“I feel so deeply appreciated by this Order of Merit in a way I’ve rarely experienced throughout my music career,” says Hartmut Engler, lead singer of the band PUR, last Thursday at the award ceremony for the Federal Cross of Merit in Bietigheim, Germany. Hartmut has tears in his eyes and briefly removes his glasses to wipe them away with a handkerchief. I’m sitting in row 5 next to Rüdi, the man Hartmut wrote a beautiful song about many years ago.
“He lives in another world. It’s hard to understand him. And the fact that he’s not like others is something you can clearly see. Reading and writing are foreign to him. He forgets many things, but some things he never does—for example kindness. Oh no, he always carries that within him.”
These are the opening lines of Rüdi’s Song, a song during which Rüdi gets to “rock” on stage together with Hartmut during PUR concerts. What Hartmut described many years ago was a young man with Down syndrome who celebrated his 61st birthday last Wednesday. I’ve known Rüdi since the summer of 2001 and, together with his wonderful caregiver Hanspeter, I’ve had the joy of supporting him at many PUR concerts. Getting him safely to the venue. Helping him onto the stage. And safely back afterward—before the traditional glass of sparkling wine with Hartmut after the concert. So yes, I know just how incredibly accurate every single word Hartmut wrote about Rüdi truly is. He managed to describe a human being in a way very few people can.
But these beautiful words about Rüdi are not the reason Hartmut received the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. Rather, it is Hartmut’s dedication to numerous charitable organizations that make life better for many people.
“Norman, why are you telling me all of this?” you might be asking right now. Do you know what became crystal clear to me while sitting there in row 5 that Thursday? I was witnessing a perfect example of karma. In other words: What you give comes back to you. Not necessarily through the same people. Not necessarily in the exact circumstances you might prefer. But often… in a completely different way.
Because for the beautiful songs, Hartmut and his incredible band are already rewarded at every concert. Standing ovations. Encore chants. La Ola waves rolling through stadiums and arenas. So if Hartmut already receives so much love and appreciation from fans, why did this award move him so deeply?
Because it reflected back the energy he has quietly sent out for many years in completely different areas of life. The acts nobody saw. The support that never made the headlines. And I know for a fact that Rüdi truly matters to Hartmut. He could have simply used young Rüdi as inspiration for a song and left it there. But their friendship has lasted since 1991—the year the song was released.
Back then, Rüdi used to go horseback riding with Hartmut or enjoy the summer breeze in the convertible next to the PUR singer. Today, neither the “PUR horse” nor the convertible are still around. But the friendship is. Now there are mutual visits. Hartmut stopping by around Christmas. Or all of us being invited for breakfast at Hartmut’s place. There are many moments far beyond touring life where the two still see each other. Sometimes we even do WhatsApp video calls when I’m visiting Rüdi—or I send Hartmut photos of pizza nights with Rockstar Rüdi. And today here in Bietigheim-Bissingen is one of those special days again.
Here I sit in gratitude and joy, with Rüdi next to me, who would love nothing more than to run to the front and hug Hartmut. Or maybe grab the microphone and sing his song together with him. But that’s not why we’re here today. Rüdi tightly holds my hand and notices very little of all the excitement around the ceremony and the award. Because he truly does live in his own world—a world many of us will never fully understand. And yes, he is different. You can see that. Smiling, rocking back and forth, even without music.
And you know what? These moments with Rüdi are among the most beautiful moments of my life. Because they are always honest. Helping Rüdi live his dream is an incredible gift.
So at the end of the evening, we drive home quietly and full of gratitude. From the backseat, Rüdi keeps leaning forward toward us. “I saw Hartmut.” I smile into the rearview mirror and give him a thumbs up. Rüdi responds with two thumbs up and leans back. “We go again sometime.” I nod and whisper softly to myself: “Yes, Rockstar… we’ll go see Hartmut again.”
Rüdi, in your own words—the ones you sometimes say to me: “I like you.” I’m so grateful you’re part of my life.
And Hartmut—congratulations on this more-than-deserved honor. Your heart is exactly where it should be.
P.S. Just after arriving home, I receive a WhatsApp from my friend Georg, sending warm greetings from Istanbul along with a screenshot from the German newspaper Bild.
Rockstar Rüdi made it into the paper once again—with two photos. Without ever wanting that. While others would do almost anything to get featured in a newspaper, these things simply seem to find Rüdi. And you know what? Rüdi doesn’t care. He doesn’t read newspapers. He doesn’t need that for his ego. But one thing I do know: He’ll be happy about the photo with Hartmut. So I’ll print it out for him for our next meeting. And once again, we’re back at the principle of karma. Rüdi does what he loves—and by doing so, he makes not only himself, but many others happy. And because of that, beautiful things keep finding their way back to him. Even if he wouldn’t call the newspaper article a gift… the photo definitely will be. Mission Karma accomplished once again. Because without the article, there wouldn’t be the picture.
