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RoboCup Humanoid Soccer League May Newsletter No.2
by Francesco Petri 26 May '26

26 May '26

Dear HSL Teams, We are now barely over a month away from the World Championship in Incheon. We have a few announcements to help everyone prepare at their best for the first worldwide event of the Humanoid Soccer League. <https://md.fachschaften.org/Kni9kv56SxW_p8Vqg4SHeA?both#Rules-release>Rules release We are pleased to announce the 1.0 release of the HSL rules. We expect this release to represent the definitive version of the function of the rules. There will be a follow-up release closer to the competition that will focus on proofreading and clearing inconsistencies, but the core mechanics of the rules will not change. You can read the current release at https://github.com/RoboCup-HumanoidSoccerLeague/HSL-Rules/releases/tag/rule…, and the latest work-in-progress at https://github.com/RoboCup-HumanoidSoccerLeague/HSL-Rules/blob/main/Rules.p… <https://md.fachschaften.org/Kni9kv56SxW_p8Vqg4SHeA?both#Open-Research-Chall…>Open Research Challenge RoboCup 2026 will host an optional Open Research Challenge dedicated to showcasing contributions for the benefit of the league. Teams can present any work of theirs that they believe is relevant to the community, even if it’s not directly related to winning games. Contributions on the topic of safety are especially welcome. You can read the latest version of the challenge rules at https://github.com/RoboCup-HumanoidSoccerLeague/HSL-Rules/blob/main/Challen… We hope to see numerous contributions to help the development of our newly born league. <https://md.fachschaften.org/Kni9kv56SxW_p8Vqg4SHeA?both#Registration-remind…>Registration reminder We would like to remind the teams that the normal registration deadline is *one week from now*, on *June 2nd*. During the late registration period, only already-registered teams will be able to add members, while *new teams will be unable to register*. Please make sure your team is registered by the deadline. You should have received a registration link in your team’s email. If you have any questions, please reach out to registration(a)robocup.org or on Discord. <https://md.fachschaften.org/Kni9kv56SxW_p8Vqg4SHeA?both#Jersey-submission-r…>Jersey submission reminder The other close deadline is that for jersey design submission, which is due by *June 1st*. Teams that haven’t submitted a design should do so as soon as possible by sending an email to hsl_tc(a)lists.robocup.org As per the previous newsletter, robots must maintain neutral, non-reflective bodies and wear tank top-style jerseys covering at least 50% of the upper body. These jerseys must feature a clear primary color, display unique player numbers on both the front and back, and remain easily distinguishable from the opposing team and officials. Goalkeepers must be uniquely marked, and while sponsorship logos are permitted, they must not interfere with the primary color or visibility of player numbers. Each team is required to provide two distinct solid color designs for approval; please ensure these jersey designs are submitted to the TC mailing list by the June 1st deadline. Mock-up designs are also acceptable. Best regards, Francesco Petri on behalf of the HSL Technical Committee -- *Fai crescere le giovani ricercatrici e i giovani ricercatori*** *con il 5 per mille alla Sapienza* Scrivi il codice fiscale dell'Università *80209930587 **Cinque per mille <https://www.uniroma1.it/it/node/23149>*

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Quori Community Gathering @ ICRA 2026
by Ross Mead 24 May '26

24 May '26

Hello colleagues! We are planning an informal, in-person gathering sometime June 1-5 (TBD) at ICRA 2026 in Vienna, Austria for current and prospective members of the Quori robotics community. All are welcome! Quori is an NSF-funded, not-for-profit, open-everything, modular, social robot platform for the robotics research community (https://quori.org). The gathering at ICRA will serve as an opportunity to meet with colleagues interested in the Quori robot platform and to network with other researchers interested in human-robot interaction and general robotics. Please RSVP to the Google Form HERE <https://forms.gle/B4VKQE3tQuf2gkUD8> to express your interest and availability, and we’ll get back to you ASAP with a proposed time and location. You are encouraged to forward this to anyone you think might be interested in Quori. Additionally, we will also host a virtual meeting shortly after ICRA 2026 for the broader Quori community. At the virtual meeting, we will (1) provide Quori development updates; (2) invite research groups to optionally share a summary of their ICRA presentations; and (3) outline plans for cost, timeline, and distribution of Quori units. We will follow up with more information. Please let us know if you have any questions or comments. Thanks and we hope to see you at ICRA 2026 and/or at the Quori community virtual meeting! -- The Quori Project Team * Ross Mead (Semio) * Bill Smart (Oregon State University) * Mark Yim (University of Pennsylvania) * Simon Kim (University of Pennsylvania) * Naomi Fitter (Oregon State University)

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RoboCup Humanoid Soccer League May Newsletter
by Sam Griffiths 13 May '26

13 May '26

Greetings Humanoid Soccer League (HSL) Teams! As we move closer to our historic debut in Incheon, South Korea, we have several critical operational updates for all qualified and participating teams. Please review these five key areas to ensure your team is ready for the pitch this June. 1. Jerseys (Extended Submission Due Date: June 1st) Per Rule 4.1, robots must maintain neutral, non-reflective bodies and wear tank top-style jerseys covering at least 50% of the upper body. These jerseys must feature a clear primary color, display unique player numbers on both the front and back, and remain easily distinguishable from the opposing team and officials. Goalkeepers must be uniquely marked, and while sponsorship logos are permitted, they must not interfere with the primary color or visibility of player numbers. Each team is required to provide two distinct solid color designs for approval; please ensure these jersey designs are submitted to the TC mailing list by the June 1st deadline. 2. The Booster Robotics Robot Pool We are excited to confirm the Booster Robotics Robot Pool for HSL 2026. This initiative supports teams that may not yet have their own full fleet of hardware. Available Models: A pool of K1 and T1 humanoid models will be provided by Booster Robotics. For teams that bring 2 K1 robots, they will be eligible to receive up to 3 robots from the pool. For teams that bring 1 T1 robot, they will be eligible to receive up to 2 robots from the pool. For more information, contact Booster Robotics directly. 3. Shipping Information Logistics planning for transporting your robots to South Korea is now underway. Visit https://2026.robocup.org/news/?q=%2Fnews%2F&mod=document&uid=5 for more information. 4. Updated Penalty Rules: Improving Game Safety and Clarity The penalty system has been restructured to better distinguish between tactical fouls and safety violations. Standard in-game infractions are now signaled with a blue card and result in a time penalty. For more serious concerns involving dangerous behavior that risks damage to the field, participants, or other robots, referees will issue yellow or red cards to specific robots. While yellow cards serve as a warning for high-risk play, a direct red card will be issued at the referee’s discretion if a collision causes actual damage or if there is a high danger of recurrence. These changes ensure a safer environment while keeping the game fluid for all teams. 5. Team Posters Every team is encouraged to bring a physical poster to the competition. Format: Preferred A3 format. A4 and similar US formats are also accepted. The poster must be containing the team’s contribution, focused on the current year, to the RoboCup event to share their contributions with the other teams. Teams are responsible for printing their own posters and bringing them to the competition. Best Regards, Sam Griffiths On behalf of the HSL Technical Committee

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[CFP] Humanoids 2026 Conference
by Ross Mead 25 Apr '26

25 Apr '26

CALL FOR PAPERS: - What: 2026 IEEE RAS International Conference on Humanoid Robots - When: December 6-9, 2026 - Where: Santa Clara, California, USA - Web: https://2026.ieee-humanoids.org — IMPORTANT DATES: - Jul. 24, 2026: Paper submission deadline - Jul. 27, 2026: Supplementary video deadline (optional) - Oct. 6, 2026: Notification of paper acceptance/rejection - Oct. 16, 2026: Early-bird registration deadline - Oct. 26, 2026: Camera-ready paper deadline - Dec. 6-9, 2026: Humanoids 2026 conference — Dear colleagues, We are very pleased to invite you to contribute to the 2026 IEEE RAS International Conference on Humanoid Robots to be held in Santa Clara, California, USA, from December 6 through December 9, 2026. OVERVIEW: Humanoids 2026 aims at bringing together top researchers from humanoid robotics and related disciplines with leading companies in the field. In light of a year of rapidly evolving humanoid technologies with several new platforms coming onto the market and bringing us closer to a wider real-world deployment. Our community envisions innovative areas in humanoid robotics that lie at the intersection of general-purpose physical, cognitive, and motor capabilities, while also considering the scientific understanding of interactions with humanoid and anthropomorphic systems. FORMAT: The conference will be organized as a 4-day event opening on December 6th (Sunday) with public panels, seminars, and hackathons, followed by workshops and tutorials on December 7th (Monday), followed by 2 days December 8th-9th (Tuesday-Wednesday) for the main conference with plenaries, keynotes, oral and interactive sessions, and industry events. A centrally located exhibition will feature the latest humanoid technology from both industry and academia. TOPICS: We invite papers in all areas related to humanoid robotics, including, but not limited to: - Human biomechanics and motor control, human body and behavior modeling - Bionic / human-inspired design principles for humanoids - Human-inspired robot control - Whole-body dynamics and control - Optimization, optimal control, and model predictive control methods - Learning methods for humanoid robots - Robot modeling for locomotion and/or manipulation - Exoskeleton / wearable robot design and control - Prosthesis design and control - Physical and social human-humanoid interaction - Dynamic legged locomotion (bipeds, quadrupeds, etc.) - Loco-manipulation, legged manipulation - Dual arm dexterous manipulation - Design, control, and application of multi-finger hands - Stability and robustness of humanoid and legged robots and humans - Simulation and physics-based animations from computer graphics - Humanoid heads and faces, geminoids - Novel materials, mechanisms, and actuators for humanoids - Perception for humanoids - Human-centered robotic studies and applications - Neuro-robotics and brain-robot interfaces for humanoids and humans - Real-world applications for humanoid robots (industry, healthcare, home, space, disaster response) - Benchmarks, performance indicators for humanoid robots - Ethical and social challenges of humanoid robot deployment - Long-term deployment of humanoid, bipedal, or dual arm manipulation robots PAPERS: The paper submission deadline is July 24th, 2026, Anywhere on Earth (AOE). The maximum paper length is 8 pages, including references; additional pages are not permitted. Papers must be submitted in a PDF format; the maximum paper PDF file size is 6 MB. Papers can be submitted via PaperPlaza: https://ras.papercept.net/conferences/scripts/start.pl SUPPLEMENTARY VIDEOS: Each paper can be accompanied by one (1) optional supplementary video. You may upload or re-upload this attachment up to three (3) days after the paper submission deadline (i.e. by July 27th, 2026, AOE). Videos must be submitted in an MP4, MPG, or MPEG format; the maximum video file size is 20 MB. PAPER PRESENTATIONS: Accepted papers will be presented either in single-track oral sessions or in interactive poster sessions. All accepted papers will appear in the proceedings of the conference and on IEEE Xplore without distinction. MORE INFORMATION: For more information, please visit the conference contributions webpage (https://2026.ieee-humanoids.org/call-for-papers) or contact the Program Chairs: Luis Sentis, Serena Ivaldi, and Gentiane Venture (humanoids2026-tc(a)ieee.org). We look forward to your contributions to Humanoids 2026! — The Humanoids 2026 General Chairs: - Andra Keay (Silicon Valley Robotics) - Ross Mead (Semio)

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[RoboCup] Reminder: Please fill out the rule survey by April 15th
by Sebastian Stelter 11 Apr '26

11 Apr '26

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RoboCup Humanoid Soccer League April Newsletter
by Reinaldo A. C. Bianchi 06 Apr '26

06 Apr '26

Dear HSL team members, RoboCup is getting closer every day and the registration system is now open. All teams that have successfully qualified and are in the list at the HSL webpage (https://hsl.robocup.org/qualified-teams/) should have received a CVENT invite by now and therefore be able to register their team. If your team is still provisional qualified, and you have sent the additional material required, please contact the TCs. Due to issues in the recent years, the person assigned as team leader must register with the team and also be joining as a participant during the event. If you need to update your team leader to meet these requirements, please contact the TC mailing list so we can make the necessary adjustments. Please give us the info before you start with the registration of the team and its members as it is much easier to give you a new invitation slot instead of changing an existing one. If your team is competing for the first time at an international RoboCup event, be aware that there are First Time Fee Waivers. These will eliminate the need to pay the team registration fee (member fees still apply), but neither the team, nor a single team member can have previously taken part in an international event. If you think you are eligible, please get in contact with the TCs, so that we can guide you through the process. Registration Timeline ---------------------------- Early Registration: until May 4th Regular Registration: May 5th - Jun 2 Late Registration: Jun 3 - Jun 16 (additional members only - no new teams) Pricing & Visa letters ---------------------------- More info about the fees, visa letters and other registration related information can be found on the CVENT webpage. Please note that the competition will take place in Incheon, Republic of Korea, but due to ongoing updates to last year's materials, you may still find occasional references to Brazil at the website: https://web.cvent.com/event/4f86f2fa-cfac-446d-aa11-c1f712e4ece8 Submission of Jersey Design --------------------------------------- Per Rule 4.1, robots must maintain neutral, non-reflective bodies and wear tank top-style jerseys covering at least 50% of the upper body. These jerseys must feature a clear primary color, display unique player numbers on both the front and back, and remain easily distinguishable from the opposing team and officials. Goalkeepers must be uniquely marked, and while sponsorship logos are permitted, they must not interfere with the primary color or visibility of player numbers. Each team is required to provide two distinct solid color designs for approval; please ensure these jersey designs are submitted to the TC mailing list by the May 1st deadline. Minor rules adjustment still going -------------------------------------------- Please note that minor adjustments to the competition rules are still underway as we finalize the technical details. We are working to ensure the guidelines are clear and comprehensive, and we plan to have the official rulebook completed and available by May 1st. Thank you for your patience and for your continued contributions to the community. For the latest rules please go to: https://github.com/RoboCup-HumanoidSoccerLeague/HSL-Rules/ Penalty rules ----------------- We have received feedback that the current penalty rules are too complex and make it difficult for teams to transition. We are therefore working on a revised version of these rules. In order to find a system that feels fair and balanced to all participants, we would like to hear your opinion. We propose two different options: Option 1: Remove the incremental time penalty system and only issue fixed length time penalties, yellow cards and red cards. This is similar to the system used by the former Humanoid league. Option 2: Remove yellow and red cards and only issue fixed length or incremental time penalties. This is similar to the system used by the former SPL. Please let us know which of these options you prefer by filling out the following survey. Please only leave one response per team: https://forms.gle/R5356GY8WRwmx4d79 We are streamlining our communications! ------------------------------------------------------- While both the SPL and Humanoid lists are currently in use, please note that robocup-humanoid(a)lists.robocup.org is the definitive official mailing list and the one that will remain active. If you received this newsletter through a different list, we strongly encourage you to subscribe to the robocup-humanoid list to ensure you stay connected. This consolidated channel is now the central hub for all technical discussions, competition updates, and community announcements moving forward. Also, we have new emails for the HSL committees: Technical Committee : hsl_tc(a)lists.robocup.org Executive Committee : hsl_ec(a)lists.robocup.org Organization Committee : hsl_oc(a)lists.robocup.org The existing lists will continue to function until this year's competition to allow for a smooth transition; however, we encourage all members to migrate their communications to the new address as soon as possible. Clubbing ------------ To ensure a high level of competition and allow everyone the opportunity to participate, teams that currently have an insufficient number of robots are strongly encouraged to merge and form collaborative collectives. This "clubbing" of teams allows for the pooling of hardware resources and technical expertise, creating a more robust and competitive environment for all involved. Any teams interested in exploring a potential merger should contact the Organizing Committee (OC) directly to facilitate the matching process and coordinate logistics. Finally: Submit Your Team Logo ------------------------------------------ To ensure your team is professionally represented both on the pitch and across our digital platforms, we kindly request that all participating teams submit their official team logos. These assets are essential for configuring the GameController interface and for our official Social Media presence. Please upload a high-resolution version of your logo in PNG format (preferably with a transparent background) to the following link: https://nc.uni-bremen.de/index.php/s/bwNJyZnJB2Emc3Y In case of any open questions or issues, please do not hesitate to contact any committee member. Looking forward to seeing you in Incheon, TCs of the RoboCup Humanoid Soccer League TC mailing list email: hsl_tc(a)lists.robocup.org Esta mensagem, juntamente com qualquer outra informação anexada, é confidencial e protegida por lei. Somente os seus destinatários estão autorizados a usá-la. Se você não for o destinatário, por favor, informe o remetente e, em seguida, apague a mensagem, observando que não há autorização para usar, copiar, armazenar, encaminhar, imprimir ou tomar qualquer ação baseada no seu conteúdo.

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RoboCup 2026 HSL Rules – v0.1 Preliminary Release
by Heinrich Mellmann 11 Feb '26

11 Feb '26

Dear teams, the first preliminary release of the RoboCup 2026 Humanoid Soccer League rules (v0.1) is now available. The rules are not final and will be updated based on ongoing TC discussions and team feedback. Any questions or comments are welcome via GitHub or Discord. Latest version: https://github.com/RoboCup-HumanoidSoccerLeague/HSL-Rules/releases Best regards, Heinrich Mellmann On behalf of the Humanoid Soccer League Technical Committee. -- Dipl.-Math., Dipl.-Inf. Heinrich Mellmann Institut für Informatik Adaptive Systeme (RUD25, Raum 3.110) Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Unter den Linden 6 Telefon: +49 (0)30 2093-41173 10099 Berlin E-mail: mellmann(a)informatik.hu-berlin.de URL: http://www.heinrich-mellmann.de http://naoth.de

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UPDATE: German Open - Register Until February 6, 2026
by Heinrich Mellmann 05 Feb '26

05 Feb '26

Dear Teams, here are few updates for the HSL at the German Open. 1. Registration ----------------------------------------- **REMINDER:** the Deadline for team and early member registration is **February 6, 2026** Please visit the registration site for more details: https://portal.robocup.de/registry We already have **13 registered teams** in all tree divisions (small, middle and large). If your team is not registered yet, **DO IT NOW!!!** Its going to be a great event! 2. Booster Pool & Repairs ----------------------------------------- We have great news: Booster Robotics will be the GermanOpen and will provide a pool of robots that teams can borrow for the games and will offer robot repairs. The current plan for the pool is: - 10 x Booster K1 - 6 x Booster T1 3. Maxtronics NAO-Clinic ----------------------------------------- More great news (in case you didn't read the official announcement by Maxtronics): Maxtronics (former Aldebaran) will provide a NAO-clinic at the German Open! So bring your NAOs, we will have great games in the small-Division! 4. Fields ----------------------------------------- We are planing for 3 Fields: * Field A: - Division: small - Goal: 1,8m x 1,2m - Field size (field lines): 9.0m x 6.0m - Turf: 8-12mm * Field B: - Division: middle - Goal: 2,4m x 1,6m - Field size (field lines): 9.0m x 6.0m - Turf: 20–30mm * Field C: - Division: middle, large - Goal: 2,6m x 1,8m (HL Adult size goals) - Field size (field lines): 14.0m x 9.0m - Turf: 20–30mm 5. Ball ----------------------------------------- We are planing to use the official FIFA world cup 26 ball. * small: - FIFA 26 Trionda Mini Ball, Size 1 - Examples: - International: https://store.fifa.com/product/fifa-world-cup-26-trionda-mini-ball - Germany: https://www.adidas.de/en/fifa-world-cup-26-trionda-mini-ball/JD8034.html * middle: - FIFA 26 Trionda Ball, Size 3 (as planed for the RoboCup) * large: - FIFA 26 Trionda Ball, Size 5 (as planed for the RoboCup) 6. Team Leader Meeting (Early Announcement) ----------------------------------------- We would like to invite team leaders of all registered teams to an online meeting where we would discuss the divisions, game schedule, ball and other issues and concerns. After the end of the team-registration phase, we will send around a questionnaire to find an appropriate date and time that works for all teams. Best, - Heinrich Local League Chair for Humanoid Soccer League (HSL). On behalf of the local German RoboCup Committee -- RoboCup Komitee Deutschland (RKD). -- Dipl.-Math., Dipl.-Inf. Heinrich Mellmann Institut für Informatik Adaptive Systeme (RUD25, Raum 3.110) Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Unter den Linden 6 Telefon: +49 (0)30 2093-41173 10099 Berlin E-mail: mellmann(a)informatik.hu-berlin.de URL: http://www.heinrich-mellmann.de http://naoth.de

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[RoboCup] Review team applications until Feb. 20th
by Sebastian Stelter 05 Feb '26

05 Feb '26

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HSL Rules Draft Update – January 31st, 2026
by Heinrich Mellmann 31 Jan '26

31 Jan '26

Dear teams, in the past weeks the Technical and the Executive Committee have done significant work on finalizing the rules for the Humanoid Soccer League rule book for RoboCup 2026. At the moment the last major point are being finalized. The first official draft of the rules is expected to be ready within the coming week and will be sent in a separate email. The most up-to-date version will always be available at: https://github.com/RoboCup-HumanoidSoccerLeague/HSL-Rules **IMPORTANT**: This is a work-in-progress draft and will be subject to ongoing revisions. --------------------------------------------- ## Key Decisions Made Based on recent Technical Committee meetings, here are the major decisions incorporated into this draft: ### Tournament Structure Due to the number of teams, it is likely that a full round robin is not possible. As such, a Swiss - or similar - tournament structure will likely be adopted. Seeding to be discussed at a later date. ### Whistle Detection Listening for the whistle will be included in the standard game of soccer: - Teams will only be expected to listen to the whistle for the transition of the game state from "set" to "playing", for kick-offs, drop-ball, and penalty kicks. - There will be a 10s delay for the "playing" signal from GameController. ### Communication Limits Communication between the robots is event-based with a limited number of packages available to each team during a game (like in SPL). The packet limits are set to allow HL teams to transition to limited event-based communication. - A team has a budget of 12.000 UDP messages per game. Each message should have maximum size of 512-byte. - Messages must be sent as UDP-broadcast and will be monitored by the GameController. ### Goal Dimensions at RoboCup 2026 Here are the decided dimensions of the goals to be used at RoboCup 2026. More details about allowable goal sizes are in the rules: * S Division - Small Field: `1.8m x 1.2m` * M Division - Small Field: `2.4m x 1.6m` - Medium Field: `2.4m x 1.8m` * L Division - Medium Field: `2.4m x 1.8m` - Large Field: `3m x 2m` (Large field unlikely at RC2026) **Note:** the goal sizes were chosen to allow for commercially available off-the-shelf goals to be used. ### Visual Referee (Former SPL) The visual referee will not be included in this year's main competition rules. It may be moved to a new challenge for 2026 and added to the roadmap for possible main rules inclusion. --------------------------------------------- ## What's Next This draft represents significant progress, but we expect further refinements based on team feedback and ongoing TC discussions. Please review the draft thoroughly and share your questions or concerns in #rule-book. We'll continue providing updates from our TC meetings to keep you informed of any changes. There will be more frequent updates in the RoboCup Official Discord Major - Soccer #announcements channel, with periodic newsletters sent out for major updates. --------------------------------------------- ## Website The new HSL Website is online: https://hsl.robocup.org/ In the next weeks it will be populated with more information and turned into a hub of the league. --------------------------------------------- ## Important Reminders * Registration Timeline: - Submission deadline: January 31st, 2026 (**TODAY**) - Team review period: February 3rd - 20th, 2026 - Announcement of qualified teams: March 2nd, 2026 --------------------------------------------- For questions regarding the rule book, please message #rule-book. For other inquiries, reach out via email or #ask-committees. Thank you for your patience and collaboration as we finalize these details! Best regards, Heinrich Mellmann and Sam Griffiths On behalf of the Humanoid Soccer League Technical Committee. -- Dipl.-Math., Dipl.-Inf. Heinrich Mellmann Institut für Informatik Adaptive Systeme (RUD25, Raum 3.110) Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Unter den Linden 6 Telefon: +49 (0)30 2093-41173 10099 Berlin E-mail: mellmann(a)informatik.hu-berlin.de URL: http://www.heinrich-mellmann.de http://naoth.de

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