Overview

• His family told the dpa he died Thursday evening, October 16, surrounded by relatives.
• His brief title music for ARD’s Tatort became a widely recognized sonic signature in Germany.
• He scored major works including Das Boot and The NeverEnding Story as well as TV series like Liebling Kreuzberg and Ein Fall für zwei.
• He founded and led the jazz‑fusion band Passport from 1971, performing more than 5,000 concerts over roughly five decades, with Udo Lindenberg an early member.
• Tributes poured in from peers and officials, including Udo Lindenberg, President Frank‑Walter Steinmeier, and Bavaria’s Markus Söder; he is survived by his wife Inge and their three children in Icking near Munich.