Grief for Anna R.: The former Rose cup-In singer and solo artist died unexpectedly at the age of 55. We take a look at your life, your career and your sad death.
Anna R.: Childhood and beginnings
Anna R. was born on December 25, 1969 as Andrea Rosenbaum in East Berlin. She had the desire to become a musician early, sang at a young age. It was not that easy for her in the GDR – to make matters worse, it was also rejected by the Musikschule Friedrichshain during the entrance exam. At that time she had chosen a song by Whitney Houston as an exam contribution and apparently met with moderate enthusiasm. She chose a pragmatic step, completing an apprenticeship as a chemical laboratory. The music was still preserved as a hobby, she took music lessons. Later she worked as a musical dealer.
Meeting with Peter Plate
At the end of the 1980s there was a fateful meeting: she met Peter Plate. The two actually wanted to go to other musical directions. She pulled it to Chanson and jazz, to pop. The chemistry was right. After Anna’s death, Plate remembered: “I will never forget our first evening together. We drank sparkling wine, you told me that you wanted to be a jazz singer, and I wanted to make pop music. We went to me the same night and picked up a song – I was ready to sing from your voice, from your kind, from your gift to shout into the beautiful colors.” The chemistry between the two fit – a common band became a common band. And even a very, very successful one soon. Rosenstolz were born.
Rosenstolz: Beginnings
The two met regularly in Plate’s Berlin kitchen and worked on their debut album Soubrette I will never be released in 1992. With moderate success: the radio initially ignored the band’s pop chanson mix. Four years later, the album was released by the Major label Polydor. The second album was also not a great success – but the band remained persistent, the shows, just like the fan base, was greater. For the fourth studio album object of desire in 1996, the band signed at Polydor. Albums like the sluts followed are tired and sugar. In 1997 the band experienced a popularity boost by participating in the German Grand Prix preliminary decision, the album joined the charts half a year later.
Anna R.: Fame with rose stolz
The persistence paid off for Anna R. and Peter Plate. Sugar made it to the second place on the German album charts. The preliminary climax came in 2022: Cash poison reached first place on the album charts, Rosenstolz was stars. For the single Total Eclipse/Black Widow, rose stolz worked with prominent duet partners: inside: Nina Hagen and Marc Almond.
“At one of his concerts, a journalist gave him a CD of us. Marc was so enthusiastic that he called us a few days later, and so the idea arose to take up Total Eclipse together,” recalled Anna R. in an interview.
The most successful album in Rosenstolz was supposed to live in 2006. It reached first place on the German album charts, was awarded five times gold and sold over a million times. It contains hits like me (we are) and love me if you can.
Anna R. and Rosenstolz were very popular in the queer scene, especially in Germany. The band always campaigned for diversity, tolerance and equality. They were also active supporters of organizations such as AIDShilfe.
The AIDShilfe wrote to her death in a posting: “Since the early 90s, Anna R. has been working with heart and voice for people with HIV and AIDS and is one of the co-founders of the Board of Trustees of the Berlin AIDS aid. Her solidarity was not only a lipcase-she was actively on site, supported benefits and gave them a voice that was often overlooked in our society. Their concerts in the Wuhlheide and the Columbia halls.
Then it says in the posting: “And this family supported the help of Berlin AIDS aid with great fundraisers, from which there were many smaller actions and activities. With songs like love is everything or I am (we are), she conveyed a feeling of cohesion, courage and acceptance that went far beyond music.” The duo was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit for his fight against AIDS and the commitment to those affected.
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The projects afterwards
In 2012 Rosenstolz put the band on hold after Peter Plate had suffered a burnout. Nevertheless, a resolution was excluded at the time. Shortly afterwards, Anna R. devoted herself to her new band Gleis 8, who was already her debut album in 2013 It always stays that way published. Previously, in 2005, she also sang as a guest singer with the well -known band Silly. Many years later, namely in 2021, the album appeared Placedon which she shared the singing micro together with Jule Neigel.
In 2023 she published her solo album König: In with whom she then toured. In addition to solo songs, she also sang songs from her other projects at the concerts. She played her last show on March 20, 2024 in the Metropol Theater in Bremen. The last song she ever performed was the solo piece good night. “I stand by your side, watch you sleep / until the next morning I guess your rest ‘ / wake out from your sleep, I will no longer be with you / the cold tomorrow tells you about my greeting alone,” it says.
The last lines: “So I wish you a good night again / so that you know, one last time, I thought of you / I thought of you, I thought of you.”
Anna R.: Private life
In 2002 Anna R. married her long-time partner, the MTV Senior Producer and director Nilo Neuenhofen, who directed many Rosenstolz videos. He died in 2023.
Anna R.: Your unexpected death
On Sunday, March 16, 2025, Anna R. was found in her apartment in Berlin-Friedrichshain. You could only find her death. An external debt cannot be ruled out completely, reports the “Berliner Morgenpost” with a reference to police information. However, the traces of the body found in the apartment would not indicate a crime with massive violence. As the newspaper continues to report with reference to police information, the powder arteries or knife injuries that were cut were not found. Anna R.’s body was found in front of the mouth with a little blood. However, that alone does not provide an explanation for the cause of death. “There is also a lot of indication that she has been there for a while,” another investigator continued. “At least a few days.” The newspaper continues to report that Anna R. had been ill for a long time.
Grief for Anna R.
After her death, she paid tribute to a number of celebrities from art and politics. “She moved, comforted and strengthened us with her music,” wrote Green politician Claudia Roth. “Anna R. showed us with her art that life consists of ups and downs that you have to continue, no matter how dark it is. Her voice was full of strength, full of life.
The former Berlin cultural senator Klaus Lederer wrote: “She delivered the sound in which I found myself as a ‘young merchant’. Even when my relationship crashed. I heard that again and again and it was what I felt. Even if I am still with him: Anna, you are no longer. It is a damned shame.”
The band Silly also spoke up. “With Anna R., an exceptional artist has gone again and a person who has given many people with his constant commitment and, above all, with music for a long time. Anna – you will be missing, your voice will be missing!”