Limburg mijn Vaderland ("Limburg my Fatherland") is the official

anthem An anthem is a musical composition of celebration, usually used as a symbol for a distinct group, particularly the national anthems of countries. Originally, and in music theory and religious contexts, it also refers more particularly to short ...

of the two provinces of Limburg, Netherlands Limburg and

Belgian Limburg Limburg ( nl, Limburg, ; li, Limburg or ''Wes-Limburg'' ; french: Limbourg, ) is a province in Belgium. It is the easternmost of the five Dutch-speaking provinces that together form the Region of Flanders, one of the three main political and c ...

History

The anthem was written by the schoolteacher Gerard Krekelberg in 1909. The music was composed by . Tijssen also wrote the anthem of the city of

Roermond Roermond (; li, Remunj or ) is a city, municipality, and diocese in the Limburg province of the Netherlands. Roermond is a historically important town on the lower Roer on the east bank of the river Meuse. It received town rights in 1231. Roer ...

, ''Oud en trouw Roermond''. The fact that Krekelberg's lyrics are in

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

can be seen as surprising. It is all the more surprising that he put quite a lot of emphasis on Limburg being united, which was not the case at the time - and arguably still is not. The

Limburgish Limburgish ( li, Limburgs or ; nl, Limburgs ; german: Limburgisch ; french: Limbourgeois ), also called Limburgan, Limburgian, or Limburgic, is a West Germanic language spoken in the Dutch and Belgian provinces of Limburg (Netherlands), L ...

language was - and still is - very much a unifying factor in a culturally diverse area. Around the time that Krekelberg wrote his poem, Dutch was of little importance in daily life in Limburg. Everything was done in Limburgish. In the 19th century this was even more the case. Newspapers were either in

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

or French. In various parts of Limburg, German was the language used in churches and schools. In

Maastricht Maastricht ( , , ; li, Mestreech ; french: Maestricht ; es, Mastrique ) is a city and a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It is the capital and largest city of the province of Limburg. Maastricht is located on both sides of the ...

, a largely Francized city due to its historic ties with

Liège Liège ( , , ; wa, Lîdje ; nl, Luik ; german: Lüttich ) is a major city and municipality of Wallonia and the capital of the Belgian province of Liège. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east of Belgium, not far from b ...

, education, theatre and 'polite' conversation and correspondence were in French.

Lyrics

The lyrics describe the natural beauty of Limburg and the noble nature of its people. Usually only the first stanza is sung, sometimes also the second one. The third stanza talks about the "beautiful language of the ancestors", "despising foreign pomp" and "preferring our own way of life". The last stanza, about the strong ties with the Netherlands and the

House of Orange The House of Orange-Nassau (Dutch language, Dutch: ''Huis van Oranje-Nassau'', ) is the current dynasty, reigning house of the Netherlands. A branch of the European House of Nassau, the house has played a central role in the Politics and governm ...

, is for obvious reasons never sung in Belgium.

References

{{National Anthems of Europe Commercium songs Limburg (region) Limburgian culture Regional songs Belgian anthems Dutch anthems Dutch-language Belgian songs European anthems Music in Limburg (Netherlands)