Klaus der Geiger is a German singer-songwriter and violinist born in 1940 in Dippoldiswalde. Born Klaus Christian von Wrochem, he began studying the violin with Max Rostal at the Musikhochschule in Köln in 1960. During the late 1960s, he studied avant-garde composition with Pauline Oliveros in the United States before returning to Germany in 1970 and adopting his stage name. He became one of the most prominent street musicians in Germany, known for his political engagement in the peace, environmental and anti-racism movements. His recording history included the albums Arbeit macht frei (1973), Mutter Erde (1986), Klaus der Geiger und die Kölner Straßenmusiker (1994) and Rumpelstielz? (1997). In 2002, he released the recording Jetzt ävver ran with cabarettist Jürgen Becker. His subsequent studio albums included Schlachtplatte (2003) and Wer sich nicht wehrt (2005). In 2011, he released the album Von allen Seiten, which received the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik. That same year, the TFF.Rudolstadt festival awarded him the Ehren-RUTH for his lifetime achievement.
