Dieter 'Maschine' Birr

Dieter "Maschine" Birr, born in 1944 in Köslin, became frontman, singer and guitarist of the East Berlin band Puhdys in 1969, the most commercially successful rock band in GDR history, which disbanded in 2016. He got his nickname "Maschine" from a bandmate. As a solo artist he has released several albums, most recently "Mein Weg" (2024), and tours with programmes such as "Maschine Intim" and a string-quintet concept.