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Ralph Siegel Relives the Studio Spark Behind Germany’s 1982 Eurovision Triumph

The ARD film marks 70 years of Eurovision by spotlighting the producer behind Germany’s first victory.

Overview

  • An ARD anniversary documentary, now streaming on ARD Mediathek with a Das Erste broadcast to follow, features new first‑hand accounts from composer Ralph Siegel.
  • Siegel recalls that Nicole’s raw demo of Ein bisschen Frieden moved him to a crying fit, after which he declared, “We’ll win the Eurovision.”
  • He says they cut the demo quickly with four or five instruments and that the 17‑year‑old singer delivered the song in a single, emotional pass.
  • The film notes Siegel’s extraordinary Eurovision record — 25 entries across decades — and that he sat for the interview despite recent health problems.
  • The documentary also traces a later shift in Germany’s approach led by Stefan Raab, whose selection method produced Lena Meyer‑Landrut’s 2010 win.