Thank you for this!
Awesome article. German born, I was actually an expat, growing up in the US, but then returned in the early 70 when my muscially formative years began. Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk had so much influence on me that I *still* listen to mostly electronic or at least electronic heavy music. Though much of it with a born-by date no later than the late 80s, with a few exceptions. I did miss the Can and Neu! days.
You can find the not-bad BBC doco on Youtube.
Can't quibble much with TD's best years, though I'd personally go up to maybe Logos and then it was all downhill. When you started to see TD albums classified as "New Age" you could only go "sic transit gloria mundi".
Overall the influence of those greats is felt throughout Germany's music. Techno, industrial, even gothic: in their dominant forms all arguably born in Germany and out of the krautrock influence. Mildly interesting counter-example would be the NDW (German New Wave), which was influenced by British New Wave/Synthpop (Gary Numan et al), with those UK worthies influenced by Krautrock.
Here too, I believe there's a decent BBC doco on Youtube? I believe I watched them back to back, but during a painkiller addled hospital stay so my memory may be hazy.
Beer, because that's what I'd like to have while getting together with authors, readers and commenters of this article to discuss until unconsciousness! ;)