Favorite German national anthem

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Heil dir im Siegerkranz
Deutschlandlied
Horst Wessel Lied
Auferstanden Aus Ruinen

[Smid]

The second one is the one I always think of when I think of German National Anthem, and it's a fantastic tune. Hayden, isn't it?

[H. Ross Peron]

"Heil dir im Siegerkranz"-The lyrics are excellent but the tune has been used in too many other patriotic songs and the song is not really a national anthem but instead a song of praise for the German monarchy. For this same reason I've considered songs such as "Land of Hope and Glory" or "Rule Brittania" far more appropriate at the British National Anthem instead of "God Save the Queen (King)"

"Deutschlandlied"-Easily the best of these songs. The tune is superb, the lyrics celebrate the German land and people along with calling for unity and freedom making it most appropriate for a national anthem, and the song is acceptable to Germans of all varieties-republican or monarchist, Prussian or Bavarian, Protestant or Catholic, nationalist or socialist.

"Horst Wessel Lied"-While I like the tune on an artistic level, the song itself is highly offensive to decent people due to its National Socialist nature, which presided over the bloodiest regime of modern times. In addition the song is the most partisan of any of the four anthems.

"Auferstanden Aus Ruinen"-The lyrics are good, speaking of rebuilding the German fatherland after the fall of the Third Reich but at the same time this makes the song lose meaning over time, as the memory of World War 2 passes while its use by a puppet dictatorship would make it deeply offensive for many Germans.

[Indy Texas]

Heil dir im Siegerkranz is kind of hopelessly outdated as we approach nearly a century without a German monarchy. And the God Save the Queen melody gives the song a kind of fill-in-the-blank blandness that makes it a bad choice for a national anthem, almost to say, "Sure, you've got your own language, flag, currency and stamps but you still get your marching orders from yet another one of Queen Victoria's children/grandchildren."

Auferstanden Aus Ruinen isn't very relevant in the 21st century either but the melody is nice and could get a new set of more modern lyrics. It seems so perfect for the DDR considering so much of the propaganda they used was based on the idea that West Germany was actually just a continuation of the Third Reich and East Germany was "saving" the German people from the sins of the Nazis.

Didn't listen to Horst Wessel Lied since YouTube said it was flagged for offensive content and wouldn't let me watch it. ()

My vote goes to Deutschlandlied.

[Middle-aged Europe]

The Deutschlandlied was in fact used in various combinations and variations throughout history. The only period when the complete song was used as the national anthem was during the time of the Weimar Republic. In addition, the Horst-Wessel-Lied served only as a supplementary component of the Third Reich's national anthem.


German Empire: Heil dir im Siegerkranz

Weimar Republic: Deutschlandlied, all three stanzas

Nazi Germany: First stanza of the Deutschlandlied only, combined with the Horst-Wessel-Lied as the de facto second stanza

GDR: Auferstanden aus Ruinen

FRG: Third stanza of the Deutschlandlied only


The third stanza of the Deutschlandlied is about freedom and justice so it was acceptable as national anthem for West Germany/post-unification Germany, but not as anthem for Nazi Germany.

The opposite is true regarding the first stanza, which claims a German nation-state consisting of territories stretching from present-day northern Italy to present-day Lithuania.

The second stanza usually gets the shaft because its about German women and wine and therefore considered the most expendable regardless of the nature of the regime in power.

[pbrower2a]

The Horst-Wessel-Lied is, above all, in execrable German. The subject is clearly shown objectionable to anyone outside the Nazi movement. Not surprisingly it is illegal in much of the world, including Germany and Austria.

My rough translation:

Our flag raised high/ our rows in tight formation
SA-men march with firm and measured step.
Comrades mowed down by Communists and raw reaction
Continue marching, ever in our midst!

(I improved the lyrics in translation. I do not endorse the use of this translation for any non-educational or non-critical use).

It's about marching and not about any humane purpose. As with fascism of almost every kind it denies the reality of death in the service of the cause. How sordid is that?  

Someone the antithesis of a fascist (Abraham Lincoln) gave his Gettysburg Address, and in it he frequently used not only the word dead but even the syllable in such words as dedicate and its derivatives. He refused to offer the cheap condolence that the dead of the battle "live in the cause" or "live in your hearts". To someone as honest as Abraham Lincoln, a heroic death was still tragedy, and death was one of the most undeniable realities.

The tune is awful. It has harsh, monotonous rhythm and some ugly long intervals (which fits Nazi taste). It has become the musical signature of Nazism. Its only imaginable use in any music beyond its day would be archival use -- or parody swuch as being rendered macabre or disintegrated in the end (with God Save the King, the Star-Spangled Banner, the Marseillaise, or the Hymn of the Soviet Union, and in view of pre-WWII German territory being annexed by Poland after the war, the Mazurek Dąbrowskiego) prevailing in the end.

As an aside, it is worth noting that in the cinematic masterpiece Casablanca, the Nazis were portrayed singing Die Wacht am Rhein, an old patriotic tune related to the struggle against Napoleon, in Rick's American Grill... so why not the more likely, and more offensive  Horst-Wessel-Lied that the anti-fascists sing down with the Marseillaise? Warner Brothers was concerned about copyright infringement. The vile Nazi song was public domain in the United States, but not in many possible foreign markets.

[Hifly]

The full official national anthem of Nazi Germany can be heard here (Deutschlandlied first stanza and then Die Fahne Hoch):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTeD99IKfEM

Out of all of those, I dislike Heil Dir im Siegerkranz the most- mostly because I disapprove of the use of that tune.

I love the tunes of the other three (and lyrics too except for the Horst Wessel Lied- my Grandma still knows this off by heart!). Overall, Deutschlandlied has my vote. It is for me the most stirring of all.

I also love this- http://austria-forum.org/attach/Wissenssammlungen/Symbole/Dollfuss_Lied_3_Strophen/Dollfuss_Lied_als_Marsch.mp3 - both the lyrics and the tune. It served as a de facto national anthem of Austria under Schuschnigg until 1938 (it followed Sei Gesegnet ohne Ende which was the de jure national anthem).

Sei Gesegnet ohne Ende can be listen to here: (yes it's Haydn again!)

http://www.mediathek.at/atom/135E8845-36E-002D4-000004A4-135DCBB9

[Redalgo]

My favourite is Auferstanden aus Ruinen, though I'm also fond of Deutschlandlied.

[minionofmidas]

The Deutschlandlied is a (very bad) drinking song, it's misuse as a national anthem is hilarious in a vaguely FFish way.

[pbrower2a]

Auferstanden at the least has an attractive melody. It could have worked with different lyrics in a united Germany. Maybe Germany could keep something of East Germany  since its institutions were all neutered. 

[Middle-aged Europe]

Auferstanden at the least has an attractive melody. It could have worked with different lyrics in a united Germany. Maybe Germany could keep something of East Germany  since its institutions were all neutered. 

Back in 1990, it was in fact proposed to combine the Deutschlandlied with Auferstanden aus Ruinen as new national anthem. This proposal was rejected by the Kohl government.

[Lief 🗽]

Deutschlandlied for the hilarious second stanza about German women and wine.

[minionofmidas]

Deutschlandlied for the hilarious second stanza about German women and wine.

Yes, I would much prefer the second stanza were sung and not the boring third one.

[Oak Hills]

Easily "Auferstanden aus Ruinen".

[RedPrometheus]

I like Auferstanden aus Ruinen the best, it has the most positive and optimistic message and a nice melody.