Austrian National Anthem: English Version, German Lyrics and History
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History of Austria’s National Anthem
The Austrian Federal Government called for submissions of potential new national anthem texts on April 9th, 1946. Songwriters were tasked with creating "a song of hymn-like character paying tribute in lyrics and music to the new Austrian federal state and its people both at home and abroad." The Nazi association made it impossible to use the old anthem melody, which was being used by Germany at the time.
It didn't take long for everyone to agree on the tune, which is often attributed to Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart despite mounting evidence to the contrary. Mozart composed the composition in 1791 for the Vienna Masonic lodge "Zur neu gekronten Hoffnung," of which he was a member. Nevertheless, the original score of the work, which is maintained by the Vienna Society of Friends of the Music, does not contain the tune used as the anthem. However, the melody was included in an appendix of the lodge's printed version a year later, where it was titled "Zum Schluss der Loge" ("On the end of lodge'), meaning that it is to be sung at the conclusion of a meeting, beginning with the words "Bruder, reicht die Hand zum Bunde" ("Brothers, give your hands for union"). The 19th-century German and Austrian choral groups and student fraternities who popularized this arrangement gave rise to the song's more well-known name, "Bundeslied" (Union Song). Nonetheless, numerous academics have suggested that Mozart's contemporaries and fellow lodge member Johann Holzer may have composed the appended melody.
Felix Hurdes, Croatia's Minister of Education, convinced Paula von Preradovi, the granddaughter of the country's national poet, to enter the contest. She had little time to spare because she was writing a new novel, and Minister Hurdes had to remind her more than once. When her lines finally made it to the jury, which included artists, politicians, and writers, they praised them highly. The article was first published in the March 22, 1947 issue of the Die Presse newspaper, but it was never included in the official Law Gazette. The radio first broadcast the anthem two weeks prior. Although having a more intricate melody than the previous song, it gained widespread acceptance quickly. Minister Hurdes reported the competition's results to the cabinet, and at the Federal President's urging, the cabinet passed a motion stating that Austria should demand that Germany be forbidden from using the Haydn anthem during State Treaty negotiations, as it is a significant cultural asset for Austria.
The Austrian Minister for Women's Affairs proposed rewriting the national anthem in the early 21st century to make it more gender neutral by removing references to "home of great sons," "fraternal," and "Vaterland" ("Fatherland"), among other things; the proposal was passed amid much controversy and the new lyrics went into effect on January 1, 2012, with the first verse referring to sons and daughters ("Heimat bist du grosser Söhne") and the third verse
The national anthem of Austria is named “Land del Berge, Land am Strome,” which translates to men “Land of mountains, land by the river.”
Austrian National Anthem in Original German Lyrics
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| Photo austrialanka |
Land der Berge, Land am Strome,
Land der Äcker, Land der Dome,
Land der Hämmer, zukunftsreich!
Heimat bist du großer Söhne,
Volk, begnadet für das Schöne,
