The Hymne an Deutschland (Hymn to Germany) is a patriotic song which the then-
president
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
of
West Germany
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
,
Theodor Heuss
Theodor Heuss (; 31 January 1884 – 12 December 1963) was a German liberal politician who served as the first president of West Germany from 1949 to 1959. His cordial nature – something of a contrast to the stern character of chancellor Ko ...
, aspired to establish as the new national anthem of Germany. During the early 1950s prior to the adoption of "
Deutschlandlied
The "" (; "Song of Germany"), officially titled "" (; "The Song of the Germans"), has been the national anthem of Germany either wholly or in part since 1922, except for a seven-year gap following World War II in West Germany. In East German ...
" by
West Germany
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
, it acted as a sort of ''de facto'' national anthem of the nascent state.
History
Its lyrics were written by
Rudolf Alexander Schröder
Rudolf Alexander Schröder (26 January 1878 – 22 August 1962) was a German translator and poet. In 1962 he was awarded the Johann-Heinrich-Voß-Preis für Übersetzung. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature five times.
Career
Much o ...
in 1950.
Hermann Reutter
Hermann Reutter (; 17 June 19001 January 1985) was a German composer and pianist who worked as an academic teacher, university administrator, recitalist, and accompanist. He composed several operas, orchestral works, and chamber music, and especi ...
composed its tune after
Carl Orff
Carl Orff (; 10 July 1895 – 29 March 1982) was a German composer and music educator, best known for his cantata ''Carmina Burana'' (1937). The concepts of his Schulwerk were influential for children's music education.
Life
Early life
Car ...
, whom Heuss wanted to have as composer, had rejected the request and suggested Reutter instead. Heuss’ attempts failed, and in 1952 he and Chancellor
Adenauer
Konrad Hermann Joseph Adenauer (; 5 January 1876 – 19 April 1967) was a German statesman who served as the first chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany from 1949 to 1963. From 1946 to 1966, he was the first leader of the Christian Demo ...
recognized the "
Deutschlandlied
The "" (; "Song of Germany"), officially titled "" (; "The Song of the Germans"), has been the national anthem of Germany either wholly or in part since 1922, except for a seven-year gap following World War II in West Germany. In East German ...
" as the new national anthem, with only the third stanza being sung on official occasions.
[Peter Reichel, ''Schwarz-Rot-Gold: kleine Geschichte deutscher Nationalsymbole nach 1945'', p. 41/42.]
Text
See also
* Brecht's
Kinderhymne
*
Auferstanden aus Ruinen
"" (, ) is a German patriotic song that was the national anthem of East Germany during its existence from 1949 to 1990.
History Background
In 1949, the Soviet occupation zone of Allied-occupied Germany became a socialist state under the name of ...
*
Deutschlandlied
The "" (; "Song of Germany"), officially titled "" (; "The Song of the Germans"), has been the national anthem of Germany either wholly or in part since 1922, except for a seven-year gap following World War II in West Germany. In East German ...
*
Heil dir im Siegerkranz
"" (; German for "Hail to Thee in the Victor's Crown", literally: "Hail to Thee in the Victor's Wreath") was the official national anthem of the German Empire from 1871 to 1918 and royal anthem of Prussia from 1795 to 1918.
Before the foundatio ...
*
Trizonesien-Song
References
External links
Short description, tune, and lyricsSpeech by Theodor Heuss on New Year’s Eveintroducing the song to the public (in German)
{{German patriotic songs
German patriotic songs
German music
German culture