Many a fan probably thinks that Udo Lindenberg has been an honorary citizen of Hamburg for ages. In fact, his adopted hometown is only now giving him this high dignity, which was also on hold for two years because of Corona.
Finally, Udo Lindenberg becomes an honorary citizen of Hamburg. After Mayor Peter Tschentscher had already suggested this in May 2021 on the occasion of the musician's 75th birthday, there is now an appointment after a long wait due to the corona restrictions: the artist will be awarded honorary citizenship on September 7th during the first citizenship meeting. The city announced this on its online portal.
Udo Lindenberg was born in 1946 in Gronau, Westphalia, but started his career in Hamburg. The city's statement on Lindenberg's award states that with his distinctive voice and time-related texts he helped German-language rock music to achieve a breakthrough. His efforts to achieve understanding within Germany were also part of the history of reunification.
The person Udo Lindenberg and his artistic work have been associated with Hamburg internationally and nationally for years, it is said. His extraordinary commitment to the Hanseatic city also makes him an outstanding personality, who is now to be honored with the "highest homage in the city".
Lindenberg moved to Hamburg in 1968 and has mostly lived there ever since. In the Winterhude district, he shared a flat with comedian Otto Waalkes and musician colleague Marius Müller-Westernhagen in the famous "Villa Kunterbunt". Since the mid-1990s, Lindenberg has mainly lived in a suite in the posh Hotel Atlantic in Hamburg's St. Georg district.
By the way, Udo Lindenberg has been a British lord since May. For his 76th birthday, his team gave him a small plot of land in Scotland. According to the old Scottish law, he became Lord Lindenberg, according to his tour organizer. "Lord Lindenberg cannot build a castle on his property, mind you," it said at the time. The piece of land is only ten by ten meters. But it serves a good purpose: the sale of the land finances the maintenance of a nature reserve.
