Should Germany be forced to change its national anthem?

[Victor Galis]

Except that the German anthem starts at the line about Unity, rights, and freedom.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by BeBro
We don´t use the first part anymore....

Too bad. That's the best part.

[BeBMan]

Originally posted by Victor Galis
Except that the German anthem starts at the line about Unity, rights, and freedom.

Yup, that´s what I meant. So AHs thread title is pointless, because we already changed it

[Roland]

The yanks can have the first verse. If you could handle the Umlaut in "ueber".

[Dr Strangelove]

Originally posted by Roland
The original is "Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser" by Haydn, around 1800.
Essentially the austrian version of "God save the King/Queen".

Then Fallersleben came around and stole the song.

Are you sure it wasn't originally written as a lullabye for the crown prince of Austria as a birthday present? I seem to recall that part of its history, and have heard a version played purportedly as it was originally meant to be - slowly and by a string quartet. Done that way its actually a sweet little tune.

[Alexander's Horse]

You missed a verse

Translation:

Germany, Germany over all
Over all the world
When Germany unites fraternally
In protection and defiance
From the Maas to the Memel,
From the Etsch to the Belt
Germany, Germany over all
Over all the world.
German women, German faithfulness,
German wine, and German song
German concentration camps, German tanks
We'll rule the world before too long!

German women, German faithfulness,
German wine, and German song!
Unity, rights, and freedom
For the German fatherland!
That is what we shall all strive for,
as brothers we are, with heart and hand.
Unity, rights, and freedom
Are our guarantee of happiness.
In the sunshine of this triad,
Thrive, our German Fatherland [/QUOTE]

[BeBMan]

Re: You missed a verse

Originally posted by Alexander's Horse
Translation:

Germany, Germany over all
Over all the world
When Germany unites fraternally
In protection and defiance
From the Maas to the Memel,
From the Etsch to the Belt
Germany, Germany over all
Over all the world.
German women, German faithfulness,
German wine, and German song
German concentration camps, German tanks
We'll rule the world before too long!

German women, German faithfulness,
German wine, and German song!
Unity, rights, and freedom
For the German fatherland!
That is what we shall all strive for,
as brothers we are, with heart and hand.
Unity, rights, and freedom
Are our guarantee of happiness.
In the sunshine of this triad,
Thrive, our German Fatherland

[/QUOTE]

These are the changes you propose?

[Roland]

"Are you sure it wasn't originally written as a lullabye for the crown prince of Austria as a birthday present?"

I've read that it was written to shore up patriotism in the face of old Napsi. Not quite the Marsaillaise though....

Would make a nice lullabye anyway....

[Sava]

You'd think after two world wars that we'd know better than to want to go to war with Germany. I mean, come on, lets invade a country with good looking women. But I guess that's mean. German women need "liberating" too I guess.

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by Victor Galis
-Umm... how does one associate Advance Australia Fair (that's the anthem right?) with anything inhumane.

No more so than you can associate the current German anthem with anything inhumane, which was my point.

-Yes, it is so nationalist to strive for unity, justice, and freedom Now, La Marseillaise on the other hand... but that's why I love that song

Um...this was exactly the point I was making. It's no longer an ultra-nationalist anthem, since they removed the first verse. The Anthem as it stands is about liberty, justice, etc.

Do you just argue with me for arguments sake, considering you didn't actually argue against the points I was making?

[Victor Galis]

No more so than you can associate the current German anthem with anything inhumane, which was my point.

-Which was my earlier point.

Do you just argue with me for arguments sake, considering you didn't actually argue against the points I was making?

-It would be a very boring discussion if I didn't argue, now wouldn't it Don't mind me, I'm just sleep deprived.

[Boris Godunov]

I feel a bout of Monty P's "Argument Clinic" sketch coming on...

[Wernazuma III]

I voted for "yes, bananatune". I think they should get their own anthem and give us our anthem back.

AH: The anthem is from early 19th century and from Austria, and the tune is not more militaristic than other anthems. And the German text is definitely not more warlike/unfriendly than the French anthem ("Formez vos bataillons" ) or Britain's "knavish tricks" to "confuse their politics"...

[Boris Godunov]

18th Century, Wernazuma. Hadyn wrote it in the late 1700s. And it wasn't meant as an Austrian tune, it was meant for the German people as a whole. Since Germany is now the standard-bearer of the Germans (and many Austrians will bristle at being associated with Germans), I think their use of the melody is perfectly fine.

[Victor Galis]

("Formez vos bataillons" )

-That's harmless, compared to say, "Q'un sang impur abbreuve nos sillions!" Yeah, not militaristic at all