Bayernhymne - Wikipedia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
English: Hymn of Bavaria | |
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![]() The Bayernhymne published by Bavaria | |
Regional anthem of Bavaria | |
Lyrics | Michael Öchsner / Joseph Maria Lutz, 1946 |
Music | Max Kunz, 1835 |
Adopted | 1860[citation needed] 1946 (as regional anthem) |
Audio sample | |
External videos |
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Video by the official YouTube channel of the Bavarian state government |
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The Bayernhymne (Hymn of Bavaria) is the official anthem of Bavaria, Germany.
The melody of the song was written by Max Kunz in 1835. The text for the original first three stanzas was written by Michael Öchsner. Both men were members of the Bürger-Sänger-Zunft München (Citizen-Singers-Guild Munich), that first performed the song on December 15, 1860.
In 1946, the poet Joseph Maria Lutz wrote a new third stanza as a replacement for the Königsstrophe (King’s Stanza), since after the abdication of King Ludwig III in 1918, Bavaria has been without a king. He also replaced the Deutsche Erde (German soil) in the first stanza with Heimaterde (native soil).
In 1946, it was also officially recognised as the national anthem of Bavaria, and on July 29, 1966, the then prime minister of Bavaria, Alfons Goppel, chose the version written by Joseph Maria Lutz to be the official version.
In 1980, the Bavarian minister-president Franz Josef Strauß changed the official version to contain just the first two stanzas and switched Heimaterde back to Deutsche Erde, though the Heimaterde version is still widely used (for example, it was sung during the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to his native Bavaria in 2006, who also joined in singing this version).
The song, like most national anthems, contains many symbolic representations, including repeated allusions to the colours white and blue, Bavaria’s national colours, especially describing Bavaria's Himmel, which can refer to both sky and heaven. The march Bayerischer Defiliermarsch is often played along the hymn.
(According to the bulletin of the Bavarian prime minister on July 18, 1980.)
Gott mit dir, du Land der Bayern, deutsche Erde, Vaterland!
Gott mit dir, dem Bayernvolke, dass wir, uns'rer Väter wert, |
God be with you, land of the Bavarians, German soil, fatherland!
God be with you, people of Bavaria, that we, worthy of our fathers, |
Version by Joseph Maria Lutz from 1946
[edit]
Gott mit dir, du Land der Bayern, Heimaterde, Vaterland!
Gott mit dir, dem Bayernvolke, dass wir, unsrer Väter wert,
Gott mit uns und Gott mit allen, die der Menschen heilig Recht |
God be with thee, land of the Bavarians, Native soil, fatherland!
God be with you, people of Bavaria, that we, to our fathers’ worth,
God be with us and God with all who protect the holy law of humans |
Michael Öchsner’s 1860 Poem
[edit]
Gott mit dir, du Land der Bayern, deutsche Erde, Vaterland!
Gott mit dir, dem Bayernvolke, dass wir unsrer Väter wert,
Gott mit ihm, dem Bayer-König, Vater Max aus Wittelsbach! |
God be with thee, Land of the Bavarians, German soil, fatherland!
God be with you, the people of Bavaria, that we, with our fathers’ worth,
God be with him, the Bavarian King, father Max from Wittelsbach! |
Later Text from Michael Öchsner
[edit]
Gott mit dir, du Land der Bayern, deutsche Erde, Vaterland!
Gott mit dir, dem Bayernvolke, dass wir, unserer Väter wert,
Gott mit ihm, dem Bayerkönig! Segen über sein Geschlecht! |
God be with the, Land of the Bavarians, German soil, fatherland!
God be with you, the people of Bavaria, that we, with our fathers’ worth,
God be with him, the Bavarian King! Blessing over his generation! |
- Official site of the Bavarian Parliament (in German)
- Official site of the Bavarian Government (in German, includes audio)