Through the ‘70s and ‘80s, forward-thinking German musicians established a new, progressive cultural identity for their country through the sonic experimentation of Krautrock. However, around the turn of the ‘90s, a new wave of indie bands emerged to express a uniquely German sensibility more through their lyrics than their sound. Musically, the bands who made up the Hamburger Schule (Hamburg School) were following the lead of college-rock perennials like R.E.M. and The Smiths. But compared to mainstream-oriented German pop acts—many of whom sang in English to court larger audiences—scene figureheads like Tomte and Die Sterne delivered wry, erudite observations about modern German life and politics in their native tongue. While the proudly Pavement-esque Blumfeld enjoyed modest stateside exposure during the halcyon days of mid-’90s indie rock, Hamburger Schule was a brief, largely regional phenomenon—but one that’s inspired future generations of German artists to just be themselves.