It’s hard to believe, but it’s been over 40 years since my very first overseas adventure began. As I start planning my next trip, my mind keeps drifting back to that inaugural holiday: a life-changing journey to Germany in 1983.
I had been studying German through high school, and a small group of us—just three students and our dedicated teacher—spent years relentlessly saving up. We did everything imaginable to raise the necessary funds: intense fundraising, countless lamington drives, and punishing walk-a-thons. Finally, in our Year 12, we were able to travel. 1983 was an absolutely electrifying and pivotal time to be there.
The stark reality of the Cold War was everywhere. The Berlin Wall still stood, and the chasm between West and East Germany was incredibly vivid. I can still recall, quite vividly, the palpable sense of fear when our train crossed the internal German border. The border guards coming on, the tension in the air—it’s an experience that remains etched in my mind, particularly because we did venture into parts of East Germany, Berlin in particular, as part of the itinerary.
What also stands out from that time, perhaps surprisingly, is the music. The early 1980s saw the incredible rise of the Neue Deutsche Welle (New German Wave), and some of its biggest songs were taking the world, and even the Australian charts, by storm. I remember being in Year 12 at school and there were songs IN GERMAN on the Australian charts.
I remember how famous Nena‘s iconic hit 99 Luftballons became, and it remains the ultimate anthem of that era. But there were so many other influential songs from Germany and Austria:
I remember the English language version was released in Australia, but it had nowhere near the impact of the German version. The English version was a hit in America, but not in Australia.
And then there were some more fringe performers, such as Nina Hagen, Kraftwek and Peter Schilling who I also loved!
And of course, there were others before-hand, though bands like Boney M, Silver Convention and Penny McLean sang in English.
Tonight, I’ve truly enjoyed reminiscing about those great German pop songs of the time, and the way they connected us back in Australia to what was happening overseas. While there are undoubtedly many amazing contemporary German pop hits today, it’s been a lovely trip down memory lane to those unique, unforgettable tracks of 1983 auf Deutsch.