Diedrich Streuper
Photo: Bibi / Personal archive / Used with permission
Diedrich Streuper is a Dutch David Bowie researcher, archivist, and digital curator, best known as the founder and editor of DavidBowieWorld.nl, an extensive online platform dedicated to documenting Bowie’s artistic output, live history, collaborations, and cultural impact.
His work focuses on accuracy, preservation, and contextual depth, bridging the gap between fan dedication and serious archival research.
- Name: Diedrich Streuper
- Born: 1961
- Role: Bowie researcher, archivist, site founder
- Bowie link: Founder of DavidBowieWorld.nl
- Core idea: Documentation, accuracy, long-term preservation
From fandom to documentation
Diedrich Streuper’s engagement with David Bowie began as deep personal fandom, but gradually evolved into a structured, research-driven project. Rather than focusing solely on collecting, his approach emphasises verification, chronology, and contextual understanding.
This shift mirrors a broader tradition within Bowie’s audience, where listeners often become archivists, historians, and interpreters.
DavidBowieWorld.nl
DavidBowieWorld.nl was conceived as a long-term digital archive, bringing together information on bootlegs, live recordings, tours, collaborations, side projects, and visual documentation.
The site prioritises completeness and transparency, often integrating rare material, cross-referenced sources, and clearly structured data.
Bootlegs and live history
A central focus of Streuper’s work lies in the documentation of Bowie’s live performances and unofficial recordings. These materials are treated not as curiosities, but as essential historical evidence of Bowie’s evolving artistry.
This perspective aligns with earlier fan-scholars such as Pimm Jal de la Parra, situating Streuper within a lineage of Bowie documentation.
Community and collaboration
Although DavidBowieWorld.nl is curated with a strong editorial vision, it also functions as a hub for collaboration, drawing on shared knowledge from collectors, researchers, and longtime Bowie followers.
The project reflects the idea that Bowie’s legacy is collectively maintained rather than centrally owned.
Position within Bowie’s creative universe
In Bowie’s extended creative universe, Diedrich Streuper represents the contemporary archivist: someone operating outside the music industry, yet essential to the preservation of cultural memory.
His work ensures that Bowie’s history remains accessible, structured, and alive for future generations.
