"Prinz Eugen, der edle Ritter" (Prince Eugene, the Noble Knight) is an Austrian-German folksong about the victory of Prince Eugene of Savoy in 1717 during the Austro-Turkish War of 1716–1718. It tells of the bravery of Prince Eugene, his companion Prince Ludwig who lost his life in the battle, and their soldiers in defeating the Turks and recovering the city of Belgrade for the Holy Roman Empire. The oldest known record of the song comes from a handwritten songbook of 1719. The lyricist is unknown.

Theme

The song is a narrative of the

Siege of Belgrade (1717) The siege of Belgrade was a successful attempt by Austrian troops under the command of Prince Eugene of Savoy to capture the strategically important city of Belgrade from the Ottoman Empire. It took place during the Seventh Ottoman–Venetia ...

. The text diverts from historical accuracy in two aspects. The day of the final assault on the defenders is given as the 21 August although it was 16 August. Second, the song tells of the death of one Prince Louis (''Prinz Ludewig''). Eugene had two brothers named Louis but none of them fell at Belgrade. The younger one, Louis Julius (1660–1683) who had entered Imperial service prior to Eugene was killed by

Crimean Tatars , flag = Flag of the Crimean Tatar people.svg , flag_caption = Flag of Crimean Tatars , image = Love, Peace, Traditions.jpg , caption = Crimean Tatars in traditional clothing in front of the Khan's Palace ...

Petronell Petronell-Carnuntum is a community of Bruck an der Leitha in Austria. It is known for its annual World Theatre Festival. History The village derives the second half of its name, Carnuntum, from the ancient Roman legionary fortress and headquar ...

, whereas the older one, Louis Thomas (1657–1702) had died at the

Siege of Landau (1702) The siege of Landau (16 June – 12 September 1702) saw an army from the Holy Roman Empire led by Louis William, Margrave of Baden-Baden lay siege to the fortress city of Landau which was held for the Kingdom of France. The French defenders led ...

Background and legacy

The author of the song is unknown. The melody derives from "Als Chursachsen das vernommen" (1683) and has also been adopted in the period before the

German revolutions of 1848–1849 The German revolutions of 1848–1849 (), the opening phase of which was also called the March Revolution (), were initially part of the Revolutions of 1848 that broke out in many European countries. They were a series of loosely coordinated pro ...

to (Whether we

ear An ear is the organ that enables hearing and, in mammals, body balance using the vestibular system. In mammals, the ear is usually described as having three parts—the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear. The outer ear consists of ...

red or yellow collars).

Josef Strauss Josef Strauss (20 August 1827 – 22 July 1870) was an Austrian composer. He was born in Mariahilf (now Vienna), the son of Johann Strauss I and Maria Anna Streim, and brother of Johann Strauss II and Eduard Strauss. His father wanted him to ch ...

composed in 1865 his Prinz Eugen March, Op. 186, for the unveiling of a statue of Prince Eugene at the

Heldenplatz Heldenplatz (german: Heroes' Square) is a public space in front of the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria. Located in the Innere Stadt borough, the President of Austria resides in the adjoining Hofburg wing, while the Federal Chancellery is on adj ...

in Vienna; it uses elements of the folksong.

Lyrics

Eugene of Savoy during the Battle of Belgrade 1717

References

{{Reflist

External links

Notes and text
ingeb.org

Jean-Louis Vial
A more poetic translation
Ballads Austrian songs German folk songs 18th-century songs German patriotic songs Cultural depictions of Prince Eugene of Savoy