Horst Wessel Lied

The Horst Wessel Lied ("Horst Wessel Song"), also known as Die Fahne Hoch ("The flag on high", from its opening line), was the anthem of the Nazi Party of Germany, chosen to glorify Horst Wessel as a Nazi martyr. Today it is still banned in Germany under Strafgesetzbuch §86 and §86a.

Related Topics:
Nazi Party - Germany - Horst Wessel - Nazi - Martyr - Strafgesetzbuch

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Because the melody was used in many other songs, its origin is widely disputed. One claim states that it originally came from Étienne Méhul's opera Joseph from 1807, while others said that it was also connected with the melody of the song "How Great Thou Art", which has existed since the 1890s.

Related Topics:
Étienne Méhul - Opera - 1807 - How Great Thou Art - 1890s

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Yet another theory states that the melody was from an old maritime song called "Zum letzten Mal wird der Appell geblasen".

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The tune was parodied in the Disney animated short Der Fuehrer's Face in 1943. The melody has also been used as the theme music to the popular computer game Wolfenstein 3D in the early 1990s and in a Finnish party's (IKL) song "Luo lippujen" (To flags).

Related Topics:
Parodied - Disney - Der Fuehrer's Face - 1943 - Computer game - Wolfenstein 3D - 1990s - IKL

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In 2005, the Alberta branch of the Royal Canadian Legion accidentally used the Horst Wessel Lied as the theme music in an advertising campaign for their fundraising lottery. http://www.mail-archive.com/balkannews@yahoogroups.com/msg01223.html

Related Topics:
2005 - Alberta - Royal Canadian Legion - Fundraising - Lottery

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