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German songwriter, born 1951 in Ludwigshafen am Rhein. Played guitar from the age of 14. Played his first concerts with own songs under his alias Schlauch in 1967. He was winner of the Harlekinade folk song contest in Ludwigshafen in 1968 and 1969. From the very beginning he was active in christian movement as well as in political agitprop groups. In 1971 he was winner of the HAFA folk song contest in Ludwigshafen, before he moved to Mannheim, where he was member of the photographer group Fotocol Mannheim. From 1974 to 1984 he released three LPs as Schlauch, continued also activities in workers’ union and other social movments. In the early 1980s he was invited to folk festivals in German Democratic Republic and Sovjet Union. Since the Mid-90s mostly active with his real name Bernd Köhler. In 1988 participated in Total Normal (Musik Für Adolf Wölfli) with his long time collaborator Hans Reffert, followed by further projects about life and works of Adolf Wölfli. With Reffert he also founded [ewo²], that Köhler continued after Reffert’s death in 2016 with Laurent Leroi and other musicians. Starting in 2019, Köhler also published books with song lyrics and other texts. Countless other collaborations in political music, movie and other art projects, with Blandine Bonjour, Christine Prayon, Thomas Felder, Adax Dörsam and many others.