Court Rules in Favor of Till Lindemann in Publisher Dispute

The Landgericht Köln determined that Kiepenheuer & Witsch's termination of Lindemann's contracts was unjustified, reaffirming the protection of his controversial artistic works under freedom of expression.

The Landgericht Köln ruled that Kiepenheuer & Witsch's termination of Till Lindemann’s publishing contracts in 2023 was legally invalid.
The court found that Lindemann's provocative artistic style, including controversial poetry and a pornographic video, was explicitly acknowledged in his contracts.
Claims of personal misconduct, including allegations related to Rammstein after-show parties, were deemed insufficient grounds for contract termination, with related investigations having been discontinued.
The court reaffirmed that Lindemann’s works, including the video and contentious poetry, are protected as artistic expressions under German constitutional law.
Kiepenheuer & Witsch has not yet responded to the ruling, which leaves Lindemann's publishing agreements with the company legally intact.

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung