Heil dir im Siegerkranz

"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.[1]

Heil dir im Siegerkranz
Former national anthem of  Germany
Royal anthem of  Prussia
LyricsHeinrich Harries, 1790
MusicUnknown composer (uses the melody of "God Save the King")
Adopted1871
Relinquished1918
Succeeded by"Das Lied der Deutschen"
Audio sample
"Heil dir im Siegerkranz"
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Before the foundation of the Empire, it had been the royal anthem of Prussia since 1795 and remained it after 1871.[2] The melody of the hymn derived from the British anthem "God Save the King". For these reasons, the song failed to become popular within all of Germany. Not only did it fail to win the support of most German nationalists, it was never recognized by the southern German states, such as Bavaria or Württemberg.[3] After World War I, the German Empire came to an end and "Das Lied der Deutschen" became the national anthem of the Weimar Republic.[4]

Lyrics

Heinrich Harries wrote the lyrics in 1790 in honour of King Christian VII of Denmark, and the line "Heil, Kaiser, dir" originally read "Heil, Christian, dir". In 1793, Harries' text was adapted by Balthasar Gerhard Schumacher for use in Prussia. Schumacher shortened Harries' text and replaced the word Christian with the word König (king). After the proclamation of the German Empire, the word König was replaced by Kaiser (emperor).[5]

Heil dir im Siegerkranz,
Herrscher des Vaterlands!
Heil, Kaiser, dir!
Fühl' in des Thrones Glanz
Die hohe Wonne ganz,
Liebling des Volks zu sein!
Heil Kaiser, dir!

Nicht Roß nicht Reisige
Sichern die steile Höh',
Wo Fürsten steh'n:
Liebe des Vaterlands,
Liebe des freien Manns
Gründen des Herrschers Thron
Wie Fels im Meer.

Heilige Flamme, glüh',
Glüh' und erlösche nie
Fürs Vaterland!
Wir alle stehen dann
Mutig für einen Mann,
Kämpfen und bluten gern
Für Thron und Reich!

Handlung und Wissenschaft
Hebe mit Mut und Kraft
Ihr Haupt empor!
Krieger und Heldenthat
Finde ihr Lorbeerblatt
Treu aufgehoben dort,
An deinem Thron!

Sei, Kaiser Wilhelm, hier
Lang deines Volkes Zier,
Der Menschheit Stolz!
Fühl' in des Thrones Glanz,
Die hohe Wonne ganz,
Liebling des Volks zu sein!
Heil, Kaiser, dir![6]

Hail to thee in the Victor's Wreath,
Ruler of the fatherland!
Hail to thee, emperor!
Feel by the splendor of the throne
The greatest joy fully
To be the favorite of the people!
Hail to thee, emperor!

Neither steed nor knight
Can secure the towering height,
Where princes stand:
The Love of the fatherland,
The Love of the free man,
Found the sovereign's throne
Like a rock in the sea.

Holy flame, glow,
Glow and never go out
For the fatherland!
We will all stand together
Courageously for one man
Fight and bleed with joy
For throne and empire!

Trade and sciences
May lift with courage and strength
Their heads upwards!
Warriors and heroes deeds
May find their laurels of fame
Faithfully preserved there
At thy throne!

Be, Kaiser Wilhelm, here
Thy people's ornament for a long time,
The pride of mankind!
Feel by the splendor of the throne
The greatest joy fully
To be the favorite of the People!
Hail to thee, emperor!

These lyrics were used for the reign of Kaiser Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia. One of the jokes at the time was that the song's title be changed to "Heil Dir im Sonderzug" ("Hail to Thee in Thy Royal Train"), owing to the Kaiser's frequent travels.

Other hymns
Further information: God Save the Queen § Use_elsewhere

"Die Wacht am Rhein" ("The Watch on the Rhine") was also a patriotic hymn so popular that it was often regarded as an unofficial national anthem.[7]

In the Kingdom of Bavaria, the official hymn was "Bayerische Königshymne" ("Heil unserm König, Heil!"), also sung to the melody of "God Save the King". Likewise, Liechtenstein has "Oben am jungen Rhein" (1920), sung to the same melody.

The Hawaiian anthem Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī composed by the Prussian Kapellmeister Henri Berger is a variation of the melody.[8]

See also

References

Notes

  1. Fischer & Senkel 2010, p. 90.
  2. Fischer & Senkel 2010, p. 91.
  3. Fehrenbach, Elisabeth. Politischer Umbruch und gesellschaftliche Bewegung: ausgewählte Aufsätze zur Geschichte Frankreichs und Deutschlands im 19. Jahrhundert. Oldenburg, 1997. p. 312.
  4. Sternburg, Wilhelm von. Die Geschichte der Deutschen. p. 131.
  5. Fischer & Senkel 2010, p. 93.
  6. Song No. 50 in Allgemeines Deutsches Kommersbuch, p. 47
  7. Reichel, Peter. Schwarz-Rot-Gold: kleine Geschichte deutscher Nationalsymbole nach 1945. C. H. Beck: München, 2005. p. 35.
  8. The melody was based on the Prussian hymn originally titled "Heil Dir Im Siegerkranz". "Hawaiʻi ponoʻī". Archived from the original on 2018-01-17. Retrieved 2018-06-02.

Sources

  • Fischer, Michael; Senkel, Christian (2010). Klaus Tanner (ed.). Reichsgründung 1871: Ereignis, Beschreibung, Inszenierung. Münster: Waxmann Verlag.
No anthem before
First German nation state
 Imperial anthem of the German Empire
1871–1918		 Succeeded by
"Deutschlandlied"
as national anthem
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