke (from 14 September 1951)
- Gaul
- Golitschek
- Grundmann
- Hammer
- Hasemann
- Henn (from 1 February 1952)
- Heuss (until 15 September 1949)
- Hoffmann (from 15 June 1951)
- Hoffmann
- Höpker-Aschoff (until 9 September 1951)
- Hübner (from 1 February 1952)
- Hütter (from 15 September 1949)
- Ilk (from 3 November 1949)
- Jaeger (from 22 January 1953)
- Juncker
- Kneipp
- Kohl (until 31 January 1952)
- Kühn
- Langer (from 10 June 1952 Non-attached, from 29 March 1953 WAV)
- Leuchtgens (from 21 January 1950 DRP, from 5 October 1950 Non-attached (DRP), from 6 December 1950 DP, from 27 July 1953 partei- und Non-attached)
- Leuze (from 21 March 1952)
- Linnert (until 27 October 1949)
- Luchtenberg (from 30 October 1950)
- Margulies
- Mauk (from 7 April 1952)
- Mayer (until 18 December 1952)
- Mende
- Middelhauve (until 17 October 1950)
- Mulert (from 1 February 1952)
- Neumayer
- Nöll
- Nowack (until 30 September 1952)
- Oellers (until 5 June 1951)
- Onnen
- Pfleiderer
- Preiß
- Preusker
- Rademacher
- Rath
- Rechenberg (until 19 January 1953)
- Reif
- Revenstorff
- Rüdiger (until 20 February 1951)
- Schäfer
- Schneider
- Stahl
- Stegner
- Trischler
- Vries (from 5 January 1953)
- Wellhausen
- Wildermuth (until 9 March 1952)
- Will (from 1 February 1952)
- Wirths
- Zawadil (from 26 November 1952 DP)
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DP | DP |
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- Members:
- Ahrens
- Bahlburg (from 13 September 1951 Non-attached, from 24 January 1952 DP-Gast, from 10 September 1952 Non-attached)
- Campe (from 23 January 1950, until 8 January 1952)
- Eickhoff
- Ewers
- Farke
- Fricke (from 22 March 1952)
- Hedler (from 19 January 1950 Non-attached, from 28 March 1950 DRP-Gast, from 16 September 1950 Non-attached, from 29 April 1953 WAV)
- Hellwege
- Jaffé (from 9 January 1952)
- Kalinke
- Klinge (until 21 December 1949)
- Kuhlemann
- Matthes
- Merkatz
- Mühlenfeld (until 15 May 1953)
- Seebohm
- Tobaben
- Walter
- Wittenburg
- Woltje (from 30 May 1953)
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BP | BP |
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Speaker: Gebhard Seelos until 25 September 1951; Hugo Decker from 25 September 1951 |
- Members:
- Aretin (from 14 December 1951 FU)
- Aumer (from 8 September 1950 Non-attached)
- Baumgartner (until 1 January 1951)
- Besold (from 14 December 1951 FU)
- Decker
- Donhauser (from 8 September 1950 Non-attached, from 17 September 1952 CSU)
- Eichner (from 14 December 1951 FU)
- Etzel (from 14 December 1951 FU, from 3 December 1952 Non-attached (GVP))
- Falkner (until 27 October 1950)
- Fink (from 14 December 1951 FU, from 5 January 1952 CSU)
- Fürstenberg (from 7 November 1950 Non-attached, from 19 January 1951 CSU)
- Lampl (from 10 November 1950, from 14 December 1951 FU)
- Maerkl (from 1 September 1952)
- Mayerhofer (from 14 December 1951 FU)
- Meitinger (from 26 September 1951, from 14 December 1951 FU)
- Oettingen-Wallerstein (from 8 January 1951, from 14 December 1951 FU, until 1 September 1952)
- Parzinger (from 14 December 1951 FU)
- Rahn (from 14 January 1950, from 8 September 1950 Non-attached, from 17 October 1950 WAV-Gast, from 14 February 1951 CSU)
- Seelos (until 25 September 1951)
- Volkholz (from 14 December 1951 FU)
- Wartner (from 14 December 1951 FU)
- Ziegler (until 30 December 1949)
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KPD | KPD |
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- Members:
- Agatz
- Fisch
- Gundelach
- Harig
- Kohl (from 26 January 1950)
- Leibbrand (until 26 January 1950)
- Müller (from 10 May 1950 Non-attached)
- Müller
- Niebergall
- Niebes (from 10 July 1952)
- Nuding (until 20 April 1951)
- Paul
- Reimann
- Renner
- Rische
- Strohbach (from 16 May 1951)
- Thiele
- Vesper (until 30 June 1952)
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WAV | WAV |
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- Members:
- Bieganowski (from 21 March 1952, from 23 April 1952 DP/DPB, from 9 December 1952 Non-attached)
- Fröhlich (from 13 October 1950 BHE/DG, from 21 March 1952 Non-attached)
- Goetzendorff (from 29 March 1950 DRP-Gast, from 5 October 1950 Non-attached (DRP), from 29 April 1953 WAV)
- Keller (from 24 April 1952, from 6 December 1951 DP, Non-attached)
- Löfflad (from 6 December 1951 DP)
- Loritz (from 6 December 1951 Non-attached, from 29 April 1953 WAV)
- Paschek (from 29 March 1950 DRP-Gast, from 5 October 1950 Non-attached, from 30 January 1951 WAV, from 6 December 1951 DP, until 22 April 1952)
- Reindl (from 6 December 1951 DP/DPB, from 9 December 1952 Non-attached, from 29 April 1953 WAV)
- Schmidt (from 6 December 1951 DP/DPB, from 9 December 1952 Non-attached)
- Schuster (from 6 December 1951 DP)
- Tichi (from 13 October 1950 BHE/DG, from 21 March 1952 Non-attached)
- Wallner (from 6 December 1951 DP/DPB, from 9 December 1952 Non-attached)
- Weickert (from 13 October 1950 BHE/DG, until 16 March 1952)
- Wittmann (from 6 December 1951 DP, from 9 May 1952 Non-attached, from 5 July 1952 CDU/CSU-Gast)
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ZENTRUM | ZENTRUM |
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- Members:
- Amelunxen (until 7 October 1949)
- Arnold (from 14 December 1951 FU, from 9 December 1952 Non-attached (GVP))
- Bertram (from 3 November 1949, from 14 December 1951 FU)
- Determann (from 14 December 1951 FU)
- Glasmeyer (from 23 November 1951 CDU)
- Hamacher (until 29 July 1951)
- Hoffmann (, from 14 December 1951 FU)
- Krause (until 18 October 1950)
- Pannenbecker (from 14 December 1951 FU)
- Reismann (from 14 December 1951 FU)
- Ribbeheger (from 14 December 1951 FU)
- Wessel (from 14 December 1951 FU, from 13 November 1952 Non-attached (GVP))
- Willenberg (from 26 October 1950, from 14 December 1951 FU)
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DRP | DRP |
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- Members:
- Dorls (from 13 December 1950 WAV-Gast, from 17 January 1951 WAV, from 26 September 1951 Non-attached, am 23 October 1952 Mandatsaberkennung)
- Frommhold (from 7 September 1949 Nationale Rechte, from 5 October 1950 Non-attached (DRP), from 26 March 1952 DP-Gast, from 11 February 1953 Non-attached)
- Jaeger (from 29 February 1952)
- Miessner (from 5 October 1950 FDP-Gast, from 20 December 1950 FDP)
- Rößler (from 15 September 1949 Nationale Rechte, from 6 September 1950 Non-attached, from 13 December 1950 WAV-Gast, from 17 January 1951 WAV, from 26 September 1951 Non-attached, until 21 February 1952)
- Thadden (from 15 September 1949 Nationale Rechte; 1950 DRP, from 20 April 1950 Non-attached)
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OTHER | OTHER |
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- Members:
- Clausen (from 23 January 1952 FU-Gast, from 3 July 1953 Non-attached)
- Edert (CDU/CSU-Gast)
- Freudenberg (from 5 December 1952 Non-attached)
- Ott (Non-attached, from 4 May 1950 WAV-Gast, from 13 October 1950 BHE/DG, from 21 March 1952 Non-attached, from 26 March 1952 DP/DPB-Gast, from 26 June 1952 Non-attached)
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CDU/CSU | CDU/CSU |
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- CVP:
- Ruland (from 4 January 1957, from 23 May 1957 Guest of CDU/CSU-Fraktion)
- Schneider (from 4 January 1957, Non-attached, from 23 May 1957 Guest of CDU/CSU-Fraktion)
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SPD | |
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FDP | FDP |
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- Members:
- Atzenroth
- Becker
- Berg (from 27 June 1955, from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Blank (from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Blücher (from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Bucher
- Dannemann (until 1 July 1955)
- Dehler
- Drechsel
- Eberhard
- Euler (from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Fassbender (from 18 November 1955 DP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Friese-Korn
- Frühwald
- Gaul
- Golitschek (from 18 April 1956)
- Graaff (from 4 July 1955)
- Hammer
- Held (from 13 September 1954)
- Henn (from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Hepp (from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Hoffmann
- Hübner (from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Hütter (from 29 September 1955)
- Ilk
- Jentzsch
- Kühn
- Lahr (from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Lenz
- Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg (from 6 June 1957 Non-attached, from 25 June 1957 DP/FVP)
- Luchtenberg (from 18 September 1954, until 9 April 1956)
- Lüders
- Manteuffel (from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Margulies
- Mauk
- Mayer (until 14 May 1956)
- Mende
- Middelhauve (until 10 September 1954)
- Miessner
- Neumayer (from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Onnen
- Pfleiderer (until 20 September 1955)
- Preiß (from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Preusker (from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Rademacher
- Reif
- Schäfer (from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Scheel
- Schloß
- Schneider (from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Schwann
- Stahl
- Stammberger
- Starke
- Stegner (from 13 January 1954 Non-attached, from 6 February 1957 GB/BHE)
- Weber (from 15 May 1956)
- Wellhausen (from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 23 June 1956 CDU/CSU)
- Weyer (until 17 September 1954)
- Will
- Wirths (until 16 June 1955)
- DPS:
- Schneider (from 4 January 1957, Guest of FDP-Fraktion)
- Schwertner (from 4 January 1957, from 8 January 1957 Guest of FDP-Fraktion)
- Wedel (from 4 January 1957, Non-attached, from 8 January 1957 Guest of FDP-Fraktion)
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GB/BHE | GB/BHE |
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Speaker: Horst Haasler until 15 March 1955; Karl Mocker 15 March 1955 till 26 April 1956; Erwin Feller from 26 April 1956]] |
- Members:
- Bender (from 12 July 1955 Non-attached, from 14 July 1955 Group Kraft/Oberländer, from 15 July 1955 Guest of CDU/CSU-Fraktion, from 20 March 1956 CDU/CSU)
- Czermak (from 14 July 1955 FDP)
- Eckhardt (from 12 July 1955 Non-attached, from 14 July 1955 Group Kraft/Oberländer, from 15 July 1955 Guest of CDU/CSU-Fraktion, from 20 March 1956 CDU/CSU)
- Elsner
- Engell
- Feller
- Fiedler (until 13 October 1953)
- Finck (from 12 July 1955 Non-attached, from 14 July 1955 Group Kraft/Oberländer, from 15 July 1955 Guest of CDU/CSU-Fraktion, from 20 March 1956 CDU/CSU)
- Finselberger
- Gemein
- Gille
- Haasler (from 12 July 1955 Non-attached, from 14 July 1955 Group Kraft/Oberländer, from 15 July 1955 Guest of CDU/CSU-Fraktion, from 20 March 1956 CDU/CSU)
- Keller
- Klötzer
- Körner (from 12 July 1955 Non-attached, from 14 July 1955 FDP, from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Kraft (from 12 July 1955 Non-attached, from 14 July 1955 Group Kraft/Oberländer, from 15 July 1955 Guest of CDU/CSU-Fraktion, from 20 March 1956 CDU/CSU)
- Kunz
- Kutschera
- Meyer-Ronnenberg (from 20 August 1954 CDU/CSU)
- Mocker
- Oberländer (from 12 July 1955 Non-attached, from 14 July 1955 Group Kraft/Oberländer, from 15 July 1955 Guest of CDU/CSU-Fraktion, from 20 March 1956 CDU/CSU)
- Petersen
- Reichstein
- Samwer (from 15 October 1953, from 12 July 1955 Non-attached, from 14 July 1955 Group Kraft/Oberländer, from 15 July 1955 Guest of CDU/CSU-Fraktion, from 20 March 1956 CDU/CSU)
- Seiboth
- Sornik
- Srock
- Strosche
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DP | DP |
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- Members:
- Becker (from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Brühler (from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Eickhoff (from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Elbrächter (from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Hellwege (until 27 May 1955)
- Kalinke (from 3 June 1955, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Matthes (from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Merkatz (from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Müller (from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Schild (from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Schneider (from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Schranz (from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Seebohm (from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Walter (from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Wittenburg (from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Zimmermann (from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
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OTHER | Independent |
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- Members:
- Böhner (Non-attached, until 8 January 1954)
- Brockmann (Non-attached)
- Heix (from 23 September 1953 CDU/CSU)
- Rösing (from 14 January 1954, Non-attached, from 25 June 1954 Guest of CDU/CSU-Fraktion, from 6 June 1955 CDU/CSU)
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CDU/CSU | |
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SPD | |
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FDP | |
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OTHER | Independent |
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- Members:
- Behrisch
- Kinat
- Matthes
- Schneider
- Schranz
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Authority control |
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General | |
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National libraries | |
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Biographical dictionaries | |
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