The New German Wave

The Neue Deutsche Welle (New German Wave) represents one of the most high-profile subcultural movements in 20th-century German music and therefore seems suitable for examination to determine whether and how it was able to highlight social deficits and contradictions during a specific historical period. This work aims to emphasize the distinctive features of the NDW, especially in contrast to the closely related punk movement from which it emerged, and to examine the ideological attitudes of its protagonists in light of Chiapello/Boltanski's approach of dividing criticism into artistic and social criticism. In addition, the style of NDW will be examined on a theoretical basis, particularly that of Hebdige and Baudrillard, as a sign system, focusing on the criterion of authenticity, which is widely regarded as normative in pop culture.