Konstantin Alexander Wecker (born 1 June 1947) is a German ''

Liedermacher A singer-songwriter is a musician who Lyricist, writes, Composer, composes, and Performance, performs their own musical material, including lyrics and Melody, melodies. In the United States, the category is built on the folk music, folk-Acoustic ...

'' (singer-songwriter) who also works as a composer, author and actor.

Life and work

Wecker was born in

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

. Classically educated at the Wilhelmsgymnasium, Wecker got one of his first jobs as a songwriter at Munich's cabaret "Münchner Lach- und Schießgesellschaft" in 1973. His breakthrough as a singer came in 1977 with the record ''Genug ist nicht genug'' ("Enough Is Not Enough"), which includes the popular talking blues "Willy," about a presumably close friend of Wecker's who was slain by drunken Nazis. Wecker has released more than forty albums, and has also composed music for film, theater, and children's musicals. In 2003, Wecker became a public opponent of the

Iraq War The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...

, joining his leftist ''

'' colleagues Hannes Wader and Reinhard Mey. In March 2006, Wecker was forced to cancel a scheduled performance in the small town of

Halberstadt Halberstadt (; Eastphalian dialect, Eastphalian: ''Halverstidde'') is a town in the state of Saxony-Anhalt in central Germany, the capital of Harz (district), Harz district. Located north of the Harz mountain range, it is known for its old town ...

, Saxony-Anhalt. This came after the far-right National Democratic Party (NPD) pressured local authorities and threatened to forcibly disrupt the concert. Wecker pledged to return to Halberstadt in the summer of 2006, and eventually performed in Halberstadt on 17 June 2006, accompanied by fellow singer-songwriter Hannes Wader and Afghan percussionist Hakim Ludin.

Selected works

Albums

* 1972: Die sadopoetischen Gesänge des Konstantin Amadeus Wecker (later renamed as: Konstantin's Erste) * 1974: Ich lebe immer am Strand * 1977: Genug ist nicht genug * 1978: Eine ganze Menge Leben * 1979: Live * 1980: Liederbuch * 1981: Live in München * 1982: Das macht mir Mut * 1984: Inwendig warm * 1987: Wieder dahoam – Live in Austria * 1989: Stilles Glück, trautes Heim * 1993: Uferlos * 1996: Gamsig * 1998: Brecht * 2001: Vaterland * 2005: Am Flußufer * 2006: Politische Lieder * 2007: Alles das und mehr (DVD music video) * 2011: Wut und Zärtlichkeit * 2012: Wut und Zärtlichkeit (live) * 2015: Ohne Warum * 2017: Poesie und Widerstand * 2018: Sage Nein! Antifaschistische Lieder 1978 bis heute

Collaborations

* 1988:

Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (, ; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing mo ...

/ Konstantin Wecker / Mercedes Sosa: Three worlds, three voices, one vision * 1999: Jutta Richter / Konstantin Wecker: Es lebte ein Kind auf den Bäumen // book and CD * 2001: Konstantin Wecker / Hannes Wader: Was für eine Nacht * 2003: Reinhard Mey / Hannes Wader / Konstantin Wecker: Das Konzert * 2010: Konstantin Wecker / Hannes Wader: Kein Ende in Sicht

Filmography

* ''Mein ganzes Herz ist voll Musik'', West Germany 1959, Musikfilm (Mitwirkung und Soloauftritt im Rudolf Lamy Kinderchor) * ''Die Autozentauren'', West Germany 1972, TV film (Darsteller) * '' Love in 3-D'', West Germany 1973, 93 min., Sexfilm, (as Rudi) * '' The East Frisian Report'', ''Der Ostfriesen-Report: O mei, haben die Ostfriesen Riesen'', West Germany, 1973, 80 min., Komödie / Sexfilm (as Hinnerk) * ''Unterm Dirndl wird gejodelt'', West Germany 1973, Sexfilm (as Florian) * ''Geilermanns Töchter – Wenn Mädchen mündig werden'', West Germany 1973, Sexfilm (as Stefan) * ''Liebesmarkt – Matratzen-Horchdienst'', West Germany 1973, Sexfilm (as Tom) * ''Beim Jodeln juckt die Lederhose'', West Germany 1974, Sexfilm (as Sepp) * '' Sisters, or the Balance of Happiness'', West Germany 1979, 95 min., Frauenfilm / Drama (as Robert Edelschneider) * '' Die Weiße Rose'', West Germany, 1982, 123 min., Politthriller / Biografie * ', West Germany 1983, 110 min., Drama / Jugendfilm (as Schreiner Lustig) * ''Sag nein'', West Germany 1983, 98 min., documentary (Konzertausschnitt) * ''Ende der Freiheit'', West Germany 1983, 85 min., documentary (Konzertausschnitt) * ', West Germany 1984, 92 min., Komödie (as Straßenmusikant) * ''Atemnot'', Austria 1983 / 84, 95 min., Drama (Konzertauftritt mit Sigi Maron und Konstantin) * ''Martha Dubronski'',

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

1984, 96 min., Literaturverfilmung / Drama (as Fleischhauer) * ''Stinkwut'', West Germany 1986, TV film (Sänger Titellied mit Zither) * '' Kir Royal'', West Germany 1986, TV series (as Studiomusiker, 6. episode) * ''Spaltprozesse'', West Germany 1987, documentary (Konzertausschnitt mit Konstantin Wecker) * ''Dreifacher Rittberger'', West Germany 1987, TV series (as Klavierträger, 4. episode) * ''Der Geisterwald – Blutbuche und Rabenrache'', West Germany 1988, TV series (as Rabe) * ''Deutsche Redensarten und ihr Ursprung – Jemandem einen Korb geben'', Germany 1989, TV short (as Spielmann) * ''Die Republikaner'', Germany 1990, documentary (Konzertausschnitt) * ''

Tatort ("Crime Scene") is a German-language police procedural television series that has been running continuously since 1970 with 30 feature-length episodes per year, making it the longest-running German TV drama. Developed by the German public-se ...

– Blue Lady'', Germany 1990 (as Rainer Seifert) * '' Go Trabi Go'', Deutschland, 1991, Filmkomödie (as Playboy) * ', Germany 1992, 92 min., Komödie (as Barpianist) * ''Lilien in der Bank'', Germany 1992, 104 min. (as Turnlehrer) * ''Das Babylon Komplott'', Austria 1993, TV film (as Thomas) * ''1945'', Austria 1994, TV film (as Bauer Mühlberger) * '': Dr. Schwarz und Dr. Martin'', Germany 1994 / 1996, TV series in 8 episodes (as Franzl Unterrainer) * ''Für mich soll's rote Rosen regnen'', Germany 1995, documentary about

Hildegard Knef Hildegard Frieda Albertine Knef (; 28 December 19251 February 2002) was a German actress, singer, and writer. She was billed in some English-language films as Hildegard Neff or Hildegarde Neff. Early years Hildegard Knef was born in Ulm in 19 ...

(Gesprächsausschnitt mit K. Wecker) * ''Kriminaltango'', Germany 1995, TV series (as Mischa König, episode 6 „ Münchner Freiheit") * '' SOKO 5113: Tommy'', Germany 1999, episode of the TV series (as Manfred Brunnhorst) * ', Germany 1999, TV film (as Bildhauer Gerd) * ', Germany 1999, TV film (as Herr Rinser) * ''Ein lasterhaftes Pärchen'', Germany 2000, TV film (as Frank) * ''Alles mit Besteck'', Germany 2001, short (as Pianist) * ''Edelweiß'', Austria 2000 (as Paul Richter) * ''In der Mitte eines Lebens'', Germany 2003, TV miniseries (as Tom Hochreiter) * ''Apollonia'', Germany 2005, TV film (as Müller Vinz) * '' Grave Decisions'', Germany 2006 * ', Germany 2009 * ', Germany 2011

References

External links

German Homepage of Konstantin Wecker

A Website about Konstantin Wecker in English, including translations of some of his songs
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Wecker, Konstantin 1947 births Living people People educated at the Wilhelmsgymnasium (Munich) Singers from Munich German male musicians German male songwriters German male singer-songwriters German singer-songwriters German socialists