Renft

There is no doubt that RENFT is an East German cultural asset and lives in the memories of many people. Everyone in East Germany knows the band. Her songs are still a beacon of hope for her older fans in every record collection. Stylistically independent of fashion and trends, her songs testify to indomitability and are reminiscent of moral courage.

The band achieved cult status in the GDR in the early 1970s and became a term for opposition and rebellion against a state-imposed cultural doctrine. Under this pressure, a band was formed from 1971 to 1975 that was simply called RENFT. Their songs are multi-faceted, from folk and blues to ballads and rock, storming the charts. No other band occupied so many top spots in the East German charts from 1971 (the first No. 1 was “Wer die Rose Ehret”) to 1975. RENFT became a beacon of hope for a growing generation and created a bridge for their integration into a society dominated by the socialist daily grind.
Always wild and unpredictable, RENFT became a legend when it was banned in 1975.

After 6 former band members have died and two can no longer perform live for health reasons, lead singer Thomas “Monster” Schoppe is the last survivor of a band that was influential in the development of rock music in the GDR. Today he is more aware than ever of the importance of the RENFT songs as cultural heritage. He is supported by two veterans of the GDR rock music scene: the popular guitarist Gisbert “Pitti” Piatkowski, since the beginning of 2020 the ex-Puhdys bassist Peter Rasym, and the well-known drummer Olli Becker.