Des Deutschen Vaterland
Was ist des Deutschen Vaterland is a German nationalist/German Unification song by Ernst Moritz Arndt (1813) which was popular in the 19th century.
History
In the text, Arndt asks the German question and answers it by demanding a Greater German nation-state comprising all German-speaking areas in Europe. The song was performed for the first time in Berlin in 1814.[1]
As the original tune did not become popular, Gustav Reichardt wrote a new melody in 1825.[2] This new tune made the song very popular among the German population that desired the transformation of the German Confederation into a united empire, instead of the previous situation where there were multiple duchies and kingdoms.
Joachim Raff used Reichhardt's tune as a leitmotif in his symphony An das Vaterland.[3]
In 1911, Emil Sembritzki, wrote a song known as "Was ist des Deutschen Tochterland?", which used the 1825 tune and embraced German colonialism.[4]
Lyrics
Arndt enumerates German states and regions and asks whether these particular areas are the fatherland of all Germans. He immediately replies with ″no″ and finally concludes that no particular state or states can be the German fatherland, which is understood to be the entirety of predominantly German-speaking areas.
Was ist des Deutschen Vaterland? |
What is the German’s fatherland? Marsi roam?Is it where the citizens of the Mark mold iron? Oh no! No! No! His fatherland must be bigger! What is the German’s fatherland? Is it Pomerania, Westphalia? Is it where the sand of dunes blows? Is it where the Danube rushes along? Oh no! No! No! His fatherland must be bigger! What is the German’s fatherland? So name the great land to me! Is it the land of the Tyrol ?The land and people that please me well! But no! No! No! His fatherland must be bigger! What is the German’s fatherland? So name the great land to me! Certainly it must be Austria, Rich in victories and in honors? Oh no! No! No! His fatherland must be bigger! What is the German’s fatherland? So name the great land to me, finally! As far as the German tongue sounds And sings songs to God in heaven: That shall it be, shall it be! That, brave German, call that yours! That is the German’s fatherland, Where oaths are sworn with curled hand, Where loyalty blazes brightly from the eye And love sits warmly in the heart. That shall it be, That, brave German, shall it be! That is the German’s fatherland, Where rage wipes out the foreign junk, Where every Frenchman is called enemy, Where every German is called friend. That shall it be, The whole of Germany it should be. The whole Germany shall it be, O God from heaven, see within And give us real German courage, That we may love it faithfully and well. That shall it be, The whole of Germany it should be.[5] |
References
- ^ Bock, Gustav (ed.). Neue Berliner Musikzeitung, Bd. 17, 1st issue of the 17th year of the paper: 1 January 1863. Page 187.
- ^ Koch, Arnde (ed.). Ernst Moritz Arndt (1769–1860). Max Niemeyer Verlag: Tübingen, 2007. Page 125.
- ^ Eichner, Barbara. History in Mighty Sounds: Musical Constructions of German National Identity. 1848–1914. The Boydell Press: Woolbridge, 2012. Page 233.
- ^ "Die Liedarchäologen - Was ist des Deutschen Tochterland?". geschichte-in-liedern.de (in German). Retrieved 2021-05-12.
- ^ Feurzeig, Lisa (ed.). Deutsche Lieder für Jung und Alt. Middleton (Wisconsin): 2002. Page 69/70.
External links
- Des Deutschen Vaterland on YouTube
- Was ist des Deutschen Vaterland (Detailed with translation and map) on YouTube