Every era has its songs—they outlast the ephemeral, bear witness, and preserve the memory of lives lived. In the GDR, too, it was chansons, ballads, and rock songs that reflected the spirit of the times and everyday life beginning in the mid-1960s. Songs became a medium for dreams, longings, and joyful self-discovery. In doing so, the often young musicians and lyricists gave free rein to their urge for self-determination, sensuality, and rebellion, thereby undermining the state’s cultural monopoly. Much of what was created during the decades of the GDR scarcely finds a place—even on the airwaves—in today’s pan-German cultural scene, even though many of the lyrics, in their universal relevance, seem highly topical again today. Stellmäcke and his musicians grew up with this vibrant art form and learned from it how to hold their own even in the face of adverse circumstances. In this program, they perform some of the successful and lesser-known songs and ballads of that era with enthusiasm and without sentimentality.