Die Wacht am Rhein
From the Collection: A German 78RPM record from the First World War
The animosity between the Germans and the French ran deep in the late 19th century, and when the French looked to push their borders up to the Rhine River in 1840 a poem was penned by Max Schneckenburger, and when mated with music some time later became one of the most popular anthems of the German Confederation. Calling for the German states to stand together against the threat to the west, the song would swell in popularity, and was a very popular marching song during the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, which would lead to the stunning defeat and capture of Napoleon III at Sedan and the unification of the new German Empire.
Die Wacht am Rhein, or The Watch on the Rhine, remained popular after the war, essentially serving alongside Deutschlandlied as the unofficial national anthem of the German Empire, and was in some cases more popular than the official tune, Heil Dir im Siegerkranz. Even a large memorial to the war and unification in 1871 was built along the river, with the lyrics carved onto the large plinth holding a statue of Germania with her sword.
A propaganda card from the turn of the century, with the personification of Germania standing watch on the Rhine
When the Empire went to war in 1914 the long field grey columns of German troops in Belgium famously sung Die Wacht am Rhein, and it’s popularity would survive the destruction of the German Empire in 1918, remaining in use into the Second World War, when it was used on the German Armed Forces’ Radio news reports (the Wehrmachtbericht) in the first year of the war before being phased out in 1941. The name of the song would later be used in 1944 as the name of the German offensive in the Ardennes, commonly known as the Battle of the Bulge (Operation Wacht am Rhein). The song would, like much of the old German patriotic songs, fall out of use after the Second World War, and although not generally associated with Nazism is typically considered an outdated song, with only historical interest.
The record in my collection is an original 1909 shellac record, made by Columbia for the American market. It still plays well, although it must be played at a slightly lower rate than the standard 78rpm for proper sound. A rare recording, this is an excellent addition to the collection of Great War era music.