National Anthem Comparison
Austria vs Germany
1
Shared themes
✗
Different moods
105
105 years apart
✓
Same continent
Germany
Deutschlandlied
Comparison Analysis
Austria and Germany, both Europe nations, take distinct approaches to their national anthems. Austria's "Federal Hymn of the Republic of Austria" was written in 1946, while Germany's "Deutschlandlied" dates to 1841.
Both anthems share themes of unity. Austria additionally explores nature, hope and ancestors / heritage, while Germany also touches on freedom and love of homeland.
The emotional tones differ: Austria's anthem is majestic, while Germany's is solemn.
Germany's anthem predates Austria's by 105 years, having been written in 1841 compared to 1946.
Austria changed its national anthem in 2012, reflecting a shift in the nation's identity or political landscape.
Shared themes
Austria
🌿 Nature 🌅 Hope 🤝 Unity 🏺 Ancestors / Heritage
Germany
🤝 Unity 🕊 Freedom ❤ Love of homeland
Shared themes:
🤝 Unity
Metadata
| Austria | Germany | |
|---|---|---|
| Written | 1946 | 1841 |
| Adopted | 1947 | 1922 |
| Lyricist | Paula von Preradović | August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben |
| Composer | Johann Holzer / Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (disputed) | Joseph Haydn |
| Language | de | de |
| Region | Western Europe | Western Europe |
Lyrics Side by Side
Austria
Bundeshymne der Republik Österreich
Original
Land der Berge, Land am Strome,
Land der Äcker, Land der Dome,
Land der Hämmer, zukunftsreich.
Heimat großer Töchter und Söhne,
Volk, begnadet für das Schöne,
Vielgerühmtes Österreich,
Vielgerühmtes Österreich.
Heiß umfehdet, wild umstritten,
Liegst dem Erdteil du inmitten,
Einem starken Herzen gleich.
Hast seit frühen Ahnentagen
Hoher Sendung Last getragen,
Vielgeprüftes Österreich,
Vielgeprüftes Österreich.
Mutig in die neuen Zeiten
Frei und gläubig sieh uns schreiten
Arbeitsfroh und hoffnungsreich.
Einig lass in Jubelchören,
Vaterland, dir Treue schwören,
Vielgeliebtes Österreich,
Vielgeliebtes Österreich.
Translation
Land of mountains, land by the river,
Land of fields, land of cathedrals,
Land of hammers, with a promising future!
Homeland of great daughters and sons,
A people gifted for the beautiful,
Much-praised Austria,
Much-praised Austria!
Hotly contested, fiercely disputed,
You lie at the heart of the continent
Like a strong heart.
Since the early days of our ancestors
You have borne the burden of a high mission,
Much-tested Austria,
Much-tested Austria.
Boldly into the new ages,
Free and full of faith, see us striding,
Joyful in our work and full of hope.
United let us in jubilant chorus,
Fatherland, swear our loyalty to you,
Much-beloved Austria,
Much-beloved Austria.
Germany
Deutschlandlied
Original
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!
Translation
Unity and justice and freedom
For the German Fatherland!
Let us all strive for this
Brotherly with heart and hand!
Unity and justice and freedom
Are the pledge of happiness;
Flourish in the splendour of this happiness,
Flourish, German Fatherland!
Interesting facts
Austria
- 1. The melody was long attributed to Mozart because it was published together with his Little Masonic Cantata (1791); today it is attributed to Johann Baptist Holzer or to the Moravian composer Pavel Vranický.
- 2. Paula von Preradović, who wrote the lyrics, was born in Vienna, a granddaughter of the Croatian writer Petar Preradović, and grew up in Pola (now Pula) on the Adriatic. In 1944 the Gestapo arrested her and her husband because their son Fritz Molden was in the resistance.
- 3. The Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) opposed the 2012 change in parliament. At the party's New Year meeting in January 2023 its leaders sang the old line 'Heimat bist du großer Söhne' ('home of great sons'), and party leader Herbert Kickl said a Freedom Party chancellor would change it back.
Germany
- 1. Haydn also used the melody in 1797 as the theme of four variations in the second movement of his String Quartet Op. 76 No. 3, known as the 'Emperor Quartet'.
- 2. After the Habsburg monarchy collapsed in 1918, Austria gave up Haydn's imperial hymn, but in 1929 it returned to the melody with new words by Ottokar Kernstock. From 1929 until the Anschluss in 1938, Germany and Austria thus had anthems with the same tune.
- 3. In March 2018, Kristin Rose-Möhring, equal opportunities officer at the federal family ministry, proposed replacing 'Vaterland' (fatherland) with 'Heimatland' (homeland) and 'brüderlich' (brotherly) with 'couragiert' (courageously) to make the anthem gender-neutral. The proposal caused a controversy; Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was satisfied with the existing lyrics, and nothing was changed.
Listen
Austria
Germany
