Nazi songs
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This article deals with songs that were written for the NSDAP.
Some songs which are much older than the post-WWI Nazi movement, and which were used by the Nazis, are often confused with "Nazi songs"; this observation applies above all to "Das Lied der Deutschen" (the first line of which is "Deutschland über Alles"), which was written in 1841. It was made the national anthem of democratic Germany in 1922, but after 1930 the Nazis commonly appended the "Horst-Wessel-Lied" to it. Also, the song Die Wacht am Rhein, which is famous from a scene of the 1941 movie Casablanca, was at that time almost 100 years old.
In modern Federal Republic of Germany, public singing or performing of songs identified exclusively with Nazi Germany is unlawful (§86a Strafgesetzbuch) and can be punished with up to 3 years of imprisonment. The prohibition does not apply to "Das Lied der Deutschen" per se, which continues to be the national anthem.
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[edit] Horst Wessel Song
- Main article: Horst-Wessel-Lied
The official anthem of the NSDAP was the "Horst-Wessel-Lied." The song was written by Horst Wessel, a Nazi activist and SA leader, who was killed by a member of the Communist Party of Germany and subsequently considered a martyr by his National Socialist comrades.
The song is currently banned in Germany.
See also the note on "Horst Wessel Lied" in the Wikipedia article on "How Great Thou Art" by Swedish" author Carl Boberg (1859-1940).
[edit] Es zittern die morschen Knochen
"Es zittern die morschen Knochen" (The frail bones are trembling) by Hans Baumann was, after the "Horst-Wessel-Lied," one of the most famous Nazi songs[citation needed]. It was the official song of the Hitler Youth: hence the occasional attacks on the elderly in the song. Many Germans know the quote "Heute gehört uns Deutschland und morgen die ganze Welt", but few know the song as a whole.
- Es zittern die morschen Knochen
- Der Welt vor dem roten Krieg,
- Wir haben den Schrecken gebrochen,
- Für uns war's ein großer Sieg.
- Refrain:
- Wir werden weiter marschieren
- Wenn alles in Scherben fällt,
- Denn heute gehört uns Deutschland,
- Und morgen die ganze Welt.
(Sometimes a 'soft' version of the refrain Denn heut', da hört uns Deutschland was used especially by the girls' section of the Hitler Youth, the BDM).[citation needed]
[edit] Combat songs
The battle song of the Nazi Party was the "Kampflied der Nationalsozialisten" by Kleo Pleyer.
Kampflied der Nationalsozialisten (Nazi Combat Song)
Sample:
- Wir sind das Heer vom Hakenkreuz,
- Hebt hoch die roten Fahnen!
- Der deutschen Arbeit wollen wir
- Den Weg zur Freiheit bahnen!
(Rough English translation)
- We are the army of the swastika,
- Raise high the red Flags!
- We want to build German labour's
- Road to Liberty!
Another song by Kleo Pleyer:
- Wir Nationalen Sozialisten,
- Wir wollen keine Reaktion
- Wir hassen Juden und Marxisten
- Ein Hoch der deutschen Revolution
- (Refrain)
- Drum Bruder auf die Barrikaden!
- Der Führer ruft, so folget gleich
- Die Reaktion hat ihn verraten,
- Und dennoch kommit das Dritte Reich!
- We National Socialists
- Want no reaction (no Reactionaries)
- We hate Jews and Marxists
- Long live the German Revolution!
- (refrain)
- Onward, brothers, to the barricades!
- The Führer calls, follow him now!
- Reaction has betrayed him
- But the Third Reich comes nevertheless.(2)
[edit] Deutschland erwache
"Germany Awake!" was another song favoured by the Nazis:.
- Deutschland erwache aus deinem bösen Traum!
- Gib fremden Juden in deinem Reich nicht Raum!
- Wir wollen kämpfen für dein Auferstehn!
- Arisches Blut soll nicht untergehn!
- Wir wollen kämpfen für dein Auferstehn!
- Arisches Blut soll nicht untergehn!
Translation:
- Germany awake from this horrible nightmare!
- Give in your lands no room for foreign Jews.
- We want to fight for your resurgence!
- Aryan blood should not perish!
- We want to fight for your resurgence!
- Aryan blood should not perish!
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Song site, combat song section (In German)
- German National Anthem Site
- Music of the Third Reich in MP3 format. Also has songs from Soviet Union and Mussolini's Italy.
[edit] References
- (a) Source: Modern history sourcebook
- (1)Liberty or Equality, Erik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn, Christendom Press, Front Royal, Virginia, l993. pg 268. This is referenced to: Cf. Ehart (ed) Unter Hitlers Fahnen: grossdeutsches Liederbuch (N.p..Verlag Grossdeutschland, l932), p. 4.
- (2) Ibid. Referenced to: From G. Feder, Das Programm der NSDAP (Munich: Eher, l936 ["Nationalsozialistische Bibliothek", Heft I]), last page.
