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opt0 - IF you have them in the right order - not 'jumbled' but 'optional' ...

Thanks Candledave. I have looked hard, but still no names. I guess they must be obscure, or foreign, or abnormal in some way or other.

Got it! Thanks for all the pushing. Studying 16th century German has finally paid off.
0pt0, ignore my posts. It was post 77 that set me thinking. You won't get the names until you have identified the place.

Found this a real challenge with an entertaining finish, when the penny finally dropped. Thanks Elgin.

It's certainly a nice construction, and an impressive set of clues given the constraints, but I'm perhaps not quite as enamoured with it as other posters here. If anyone is stuck at the end, I found it slightly underwhelming than what the descriptions here had led me to expect! You have most likely done exactly what you were supposed to, but have got it slightly wrong, thanks to an elegantly prepared false path...

I never really made my peace with a couple of clues - 12a, 31a, 42a, 38d - and wasn't a huge fan of the multiple (non- thematic) names. Any how, that's small fry, thanks and congratulations to Elgin.

Thanks to all those who have tried to help me. I am feeling rather thick, because I still haven't cottoned on to the answer yet.

Mack, you have said that I will not get the names until I have "the place". I have found a three-word place hidden in the grid. Is that the one you mean?

Probably, if it includes the central cell and has few letters. But be careful: don't go for ???????????? like I did at first. Follow the instruction regarding which coded word to start with. If you're not familiar with what you get, Google it and you should see a name you know. Everything should then become clear.
Don't feel thick. The endgame is designed to catch you out.

Note by Admin - Removed some words as I’m informed that they give the end game away

Thanks Mack, but I still don't get it and 4872 has now arrived, so I am going to move on to that.

Mack, thanks again for you help. Having got 4872 out of the way, I re-visited 4871 and all is now clear.