Schlager composer Ralph Siegel is responsive again after being in a coma

According to his family, 80-year-old pop composer Ralph Siegel (“Ein bisschen Frieden”) is on the mend after suffering from severe pneumonia. “He has been brought out of the induced coma and is awake,” his daughter Giulia wrote on Instagram. “The whole family is infinitely grateful and relieved that he has taken this first big step.”

His half-brother from Berlin surprised him with a visit, which made him incredibly happy. “We can all already have a light conversation with him and are looking forward to the coming days with confidence,” his daughter continued on Instagram.

The *Bild* newspaper had previously reported, citing his wife Laura Siegel, that the artificial coma had been ended. “A first major step has been taken,” the newspaper quoted his wife as saying. When asked by the German Press Agency (dpa), Laura Siegel confirmed the information.

On July 6, Siegel's family posted an update on the composer's condition on Instagram. According to the post, he was in an induced coma but was able to breathe on his own. Giulia Siegel confirmed the authenticity of the post in response to an inquiry from dpa.

According to his Instagram account, Siegel has released more than 3,000 songs; among his best-known are “Griechischer Wein” and “Ein bisschen Frieden”—the song with which singer Nicole won the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) in 1982. In recent years, Siegel had been ill on several occasions, including a battle with cancer.