Short answers, pulled from the story.
Florian Schneider and Ralf Hütter formed Kraftwerk in 1970 after meeting at the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Düsseldorf. They created the band following an exhibition about visual artists Gilbert and George that inspired them to bring everyday life into their art.
Kraftwerk released the album Autobahn in 1974. The record peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart and marked a shift toward using newer technology like the Minimoog and EMS Synthi AKS.
The only constant figures during early lineups were founders Florian Schneider and Ralf Hütter. Other musicians including Michael Rother and Klaus Dinger joined for three albums before leaving to form Neu! while Schneider played flute violin and guitar through electronic devices.
Florian Schneider died on the 21st of April 2020 after a brief battle with cancer. He was age 73 and had officially confirmed his departure from the group on the 21st of November prior to his passing.
The single The Model appeared on the album Computer World which came out in May 1981 on EMI Records. It became their most successful song there and helped drive the band's commercial success during that period.