Landesvater

The ceremonial Landesvater is a collegiate custom developed in the 18th century where student caps are pierced with the blade of a sword. The song that accompanies this event is also called Landesvater. The word Landesvater is also ironically used as a name for the prime ministers of the individual German states.

History

Heraldic shield of Joseph II

In the 17th and 18th century, it was common among students to pierce their hats in order to show their love for a girl. Later, the custom changed inasmuch as it symbolized friendship between to students who henceforth said Du to each other. A further step in the development of this custom transferred the symbolic expression of friendship to a larger community. After 1770, academic orders were founded following the example of the Freemasons. They used the rite in order to express their loyalty to their respective prince or the emperor. The original version of the Landesvater that is still used today, with modified lyrics, hence praises emperor Joseph II.[1]

Lyrics

The ceremony is accompanied by the song "Alles schweige, jeder neige / Ernsten Tönen nun sein Ohr" which was written by August Niemann in 1782. Whereas Niemann's version praises emperor Joseph II, the lyrics of the Landesvater were changed in the 19th century and have since then praised Germany instead of a single monarch.[2] The modern version emanates from Friedrich Silcher (1823). The pierced parts of the caps are often embroidered with cloth in the form of an oak leaf.

Portrait of Joseph II

Niemann's original 18th century lyrics (excerpts) were as follows:[3]

German English

Vorsänger
Alles schweige,
Jeder neige
Ernsten Tönen nun sein Ohr!
Horcht! Ich sing das Lied der Lieder!
Horcht mir, meine deutschen Brüder!
Hall es wieder, froher Chor!

Josephs Söhne,
Laut ertöne
Unser Vaterlandsgesang!
Den Beglücker deutscher Staaten,
Den Vollender großer Taten
Preise unser Hochgesang.

Precentor
May everyone be silent,
And listen
To this serious song!
Listen! I chant the song of songs!
Listen, my German brothers!
And repeat, jolly choir!

Joseph's sons,
May our paean to the fatherland
Resound!
Our song of joy may praise
Him who makes Germany's states happy,
And him whose deeds are great.

Chor
Hab und Leben
Ihm zu geben,
Sind wir allzumal bereit.
Stürben gerne jede Stunde,
Achten nicht des Todes Wunde,
Wenn's das Vaterland gebeut. (...)

Chorus
We are always prepared
To give him
Our belongings and our lives.
We would die at all times
And be contemptuous of death's power
If the fatherland demands it. (...)

Der Vorsänger, der nächste Sänger
und derjenige, der diesem am nächsten sitzt.

The precentor, the one sitting next
to him, and the following person.

Heil dem Bande,
Heil dem Lande,
Das mit Joseph uns vereint!
Jeder brave Deutsche trachte,
Dass ihn einst sein Joseph achte,
Sei des Vaterlandes Freund! (...)

Hail to the ribbon,
Hail to the land,
That unites us with Joseph!
Every brave German endeavours to
Be esteemed by Joseph,
To be the friend of his country! (...)

Joseph lebe!
Joseph lebe!
Heil uns, die sein Land vereint!
Jedem Heil, der deutsch und bieder
Ist wie wir, vereinte Brüder,
Und des Vaterlandes Freund!

Joseph may live!
Joseph may live!
Hail to us who are united by his country!
Hail to everyone who is German and honest,
Like us, united brothers,
And who is a friend of the fatherland.

Nun eine Pause von einigen Minuten,
dann beginnt der zweite Akt, den folgendes
nach der Melodie: "God save great George
the king" zu singende Lied ausfüllt:

A pause of several minutes. Then
the second act beginning with the following
song with the tune of
"God save great George the king":

Heil, Kaiser Joseph, Heil!
Dir, Deutschlands Vater, Heil!
Dem Kaiser Heil!
Wem Josephs Lobgesang
Zum deutschen Herzen drang,
Stimm' ein beim Becherklang:
Heil, Joseph, Heil! (...)

Hail to thee, Emperor Joseph, hail!
Hail to thee, Germany's father!
Hail to the emperor!
He whose heart heard
Joseph's paean,
May sing along while drinking:
Hail to thee, Joseph, hail! (...)

Wir fühlen hohen Mut
Und lassen Gut und Blut
Fürs Vaterland.
Für seinen Kaiser fliegt
Der deutsche Mann vergnügt
In jede Schlacht und siegt
Fürs Vaterland.

We feel proud courage
And are willing to sacrifice good and blood
For the fatherland.
Merrily the German eschews
No battle for his emperor,
And always wins
For the fatherland.

Bleibt, Deutsche, brav und gut!
Du stammst von Hermanns Blut,
Edles Geschlecht!
Weh, wer für Sklavensold,
Für fremdes feiges Gold
Sein deutsches Blut verzollt,
Fluch sei dem Knecht.

Germans, remain brave and good!
You stem from Hermann's blood,
Noble kin.
Alack! Who sells his German blood
For slavish pay
Or foreign gold.
May this vassal be cursed.

Er fühlt nicht deutschen Mut,
War mit Thuiskons Blut
Niemals verwandt.
Fürst sei er oder Sklav,
Er denkt nicht stolz und brav,
Verdienet Schand' und Straf'
Ums Vaterland. (...)

He does not feel German courage
And has never been related
With Tuisto's kin.
He may be a prince or a slave,
He does not think proudly and bravely,
And only deserves dishonour and punishment
For his disrespect to the fatherland. (...)

\relative c'' { \key f \major \time 3/2 \partial 2 c8( a8) bes8( g8) | f2 c2 f4 g4 | a2 f2 a4 bes4 | c2 d2 c4 bes4 | \partial 1 bes2( a2->) \fermata \bar "|:" | \time 4/4 c4. a8 f4 f'4 | d4. c8 bes4 a4 | g4. a8 bes4 g4 | c4. bes8 a4 g4 | f2 g2 | a4 bes4 c4 d8( bes8)| a2 g2 | f2-> r2 \bar ":|" } \addlyrics { Al -- les | schwei -- ge! Je -- der | nei -- ge ern -- sten | Tö -- nen nun sein | Ohr! | Hört, ich sing das | Lied der Lie -- der! | Hört es, mei -- ne | deut -- schen Brü -- der! | Hall es, | hall es wie -- der | fro -- her | Chor! }

Pictures

References

  1. ↑ Dieter Langewiesche (ed.). Föderative Nation. Deutschlandkonzepte von der Reformation bis zum Ersten Weltkrieg. Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag GmbH: Munich, 2000. P. 136.
  2. ↑ Joachim Bauer: "Student und Nation im Spiegel des »Landesvater«-Liedes." In: Dieter Langewiesche, Georg Schmidt (ed.): Föderative Nation. Deutschlandkonzepte von der Reformation bis zum Ersten Weltkrieg. Munich, 2000, P. 136–155, here: P. 146.
  3. ↑ Die Grenzboten. Zeitschrift für Politik und Literatur. 25th year, No. 1. Friedrich Ludwig Herbi: Leipzig, 1866. P. 300. Online version.

Literature

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