Songs of the Third Reich
Horst Wessel's Song
The official anthem of the Nazi Party was the Horst Wessel Lied. The title of this song is a reference to Horst Wessel, a Party organizer who was killed in a confrontation with Communists and who was subsequently considered a martyr by his fellow Nazis. The song is currently banned in Germany.
Horst Wessel Lied (Horst Wessel's Song)
- Die Fahne hoch, die Reihen fest geschlossen
- S.A. marschiert mit ruhig festem Schritt
- Kam'raden, die Rotfront und Reaktion erschossen
- Marschier'n im Geist in unsern Reihen mit
- Die Strasse frei den braunen Bataillonen
- Die Strasse frei dem Sturmabteilungsmann
- Es schau'n aufs Hakenkreuz voll Hoffnung schon Millionen
- Der Tag für Freiheit und für Brot bricht an
- Zum letzen Mal wird nun Appell geblasen
- Zum Kampfe steh'n wir alle schon bereit
- Bald flattern Hitler-fahnen über allen Strassen
- Die Knechtschaft dauert nur mehr kurze Zeit
- Die Fahne hoch, die Reihen fest geschlossen
- S.A. marschiert mit ruhig festem Schritt
- Kam'raden, die Rotfront und Reaktion erschossen
- Marschier'n im Geist in unsern Reihen mit
(English Translation)
- Flag high, ranks closed,
- The S.A. marches with silent solid steps.
- Comrades shot by the Red Front and reaction
- march in spirit with us in our ranks.
- The street free for the brown battalions,
- The street free for the Storm Troopers.
- Millions, full of hope, look up at the swastika;
- The day breaks for freedom and for bread.
- For the last time the call will now be blown;
- For the struggle now we all stand ready.
- Soon will fly Hitler-flags over every street;
- Slavery will last only a short time longer.
- Flag high, ranks closed,
- The S.A. marches with silent solid steps.
- Comrades shot by the Red Front and reaction
- march in spirit with us in our ranks. (a)
[Note #1: The Red Front was a Communist organization, and therefore it clashed violently with the Nazi Party on numerous occasions]
[Note #2: The word "reaction" most likely refers to the aristocracy and the Junkers of German society]
Combat Songs
The battle song of the Nazi Party was the Kampflied der Nationalsozialisten by Kleo Pleyer.
Kampflied der Nationalsozialisten (Nazi Combat Song)
- Wir sind das Heer vom Hakenkreuz,
- Hebt hoch die roten Fahnen!
- Der deutschen Arbeit wollen wir
- Den Weg zur Freiheit bahnen!
- Wir schließen keinen Bruderpakt
- Mit Roten und mit Welschen,
- Und allen, die den Freiheitsbrief
- Des deutschen Volkes fälschen.
- Wir schließen keinen Bruderpakt
- Mit unseren Tyrannen
- Und mögen sie uns hundertmal
- Ins tiefste Elend bannen.
- Wir schließen keinen Bruderpakt
- Mit bangen, feigen Wichten,
- Es gilt die große Niedertracht
- Europas zu vernichten.
- 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,
- Lift high the red banners!
- We want to build German labour's
- Road to Liberty!
- We do not make a brother pact
- With communists and non-germanics,
- And everyone who falsifies the certificate
- of Germany's liberty
- We do not make a brother pact
- With our tyrants
- Even if they put us a hundred times
- Into deepest poverty
- We do not make a brother pact
- With cowardly, fearful dwarfs,
- The big baseness of Europe
- Has to be chrushed
- We are the army of the swastika,
- Lift high the red banners!
- We want to build German labour's
- Road to liberty! (1)
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
- 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)
Deutschland Erwache
"Germany Awake!" was another favored song of the Nazis.
Storm, storm, storm, storm!
From tower to tower peal bells of alarm
Peal Out! Sparks fly as Hammers strike.
Come Jusas forth to win the Reich.
Peal Out! The bloody ropes hang red.
Around our martyred hero dead.
Peal Our—that thundering earth may know
Salvation's rage for honor's sake.
To people dreaming still comes woe.
German Awake! Awake!
The National Anthem of pre-1945 Germany
The pre-1945 version of the German National Anthem written by August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben in 1841. While the third stanza is used to this day as part of the German National Anthem, the first stanza has since been omitted; It is not meant to say that Germany is above other countries or better than them, but that Germany as a whole should be put above its regions and states (at the time the anthem was written, Germany consisted of more than 30 independent states). Those lines has been abused by the Nazis and are still misinterpreted until today, especially outside Germany.
Das Lied der Deutschen (The Song of the Germans)
- Deutschland, Deutschland über alles,
- über alles in der Welt,
- wenn es stets zu Schutz und Trutze
- brüderlich zusammenhält.
- Von der Maas bis an die Memel,
- von der Etsch bis an den Belt,
- Deutschland, Deutschland über alles,
- über alles in der Welt!
- Deutsche Frauen, deutsche Treue,
- deutscher Wein und deutscher Sang
- sollen in der Welt behalten
- ihren alten schönen Klang,
- uns zu edler Tat begeistern
- unser ganzes Leben lang.
- Deutsche Frauen, deutsche Treue,
- deutscher Wein und deutscher Sang!
- Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit
- für das deutsche Vaterland!
- Danach laßt uns alle streben
- brüderlich mit Herz und Hand!
- Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit
- sind des Glückes Unterpfand;
- blüh' im Glanze dieses Glückes,
- blühe, deutsches Vaterland.
:(English Translation)
- Germany, Germany above all,
- above anything in the world,
- if it always holds together brotherly
- for protection and defense.
- From the Meuse to the Neman,
- from the Adige to the Belt,
- Germany, Germany above all,
- above anything in the world.
- German women, German faithfulness,
- German wine and German songs
- should continue to be held in high
- esteem all over the world,
- and inspire us to noble deeds
- all our life. -
- German women, german faithfulness,
- german wine and german songs!
- Unity and justice and freedom
- for the German fatherland;
- This let us all pursue,
- brotherly with heart and hand.
- Unity and justice and freedom
- are the pledge of happiness.
- Flourish in this blessing's glory,
- flourish, German fatherland.
See also
