Udo Lindenberg's hit remains uncensored: Choir singing Special train to Pankow!

Udo Lindenberg's hit remains uncensored: Choir singing Special train to Pankow!

Humboldt Forum, Berlin, Deutschland - nag/nag editors -

A special musical event took place last weekend in the Berlin Humboldt Forum: The Choir Festival "Muddly 2024" brought the legendary Udo Lindenberg hit "Special train to Pankow" to the stage. After heated discussions about a possible censorship of the text, the original text remained unaffected and the choirs sang with passion.

Hartmut Dorgerloh, the general director of the Humboldt Forum, clearly introduced: "We do not censor Udo Lindenberg, nor do we prescribe what they have to sing." This statement came after a debate that revolved around the word "Oberindianer" that occurs in the song. A choir member, Eberhard Licht, commented on and emphasized that the song was a cult piece for many “old Ossis”, and it was not acceptable that it should not be singed in its original form. Verena Suchowski, another singer, added that the focus was on the music and she fulfilled her job.

discussion about the word "Oberindianer"

The controversy around the text arose because a choir expressed concerns that the word "Oberindianer" could be discriminatory. It was originally planned to shorten the word and instead sing "Ober-I". The Humboldt Forum explained that the word in 1983 had a satirical meaning that referred to Erich Honecker, but also reflected the history of colonization. Interestingly, the "Native American Association of Germany" spoke up and made it clear that the word "Indian" in the USA is accepted by many tribal nations.

"Special train to Pankow" has now had its city palace debut. The song was released in 1983, in the same year when Lindenberg gave its only concert in the GDR in the Palace of the Republic. Over 40 years later, the song finally sounded in the former SED building, where it was once banned, and without any censorship. A historical moment for the music and the freedom of expression!