Helene Fischer. A career in pictures

Helene Fischer's self-titled album, released in 2017, was her fourth to sell over a million copies in Germany. She then filled stadiums with an award-winning concert tour, making her one of the world's top-earning entertainers. Fischer, who was born in 1984 in Siberia and grew up in Rhineland-Palatinate, is the biggest star on the German music scene.

Fischer has sold more than 13 million records, mostly in German-speaking countries. "Farbenspiel," with "Atemlos durch die Nacht," was the first album to reach number one on the German charts twice — in 2013 and 2014. It was downloaded over 250,000 times, setting a record for German artists.

Riding the wave of the "Atemlos" hype in 2013, it seemed like the country was full of Fischer fans of all ages and backgrounds. Even the national German football team (in particular, Bastian Schweinsteiger, second from left) was among them. The pop diva performed after the team won the World Cup in 2014 — and the players sang right along with her.

Fischer trained as a musical theater artist, and her live performances are diverse and entertaining. Her mix of "schlager" (folk pop), rock and classical music appeals to many. According to record certifications she has sold at least 15,000,000 albums altogether.

Fischer's 2018 tour has been called "spectacular" and "bombastic." The reason is that the singer has added the troupe 45 Degrees to the program — a branch of the acrobatic theater group Cirque du Soleil. Acrobatics have often been part of her shows, as can be seen from this 2013 performance.

Boyfriend Florian Silbereisen (left) had to do without his Helene while she was on her concert tour. Silbereisen helped launch the singer to fame: She made her first TV appearance in 2005 on his folk music show. Since then, Fischer has appeared countless times on camera and even has her own program. "The Helene Fischer Show" has been broadcast on Christmas Day every year since 2011.

Seventeen Echo Awards and three Bambis are among the countless accolades the singer has collected over the course of her career. But prizes aside, stars know they've really made it when they get their own wax figure at Madame Tussauds. Fischer's statue has been in Berlin since 2011 and its outfit and hairstyle are regularly updated.