Famous Natives and Residents
- Anton Praetorius (1560–1613). Calvinist theologian who held the position of court preacher at the castle in Birstein from 1596-1598. As a witness in a celebrated witchcraft trial there, he made a historic protest against torture which, unusually, resulted in the release of the accused.
- Carl Lomb, who after his emigration to the U.S. made a fortune in optical instruments as part of the firm of Bausch & Lomb, founded by his cousin Henry Lomb. He donated two stained glass windows, "The Crucifixion" and "The Resurrection" to the Protestant church in Birstein, and was made an honorary citizen. This document is displayed in the foyer of the town hall. A street in Birstein, "Carl-Lomb-Strasse" is also named for him.
- Fritz Maubach (1912–1963), who wrote "Die Zwingburg" (1947), a description of his youth in Birstein as the son of the court pharmacist. He also published stories of local color under the pseudonym "Casper Reiserecht". Like his father, he trained as a pharmacist; he later worked as an editor, and as such was a correspondent at the Nuremberg Trials.
- Georg Hermann Walther (1899–1988), local historian, composer, and folklorist, who was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit in 1974.
- Sophie, Princess of Isenburg, wife of Georg Friedrich, Prince of Prussia.
Read more about this topic: Birstein
Famous quotes containing the words famous, natives and/or residents:
“London, thou art of townes A per se.
Soveraign of cities, semeliest in sight,
Of high renoun, riches, and royaltie;
Of lordis, barons, and many goodly knyght;
Of most delectable lusty ladies bright;
Of famous prelatis in habitis clericall;
Of merchauntis full of substaunce and myght:
London, thou art the flour of Cities all”
—William Dunbar (c. 1465–c. 1530)
“I am sorry to say we whites have a sad reputation among many of the Polynesians. The natives of these islands are naturally of a kindly and hospitable temper, but there has been implanted among them an almost instinctive hate of the white man. They esteem us, with rare exceptions, such as some of the missionaries, the most barbarous, treacherous, irreligious, and devilish creatures on the earth.”
—Herman Melville (1819–1891)
“In most nineteenth-century cities, both large and small, more than 50 percent—and often up to 75 percent—of the residents in any given year were no longer there ten years later. People born in the twentieth century are much more likely to live near their birthplace than were people born in the nineteenth century.”
—Stephanie Coontz (20th century)