In 2009, Campino refused the swine flu vaccine. In 2021, he promoted the COVID vaccine. 200 musicians joined in. 53 actors dared to dissent — and paid the price. A reckoning.#
Act I: #VaccinationProtects — August 25, 2021#
On a Wednesday in August 2021, over 200 German musicians, bands, and festivals simultaneously plastered their social media channels with a single hashtag: #impfenschuetzt [#VaccinationProtects] [1][2][3].
The message was uniform. The aesthetics were uniform. The coordination was professional. This was not a spontaneous expression of opinion — it was a campaign.
The Participants (documented)#
| Artist/Band | Genre | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Die Aerzte | Punk | [1][3][4] |
| Die Toten Hosen | Punk | [1][3][4] |
| Sarah Connor | Pop | [3][4] |
| Howard Carpendale | Schlager | [3][4] |
| Jan Delay | Hip-Hop | [3][4] |
| BAP | Rock | [3][4] |
| Deichkind | Electropunk | [4] |
| Peter Maffay | Rock | [3] |
| Silbermond | Pop-Rock | [4] |
| Beatsteaks | Rock | [4] |
| Tocotronic | Indie | [4] |
| Roland Kaiser | Schlager | [3] |
| Clueso | Pop | [5] |
The Donots wrote: “We’re up for some antisocial group sweating with you” — referring to concerts only accessible to the vaccinated [2].
Act II: Campino — The 180-Degree Turn#
2009 — Swine Flu#
“Keine fucking Spritze in meinen Koerper mit diesem Dreck!” [No fucking needle in my body with that crap!] [7][8]
Punk attitude. Challenging the system. Distrust of the pharmaceutical industry.
2021 — COVID#
Twelve years later: #impfenschuetzt. Active vaccine promotion. Die Toten Hosen as the face of a campaign coordinated by the events industry [1][3][4].
What changed between 2009 and 2021? In 2009, vaccine skepticism cost nothing. In 2021, the entire events industry was on the brink. Those who did not participate did not perform. Those who did not get vaccinated were not allowed on stage.
RT DE ran the headline: “Punk rock without challenging the system” [9]. The irony: a Russian state broadcaster had to explain to German punk rockers what punk means.
Act III: #allesdichtmachen — The Dissenters#
On April 22, 2021, 53 German actors published ironic short videos under #allesdichtmachen [#ShutItAllDown] [10][11][12].
Volker Bruch — Babylon Berlin star, co-initiator. Systematically canceled. Stood firm [13][14].
Jan Josef Liefers — Tatort detective. Stood firm but distanced himself from Querdenker [11].
Heike Makatsch — First to back down. Apologized within 24 hours [10].
A WDR broadcasting council member demanded the dismissal of Jan Josef Liefers [10].
The signal was clear: Dissent has consequences. The 200 musicians who posted #impfenschuetzt five months later had understood.
Act IV: Herbert vs. Dietrich Groenemeyer#
Herbert Groenemeyer, December 2021: People using the pandemic to “give free rein to their discontent” was “tragic and fatal” [18][19].
Prof. Dr. Dietrich Groenemeyer — Herbert’s brother, physician — September 2022:
“We are ordered to do certain things without even knowing whether they work!” [20]
One Groenemeyer called vaccine critics “tragic and fatal.” The other became one.
Act V: 2G Concerts#
The #impfenschuetzt campaign had concrete consequences:
- Concerts under 2G — vaccinated and recovered only
- Unvaccinated fans locked out by the very artists they had supported for years
On March 19, 2026, Karl Lauterbach told the Bundestag’s Enquete Commission:
“Protection of others was no longer provided with Omicron.” [21]
From winter 2021/22 onward, every 2G concert was factually unjustified. None of the artists asked.
Who has apologized?#
As of March 2026:
| Action | Participants | Apology? |
|---|---|---|
| #impfenschuetzt | 200+ musicians | None known |
| Stern cover | 30+ celebrities | None known |
| Herbert Groenemeyer | Anti-vaccine-critic | None known |
| Campino | 180-degree turn since 2009 | None known |
Nobody. Not a single one.
Sources#
[1] Stern.de (25.08.2021): stern.de
[2] ZEIT Online (25.08.2021): zeit.de
[3] RND (27.08.2021): rnd.de
[4] laut.de (26.08.2021): laut.de
[5] Gala.de: gala.de
[7] COMPACT (06.09.2021): compact-online.de
[8] Corona Doks: corodok.de
[9] RT DE (04.09.2021): de.rt.com
[10] netzpolitik.org (24.04.2021): netzpolitik.org
[11] NDR/ZAPP (2021): ndr.de
[12] Musikexpress (23.04.2021): musikexpress.de
[13] Tagesspiegel (10.08.2022): tagesspiegel.de
[14] taz (04.05.2021): taz.de
[17] Stern.de (09.02.2024): stern.de
[18] n-tv (23.12.2021): n-tv.de
[19] NMZ (23.12.2021): nmz.de
[20] Hauke-Verlag (30.09.2022): hauke-verlag.de
[21] Welt.de (20.03.2026): welt.de
2009: “No fucking needle in my body.” 2021: #VaccinationProtects. 2026: Silence. — The story of Germany’s cultural scene during the pandemic is not a story of conviction. It is a story of conformity. And conformity is the opposite of punk.
