Dirk Michaelis - Christmas Tour 2026 with guest Georgi Gogow

If one had to agree on a top 5 of East German songs that have long become classics, forming the soundtrack of several generations and still reaching the hearts and minds of their listeners today, these two songs would definitely be included: "Als ich fortging" and "Am Fenster." They are the biggest hits of their respective artists, and both songs have long secured their place in the annals of German-speaking pop and rock music. The first, "Als ich fortging," is exemplary of the career of the charismatic singer/songwriter Dirk Michaelis. In the late 1980s, the song first became a very special gem, and to this day, it has lost none of its fascination and is now one of the most covered ballads—there are numerous foreign language versions as well as punk, jazz, a cappella, techno, harmonica, and trumpet renditions. The other song, "Am Fenster," granted its creators, the band City, which disbanded in 2022 after 50 years, cult status.