Overview

• The Landgericht Köln ruled on April 11, 2025, that Till Lindemann's publishing contract with Kiepenheuer & Witsch remains valid, rejecting the publisher's 2023 termination.
• The court found no legal grounds for the termination, dismissing controversies surrounding a pornographic video and allegations of misconduct as insufficient justification.
• Judges emphasized that Lindemann's provocative artistic expression was a known and accepted aspect of his creative identity when the contract was established.
• The ruling highlighted that creative works, including Lindemann's transgressive themes, are protected under Germany's constitutional guarantee of artistic freedom.
• The decision is not yet legally binding, and Kiepenheuer & Witsch has not issued a response to the verdict as of April 13, 2025.