Electra was founded in 1969 in Dresden by Peter “Mampe” Ludewig, Bernd Aust, Helmut Rinn, Karl‑Heinz Ringel and Ekkehard Berger, all students of the Carl Maria von Weber Academy of Music in Dresden. The band first entered the public eye with the 1971 single "Der neue Tag" and the accompanying B‑side "Unsere Sommerliebe", released on Amiga. In 1974 the group issued Electra‑Combo, followed by the 1976 album Adaptionen, which showcased the band’s blend of progressive rock and electronically enhanced classical adaptations. The 1980 double release Die Sixtinische Madonna and Electra 3 cemented Electra’s status within the East German music scene, and the single "Es brennen die Berge und Wälder" earned the Grand Prix at the International Schlager Festival Dresden that same year. Throughout the 1980s the band’s output included Ein Tag Wie Eine Brücke (1981), Augen Der Sehnsucht (1985) and Tausend Und Ein Gefühl (1987), while their 1984 single "Vier Milliarden In Einem Boot" reached Number 5 in the GDR year-end charts. In the 1990s Electra returned to progressive roots with the re‑introduction of Stephan Trepte and Peter “Mampe” Ludewig, releasing Die Hits (1996) and Sachsendreier (1999). The group celebrated its 33rd anniversary with a concert in 2002 and its 35th in 2004 before announcing a farewell tour in 2014, culminating in a final performance on 26 September 2015 in Obervogelgesang.
