A Tale of Two Germanies

• November 14, 2020
• Politics, Nationalism

Derived from the Old English word antefn, an anthem has become more than just a song. National anthem are described as a solemn patriotic song officially adopted by a country as an expression of national identity. Initially devotional verses sung by the people as a response during a religious service, in the modern era, anthems serve as a reflection of a unifying spirit that bound people together when the secular vacuum created by the reformation replaced the collective under religion; a reflection of what helped diverse communities to unite and push back against oppressors; a fundamental symbol of a nation’s ethos.

However, unlike what a Primordialist would argue, a national identity or the meaning of a national symbol is not something intrinsic and fundamental to the community. Au contraire, one can argue that both the communities and the spirit they hold high which under the influence of a patriotic fervour, they wish to emulate, are but a construction of those who hold the control over the people. Such a story is that of the anthems of East and West Germany.

In 1797,  Joseph Haydn wrote the melody to "Deutschlandlied" (tr. Song of Germany) as a birthday anthem to the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, and in 1841, August Heinrich Hoffmann wrote the lyrics, which start with the refrain:

“Deutschland, Deutschland über alles, Über alles in der Wel”

tr. “Germany, Germany above all, Above all in the world”

as an appeal to the german monarchs to unify all germans. While this song was a rallying cry for the german empire for the longest time, it did not become the national anthem until in 1922, as a part of a political quid pro quo between the left and the right parties, "Deutschlandlied"— an intensely nationalistic composition that exalted the glory of 

“Deutsche Frauen, Deutsche Treue Deutscher Wein und Deutscher Sang”

tr. “German women, German loyalty German wine and German song”

was formally adopted as the national hymn. Under Hitler, the overt patriotism in the anthem, particularly the first stanza, developed a chauvinistic disposition. The opening words were used to justify the superiority of the German race and the words: 

“Wenn es stets zu Schutz und Trutze Brüderlich zusammenhält. 

Von der Maas bis an die Memel, Von der Etsch bis an den Belt”

tr. “When, for protection and defense, It always stands brotherly together 

From the Meuse to the Memel, From the Adige to the Belt”

were used to justify the imperialist expansion of Nazi Germany. The literal was moulded by the builders of the state to give it a self-serving meaning that would rouse the commons under the banner of a “German nation”. After the defeat of the Nazi-Germany, "Deutschlandlied" became a taboo and was replaced by other patriotic songs as a symbol of the nation’s spirit. 

In 1949, the soviet-occupied part of Germany became a socialist state which adopted its own national anthem “Auferstanden aus Ruinen” (tr. Risen from Ruins) written by the poet Johannes R. Becher, then to-be Minister of Culture, and arranged by Hanns Eisler. In contrast to "Deutschlandlied", the anthem of East Germany possessed a much more sober but earnest tone. It celebrated and repeatedly emphasised on the solidarity of all Germans united under the “Vaterland” (tr. fatherland) to overcome the tragedies of the past, with verses like: 

“Alte Not gilt es zu zwingen, Und wir zwingen sie vereint, 

Denn es muss uns doch gelingen, Daß die Sonne schön wie nie 

Über Deutschland scheint.”

tr. “Old woes are to be overcome, And we overcome them united.

Because we so must succeed, [So] that the sun beautiful as never [before]

Over Germany shines”

and

“Wenn wir brüderlich uns einen, Schlagen wir des Volkes Feind.” 

tr. “If brotherly we unite ourselves, We shall defeat the people's enemy.”

Another thing that was manifest in the lyrics was the veneration of labour, as clear from these verses of the third stanza of the anthem, which goes: 

“Lasst uns pflügen, lasst uns bauen, Lernt und schafft wie nie zuvor, 

Und der eignen Kraft vertrauend, Steigt ein frei Geschlecht empor.” 

tr. “Let us plough, let us build, Learn and create like never before, 

And, confident in existing strength, A free generation rises up.”

thus reflecting the socialist nature of the state. But the spirit of unification that the anthem hoped to convey did not survive the test of time. The cold war ended hopes of german unification, and with the removal of Germany from the East German constitution, the words to this anthem too became a taboo at least till the day the reunification of Germany was no longer a pipe dream. 

Meanwhile, in 1952, the third stanza of the "Deutschlandlied"  had been adopted as the national anthem of West Germany by presidential decree on request of Chancellor Konrad Adenauer from the centre-right Christian Democratic Union party. The key difference to note between the anthem of the two Germany is how each of them attempts to glorify the German identity.  A clear distinction can be seen in the ideologies behind the words used, contrasting right-leaning nationalism and a left-wing socialist dream. "Deutschlandlied" focuses more on the glory of the nation of Germany—its culture and its history— and urges the people to maintain its “alten schönen Klang” (tr. old beautiful chime) and safeguard its fortunes, on the other hand, “Auferstanden aus Ruinen” is much more invested in the fortitude of the German people particularly the german youth, to move forward towards a better world through hard work and labour. 

When the Berlin wall was felled,  "Deutschlandlied" once again became the anthem of a unified Germany. However, this decision was not necessarily the will of the Deutsche common folk, many east germans particularly those affiliated with the socialist left party were unhappy because they felt that the "Deutschlandlied"  had been forced upon them. A novel unified german anthem was never considered. Time and again, there have been attempts to include verses from Becher’s “Auferstanden aus Ruinen” or playwright Bertolt Brecht’s “Kinderhymne” (tr. Children’s Hymn) in the national anthem for the German nation, even as recently as 2019 but all such attempts have been met with opposition and procedurally denied. In essence, the tale of two Germanies reminds us that the meaning and symbolism of the national anthem is oft-times not a simple manifestation of the collective mind of ordinary people, but a political tool to manipulate the will of a whole nation and find favour in the court of public opinion.