Uwe Kröger (; born 4 December 1964 in Hamm, West Germany) is a German actor, singer, and he plays Guitar. He is a musical star in the German-speaking countries of the world. Besides starring on stage, Kröger has taken part in

gala Gala may refer to: Music * ''Gala'' (album), a 1990 album by the English alternative rock band Lush * Gala (singer), Italian singer and songwriter *'' Gala – The Collection'', a 2016 album by Sarah Brightman * GALA Choruses, an association of ...

s and

concert A concert, often known informally as a gig or show, is a live performance of music in front of an audience. The performance may be carried by a single musician, in which case it is sometimes called a recital, or by a musical ensemble such as an ...

s, as well as making

television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

and

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

appearances. He has released cast recordings and solo CDs. He also played Captain Von Trapp singing in German and English on Edelweiss.

Career

Kröger studied song, dance, and acting at the

Universität der Künste Berlin The Universität der Künste Berlin (UdK; also known in English as the Berlin University of the Arts), situated in Berlin, Germany, is the second largest art school in Europe. It is a public art and design school, and one of the four research uni ...

(then called ''

Hochschule ' (, plural: ') is the generic term in German for institutions of higher education, corresponding to ''universities'' and ''colleges'' in English. The term ''Universität'' (plural: ''Universitäten'') is reserved for institutions with the right t ...

der Künste''). Shortly after finishing his education, he starred in ''

Starlight Express '' Starlight Express'' is a 1984 musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. It tells the story of a young but obsolete steam engine, Rusty, who races in a championship against modern locomotives of diesel and el ...

'' in

Bochum Bochum (, ; ; ; ) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia. With a population of 372,348 (April 2023), it is the sixth-largest city (after Cologne, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Essen and Duisburg) in North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous German federa ...

where he became the first

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

performer to play Rusty the Steam Engine. Then, he starred in the

Viennese Viennese may refer to: * Vienna, the capital of Austria * Viennese people, List of people from Vienna * Viennese German, the German dialect spoken in Vienna * Viennese classicism * Viennese coffee house, an eating establishment and part of Viennese ...

and

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

productions of ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' (, ) is a 19th-century French literature, French Epic (genre), epic historical fiction, historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published on 31 March 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. '' ...

'', playing various roles, and he was also the Assistant Resident Director in Amsterdam. Leading roles followed in ''

Jesus Christ Superstar ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' is a sung-through rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Loosely based on the Life of Jesus in the New Testament, Gospels' accounts of Passion of Jesus, the Passion, the work interprets ...

'', ''

The Rocky Horror Show ''The Rocky Horror Show'' is a Musical theatre, musical with music, lyrics and book by Richard O'Brien. A humorous tribute to various B movies associated with the Science fiction film, science fiction and Horror film, horror genres from the 193 ...

'' and '' Starmania''. Kröger's breakthrough performance was in the role of der Tod () in the world premiere of '' Elisabeth'', a musical by

Michael Kunze Michael Rolf Kunze (born 9 November 1943, in Prague) is a foremost German musical theater lyricist and librettist. He is best known for the hit musicals ''Elisabeth (musical), Elisabeth'' (1992), ''Tanz der Vampire'' (1996), ''Mozart!'' (1999), ...

and

Sylvester Levay Sylvester Levay (originally Lévay Szilveszter, Serbian language, Serbian: Силвестер Леваи, ''Silvester Levai'') is a Hungarian people, Hungarian recording artist and composer, born in Yugoslavia (now Serbia). Life and career Levay ...

, in Vienna in 1992. Two years later, producer

Cameron Mackintosh Sir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh (born 17 October 1946) is a British theatrical producer and theatre owner notable for his association with many commercially successful musicals. At the height of his success in 1990, he was described as being "t ...

offered him the role of the American GI Chris in the German-language premiere of ''

Miss Saigon ''Miss Saigon'' is a sung-through musical theatre, stage musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby Jr. It is based on Giacomo Puccini's 1904 opera ''Madama Butterfly'', and similarly tells th ...

'' in

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...

where he received phenomenal reviews. In 1995, Kröger was cast by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber to star as Joe Gillis in the German-language premiere of ''

Sunset Boulevard Sunset Boulevard is a boulevard in the central and western part of Los Angeles, California, United States, that stretches from the Pacific Coast Highway (California), Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, Pacific Palisad ...

'' in

Niedernhausen Niedernhausen im Taunus is a municipality in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the ''Regierungsbezirk'' of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany, with almost 15,000 inhabitants. Geography Location Niedernhausen lies in the Rhein-Taunus Nature Park in the west o ...

. In 1997, he was offered the role of the Beast in the German premiere of the

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

musical '' Die Schöne und das Biest'' (''Beauty and the Beast'' in English) in Stuttgart. He then went on to play the role of the Emcee in ''

Cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, casino, hotel, restaurant, or nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or drinking, ...

'' in Vienna before he returned to ''Miss Saigon'' (again as Chris) in Stuttgart. From October 1999 to May 2000, Kröger played the antagonistic Archbishop Colloredo in the world premiere of Kunze and Levay's new musical ''

Mozart! ''Mozart!'' is an Austrian musical, originally written in German. The original book and lyrics were written by Michael Kunze and the music and arrangements were composed by Sylvester Levay. The show is a new imagining of the struggles of the famo ...

'' in Vienna. In June 2000, he played the Pharaoh in

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'' is a sung-through musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, based on the character of Joseph from the Bible's Book of Genesis. This was the first Lloyd Webber and Rice ...

at the

Raimund Theater The Raimund Theater is a theatre in the Mariahilf district of Vienna, Austria. Named after the Austrian dramatist Ferdinand Raimund, the theatre was built by an association of Viennese citizens and opened on 28 November 1893 with Raimund's pl ...

in Vienna. In October 2000, Kröger had his West End debut with the title role of the European premiere of ''

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

'' at the

Shaftesbury Theatre The Shaftesbury Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Shaftesbury Avenue, in the London Borough of Camden. It opened in 1911 as the New Prince's Theatre, with a capacity of 2,500. The current capacity is 1,416. The title "Shaftesbury Theat ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. In 2001, he returned to the part der Tod for the German premiere of ''Elisabeth'' at the Colosseum Theater in

Essen Essen () is the central and, after Dortmund, second-largest city of the Ruhr, the largest urban area in Germany. Its population of makes it the fourth-largest city of North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne, Düsseldorf and Dortmund, as well as ...

. That year, he also starred in his first operetta; he played Felix in Ralph Benatzky's comedy ''

Bezauberndes Fräulein ''Bezauberndes Fräulein'' (''The Charming Young Lady'') is a musical comedy in four scenes, similar in style to an operetta. Ralph Benatzky wrote both music and libretto, inspired by the French farce ''La petite chocolatière'' by Paul Gavault ...

'' (''The Charming Young Lady'' in English) in Vienna. In the summer of 2003, Kröger could be seen in Amstetten as Burrs in the German-language premiere of the

off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

musical '' The Wild Party''. He took on the part of

Javert Javert (), no first name given in the source novel, is a fictional character and a main antagonist of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel ''Les Misérables.'' He was presumably born in 1780 and died on June 7, 1832. First a prison guard, and then a police i ...

in ''Les Misérables'' in the Theater des Westens in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

. In January 2004, he went on tour with his colleagues

Pia Douwes Pia Douwes (born 5 August 1964) is a Dutch actress in musical theatre in Europe. She is best known for having created the title role in the German-language musical '' Elisabeth''. Biography Douwes was born in Amsterdam, North Holland, The Nether ...

, Marika Lichter, Viktor Gernot and Anna Maria Kaufmann in the concert production of "Musical Moments". He also could be heard on the German version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's ''

The Phantom of the Opera The Phantom of the Opera may refer to: Novel * The Phantom of the Opera (novel), ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (novel), 1910 novel by Gaston Leroux Characters * Erik (The Phantom of the Opera), Erik (''The Phantom of the Opera''), the title char ...

'' as the Phantom. In May 2004, he held two concerts, "Uwe Kröger in Concert" and "Uwe Kröger and Friends" in his hometown of Hamm. In June 2004, he traveled to Japan to guest-perform in a concert tour "Diva 2004" with

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

ese musical star

Maki Ichiro Maki Ichiro (; born January 9, 1965) is a Japanese actress. She is a former member of the Takarazuka Revue The is a Japanese all-female musical theatre troupe based in Takarazuka, Hyōgo, Takarazuka, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. Women play all ...

. In November the year, he performed in the gala "Best of Musical" in

Köln Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...

with other well-known German musical stars. From 16 December 2004 to the end of February 2005, Kröger starred as Burrs again in ''The Wild Party'', this time in Klagenfurt. In February 2005, he continued one of his famous concert series with the new tour "Musical Moments 2." Kröger then took on the role of

Cardinal Richelieu Armand Jean du Plessis, 1st Duke of Richelieu (9 September 1585 – 4 December 1642), commonly known as Cardinal Richelieu, was a Catholic Church in France, French Catholic prelate and statesman who had an outsized influence in civil and religi ...

in the German-language premiere of '' die Drei Musketiere''

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

(original language)] in Berlin until January 2006. Between February and April 2006, he toured Germany with the gala "Best of Musical 2006". From May to July, Kröger was able to reprise his role as the Phantom, this time on stage in Essen. From September 2006 until the end of 2007, Kröger performed in the Kunze and Levay production ''

Rebecca Rebecca () appears in the Hebrew Bible as the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob and Esau. According to biblical tradition, Rebecca's father was Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram, also called Aram-Naharaim. Rebecca's brother was Laban (Bi ...

'' in Vienna as male lead, Maxim de Winter. In August 2007, he took on the role of

Abraham Van Helsing Professor Abraham Van Helsing () is a fictional character from the 1897 gothic horror novel ''Dracula'' written by Bram Stoker. Van Helsing is a Dutch polymath doctor with a wide range of interests and accomplishments, partly attested by the ...

in a production of ''

Dracula, the Musical ''Dracula, the Musical'' is a musical based on the original 1897 Victorian novel by Bram Stoker. The score is by Frank Wildhorn, with lyrics and book by Don Black and Christopher Hampton. The show had its regional premiere at the La Jolla ...

'' as part of the Musical Festival Graz. In 2008, he returned to Berlin to perform the role of Death again in the tour production of '' Elisabeth''. His first solo CD was ''Boulevard der Sehnsucht'' (''"Boulevard of Longing"'' in English). His next CD, ''Favourites'', included a duet with Belgian star

Helmut Lotti Helmut Lotti (born Helmut Barthold Johannes Alma Lotigiers; 22 October 1969), is a Belgian tenorGoldsmith B (2009)Belgian tenor Helmut Lotti wants to find his own style '' WDEZ''. Retrieved 23 April 2010. and singer-songwriter. Lotti performs in ...

. Kröger also appeared with Pia Douwes, Marika Lichter and Viktor Gernot in the concert series "In Love with Musical" and "Still in Love with Musical", which continued with a new production and recording, "In Love with Musical Again". Kröger's single CD ''You Saved My Life'' (2002) was dedicated to "Licht ins Dunkel" and the flood victims in Austria. In 2003, his CD ''From Broadway to Hollywood'' was released. 2004 saw another release in his single "All I Want", and in 2005, ''Wild Party'' appeared. His newest album, ''Uwe! Das Beste aus 20 Jahren'', was released on 7 November 2006. One of his honors include an IMAGE Award for his work in ''Sunset Boulevard''. He was voted "Best Male Actor" and "Best Male Musical Voice" three times by readers of ''Da Capo'' magazine. He was ranked "Musical Star Number 1" for the tenth time in 2005 by readers of the magazine ''Musicals''.

Personal life

Kröger is

openly gay Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBTQ people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity. This is often framed and debated as a privacy issue, ...

and was in a relationship with Dr. Christopher Wolf, a

cardiologist Cardiology () is the study of the heart. Cardiology is a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the cardiovascular system. The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery di ...

, for over twenty years

They split amicably in November 2015, and he has now been in a relationship with Kiko Marin Tomas, a model and fitness trainer, for over a year. They live together in Barcelona. They got married on 8-10-2022.

Musical engagements

* September 1988 – June 1989, ''

'', Rusty and Flat Top,

* July 1989 – April 1990, ''

'', Marius, Enjolras, and Swing, Vienna * May–August 1990, ''

'', Jesus and Annas,

Schwäbisch Hall Schwäbisch Hall (; 'Swabian Hall'; from 1802 until 1934 and colloquially: ''Hall'') is a city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg located in the valley of the Kocher river, the longest tributary (together with its headwater Lein) of the N ...

* February–October 1991, ''

'', Enjolras, Feuilly, assistant resident director, Amsterdam * December 1991 – June 1992, '' Starmania'', Ziggy, Essen * September–December 1992, ''Jesus Christ Superstar'', Jesus,

Regensburg Regensburg (historically known in English as Ratisbon) is a city in eastern Bavaria, at the confluence of the rivers Danube, Naab and Regen (river), Regen, Danube's northernmost point. It is the capital of the Upper Palatinate subregion of the ...

* September 1992 – October 1994, '' Elisabeth'', der Tod, Vienna * September–October 1993, ''

'', Frank'n Furter, Vienna * December 1994 – November 1995, ''

'', Chris, Stuttgart * December 1995 – August 1997, ''

'', Joe Gillis, Niedernhausen * December 1996 – January 1997, ''Elisabeth'', der Tod, Vienna * December 1997 – February 1999, '' Die Schöne und das Biest'', Beast, Stuttgart * December 1998 – January 1999, ''

'', Emcee, Vienna * April–July 1999, ''

'', Chris, Stuttgart * October 1999 – May 2000, ''

'', Archbishop Colloredo, Vienna * June–July 2000, ''

'', Pharaoh, Vienna * October 2000 – February 2001, ''

'',

Napoléon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led a series of mi ...

, London * March 2001 – June 2003, ''Elisabeth'', der Tod,

* August 2001, July–August 2002, ''

'', Felix, Vienna * July–August 2003, '' The Wild Party'', Burrs, Amstetten * September 2003 – December 2004, ''

'', Javert, Berlin * December 2004 – February 2005, ''The Wild Party'', Burrs, Klagenfurt * April 2005 – January 2006, ''3 Musketiere'', Cardinal Richelieu, Berlin * May–July 2006, '' Das Phantom der Oper'', Phantom, Essen * September 2006 – December 2007, ''

'', Maxim de Winter, Vienna * August 2007, ''

'', Abraham Van Helsing,

Graz Graz () is the capital of the Austrian Federal states of Austria, federal state of Styria and the List of cities and towns in Austria, second-largest city in Austria, after Vienna. On 1 January 2025, Graz had a population of 306,068 (343,461 inc ...

* April–August 2008, ''Elisabeth'', der Tod, Berlin * September 2008 – December 2008, ''Rebecca'', Maxim de Winter, Vienna * February 2009–Present, ''Rudolf: Affaire Mayerling'', Count Taaffe, Vienna * October 2010, ''Kim Junsu's Musical Concert'',

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

* October 2011, ''

The Sound of Music ''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, '' The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. ...

'', Baron von Trapp,

Salzburg Salzburg is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020 its population was 156,852. The city lies on the Salzach, Salzach River, near the border with Germany and at the foot of the Austrian Alps, Alps moun ...

Salzburger Landestheater The Salzburg State Theatre (''Salzburger Landestheater'') is a theatre situated in Salzburg, Austria, a venue for opera, theatre, and dance, contemporary and older works, with resident companies of actors, singers and dancers. The theatre present ...

Discography

* 1991, ''Les Misérables'' original Amsterdam cast recording * 1992, ''Elisabeth'' original Vienna cast recording * 1992, ''Die Schatten werden länger'', Maxi-CD * 1993, ''Musical? Oh My God'', original Vienna cast recording * 1993, ''Highlights – Die faszinierende Welt...'', sampler * 1993, ''Treffpunkt Geisterbahn'', original Vienna cast recording * 1993, ''Music from the Heart of Europe – The Wind Beneath My Wings'', Sampler * 1994, ''Boulevard der Sehnsucht'', solo album * 1994, ''Siebzehn Stufen'', Maxi-CD * 1994, ''Böse Jungs'', Maxi-CD * 1994, ''Peter Weck präsentiert...'', sampler * 1995, ''Miss Saigon'', original Stuttgart cast recording * 1995, ''Musical Christmas in Vienna'', sampler * 1995, ''Living Water'', sampler * 1996, ''Sunset Boulevard'', original Niedernhausen cast recording * 1996, ''In Love with Musical'', sampler * 1996, ''Favourites'', solo album * 1997, ''Still in Love with Musical'', sampler * 1997, ''Musical Musical'', sampler * 1997, ''Die Schöne und das Biest'' (pop version), sampler * 1998, ''Die Schöne und das Biest'', original Stuttgart cast recording * 1998, ''Elisabeth – Musik einer Epoche'', sampler * 1998, ''Kaiserin Elisabeth Melodien'', sampler * 1998, ''Highlights of Cabaret and More'' Vienna cast recording * 1999, ''Mozart!'', original Vienna cast recording * 1999, ''Alles Musical'', sampler * 1999, ''Music of the Night'' sampler * 2000, ''Only the Best'', solo album * 2000, ''Die fantastische Welt der Musicals – Die Highlights der deutschen Originalaufnahmen'', sampler * 2000, ''Viktor Gernot presents: Alles Musical – Vol. 2'', sampler * 2001, ''Elisabeth'', Maxi-CD * 2001, ''Elisabeth'', original Essen cast recording * 2001, ''In Love with Musical Again'', sampler * 2002, ''Musical Moments'', solo album * 2002, ''Arena der Stars'', sampler * 2002, ''Bezauberndes Fräulein'', Vienna cast recording * 2002, ''You Saved My Life'', solo album * 2002, ''Elisabeth – 10th Anniversary Concert'', live recording * 2002, ''Musical Moments Vol. 2'', sampler * 2003, ''ORF Willkommen Österreich'', sampler * 2003, ''From Broadway to Hollywood'', solo album * 2004, '' Musicalstars singen ABBA-Hits!'', sampler * 2004, ''Von Augenblick zu Augenblick'', identical to ''From Broadway to Hollywood'' * 2004, ''All I Want'', single album * 2004, ''Best of Musical!'', sampler * 2004, ''Das Phantom der Oper'', German film soundtrack * 2005, ''3 Musketiere'', original Berlin cast recording * 2005, ''The Wild Party'', Maxi-CD * 2005, '' Die größten Musical-Hits'', sampler * 2005, ''MUSICAL STARS'', sampler * 2005, ''Stärker'', by Marciel * 2006, ''Nur das Beste – die schönsten Musicalhits'', sampler * 2006, ''MUSICAL STARS Vol. 2'', sampler * 2006, ''HANDS of LOVE'', benefit single CD * 2006, ''Zeitlos'', by Marika Lichter * 2006, ''Best of Musical Vol. 2'', sampler * 2006, ''Uwe! – Das Beste aus 20 Jahren'', solo album * 2006, ''Rebecca'', original Vienna cast recording * 2007, ''Rebecca: Gesamtaufnahme'', two-disc Vienna cast recording * 2008, ''Dracula'' original Graz cast recording * 2009, ''Rudolf – Affaire Mayerling'' original Vienna cast recording

Awards

* Best Young Actor 1996, awarded by the Austrian stage magazine ''Bühne'' * IMAG. Award 1997, Best Male Actor, for Joe Gillis in ''Sunset Boulevard'' * Number 1 Austrian Musical Performer 2000, elected by the readers of ''Bühne'' magazine * Number 1 Musical Performer 2001, elected by the readers of the German magazine ''Musicals'' * Best Actor 2003, 2004, 2005, elected by the readers of the German musical magazine ''Da Capo'' * Number 1 German-speaking Musical Performer 2006, elected for the tenth time by readers of the German magazine ''Musicals''

References

External links

* (in German)
International Uwe Kröger Club
(in German and English) {{DEFAULTSORT:Kroger, Uwe 1964 births English-language singers from Germany German male musical theatre actors German gay musicians German LGBTQ singers Living people People from Hamm Gay singers Recipients of the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria 20th-century German male singers 21st-century German male singers 20th-century German LGBTQ people 21st-century German LGBTQ people