Horst Wessel
John R. Smith
I've seen this song mentioned many times in my reading. Does anyone
know the words to the song. I'm just curious about why this song was
so effective.
Thanks John
MF006
Horst Wessel was a young Nazi Brownshirt who died in the streetfighting
between Nazi's and communists. He became a martyr whose death was used by
the Nazi's to drum up support for the "gallant Nazi's fighting evil," etc.
etc.
Strange as this may seem, but Colonel Klink tried to sing in an episode of
"Hogan's Heroes!"
Alain Van Geeteruyen
Horst Wessel was a Nazi Brawler during the pre-war years. He was more of
a hoodlum and criminal. He got killed in a barbrawl with some communists
in the 1930's. The Nazi's took advantage of his death by making him a
hero. One of their actions was the publications of the Horst Wessel
song. Unfortunatedly it broke the musikdisk. Sorry.
Al...@innet.be
Stephen Lautens
In article <4m38vq$j...@gazette.bcm.tmc.edu>, jrs...@postoffice.ptd.net
(John R. Smith) wrote:
">"I've seen this song mentioned many times in my reading. Does anyone
">"know the words to the song. I'm just curious about why this song was
">"so effective.
">"
">" Thanks John
Ask and ye shall receive....
Horst-Wessel-Lied
Die Fahne hoch!
Die Reihen fest geschlossen!
SA marschiert, mit ruhig festem Schritt.
Kameraden, die Rotfront und Reaktion erschossen,
marschieriert im Geist
in unsern Reihen mit.
Die Straþe frei
den braunen Bataillonen!
Die Straþe frei dem Sturmabteilungsmann!
Es schauen aufs Hakenkreuz voll Hoffnung schon Millionen.
Der Tag der Freiheit und der Brot bricht an.
Zum letzten Mal
wird Sturmalarm geblasen!
Zum Kampfe steh'n wir alle schon bereit.
Bald flattern Hitlerfahnen ¸ber allen Straþen,
die Knechtschaft dauert nur noch kurze Zeit!
It is very difficult to sing (like most anthems) because of the range, but
as Dick Clark used to say, "It has a beat and you can dance to it."
By the way, Horst Wessel was not a pimp as thje popular story goes, but
his girlfriend had worked as an occasional prostitute, as many women were
forced to to put food on the table in the great German depression.
Regards,
--
Stephen
http://www.beachnet.org/sjl
("The future isn't what it used to be.")
Dirk Lorek
John R. Smith wrote:
>
> I've seen this song mentioned many times in my reading. Does anyone
> know the words to the song. I'm just curious about why this song was
> so effective.
>
The text of the song was written by Horst Wessel, a lower SA-leader in
Berlin. Goebbels, Gauleiter of Berlin, made him a martyr to the
'movement' after his violent death 1930.
The official version was that Wessel was shot by a communist while
defending the movement, the inofficial version tells that he was
killed by a rival pimp. Utilizing this (official :-) incident,
Goebbels managed to increase the new party- memberships requests by 30%.
After he had become a martyr, his Horst-Wessel-Lied, became *the* song
of the movement and it was ranked second to the national anthem
(Deutschlandlied), though the former was sung more often.
I believe its popularity was caused by its suggestive romantic melody,
stolen from an old German folksong, rather than by the contents which
I unfortunatly can't remember in detail. It's some rubbish about the
SA, marching bravely with raised banners, cleansing the streets from
communists and finally swastica-flags filled the windows.
_______________________________________________________________________
What am I, Life ? A thing of watery salt, held in cohesion by unresting
cells, which work they know not why, which never halt, myself unwitting
where their Master dwells. - John Masefield -
Robert Citino
jrs...@postoffice.ptd.net (John R. Smith) wrote:
>I've seen this song mentioned many times in my reading. Does anyone
>know the words to the song. I'm just curious about why this song was
>so effective.
> Thanks John
I don't want to post the entire song, but the actual title is
"Die Fahne Hoch" ("[Hold] the Flag High" auf englisch). Calling
it the "Horst Wessel Song" isn't incorrect, just colloquial.
--Rob Citino
Dept of History
Eastern Michigan Univ.
Dirk Lorek
John R. Smith wrote:
> I've seen this song mentioned many times in my reading. Does anyone
> know the words to the song. I'm just curious about why this song was
> so effective.
The text of the song was written by Horst Wessel, a lower SA-leader in
Berlin. Goebbels, Gauleiter of Berlin, made him a martyr to the 'movement'
after his violent death 1930.
The official version was that Wessel was shot by a communist while defending
the movement, the unofficial version tells that he was killed by a rival
pimp. Utilizing this (official :-) incident, Goebbels managed to increase
the new party- memberships requests by 30 %.
After he had become a martyr, his 'Horst-Wessel-Lied' (its name is not 'Die
Fahne hoch' as some has stated), became *the* song of the movement and it
Brent Richards
Alain Van Geeteruyen <ala...@innet.be> wrote:
>Horst Wessel was a Nazi Brawler during the pre-war years. He was more of
>a hoodlum and criminal. He got killed in a barbrawl with some communists
>in the 1930's.
So he was immortalized in a song and with an entire SS division named
in his honor. Not even Dietrich or Theodor Eicke got to that plateau.
Not to mention Rohm.
So Horst Wessel now stands as a symbol of German Knighthood along with
the Hohenstaufens(1 division for all of the Hofenstaufen emperors),
Goerg von Frundsberg, Gotz Von Berlichingen, Prinz Eugen, Florian
Geyer, & Charlemange in having an entire SS division named after him.
Based on this, Herman von Salza should have had an entire Corps named
after him and Otakar, the first king of Konigsberg,should have had at
least a regiment named after him. And poor Frederick Barbarossa only
had a directive named after him. and if the Hofenstaufen's got a
division, shouldn't the Hohenzollern's had one too.. Not to mention
Empress Maria Theresa(responsible for all of those Volksdeutsh in the
Balkans). Finally, all of the Brandenburg Electors should have had a
rgt or batallion named in their honor.
Ah, well. I did notice that Himmler was honored at least with his
title(Reichsfuhrer SS). Hitler was humble enough to consider his
bodyguard & his youth movement, even if his name was included.
--
Brent Richards
Garden Grove, CA
Thomas A. Knapp
John R. Smith (jrs...@postoffice.ptd.net) wrote:
: I've seen this song mentioned many times in my reading. Does anyone
: know the words to the song. I'm just curious about why this song was
: so effective.
: Thanks John
The song was written to commemorate SA street fighter and one-time pimp,
Horst Wessel, who was killed in a brawl with Communists before 1933.
Besides the song, city streets, military units, naval vessels (I think),
and God knows what else were named "Horst Wessel" after 1933. The song
became the official party anthem and, after 1933, a kind of obligatory
national anthem always played/sung after "Deutschland ueber Alles." The
Horst Wessel Lied has three stanzas. Do you want German, English, or
both? If you are looking for an explanation of its effectiveness,
however, just reading the lyrics won't quite do it. It has to be heard.
There are recordings. Interesting is the connection the regime made
between fighting against "red front and reaction" in the Kampfzeit and WW
II. The signature tune for Operation Barbarossa, "Von Finnland bis zum
Schwarzen Meer," (with apologies to Franz Liszt...) makes an explicit
reference to H.W. But this isn't surprising.
Horst Kleinsorg
On 1 May 1996 12:20:05 GMT, Alain Van Geeteruyen
<ala...@innet.be> wrote:
>
>John R. Smith wrote:
>>
>> I've seen this song mentioned many times in my reading. Does anyone
>> know the words to the song. I'm just curious about why this song was
>> so effective.
>>
>> Thanks John
>
>Horst Wessel was a Nazi Brawler during the pre-war years. He was more of
>a hoodlum and criminal. He got killed in a barbrawl with some communists
>in the 1930's. The Nazi's took advantage of his death by making him a
>hero. One of their actions was the publications of the Horst Wessel
>song. Unfortunatedly it broke the musikdisk. Sorry.
>Al...@innet.be
>
>
If this is not "political correctness",please tell me what is.
Horst Wessel was a young Idealist in the National-Socialist
Movement before 1933. To call him a hudlum and criminal is
redicilous.
The Text was:
Die Fahne hoch,
die Reihen dicht geschlossen,
SA marschiert, in ruhig festem Schritt,
Kameraden die Rot' Front und Reaktion erschossen,
marschieren im Geist in unseren Reihen mit
mb555
In article <4m38vq$j...@gazette.bcm.tmc.edu>, jrs...@postoffice.ptd.net (John R. Smith) says:
>I've seen this song mentioned many times in my reading. Does anyone
>know the words to the song. I'm just curious about why this song was
>so effective.
Horst Wessel was born in Biefeld in 1907 and joined the NSDAP in 1927.
He was killed in a street fight with Communists in Berlin in 1930.
He would have probably faded into obscurity had he not written the lyrics
for a marching song. With the help of Dr. Goebbels propoganda he became
a martyr of the Nazi Party and his song was adopted as the official party
song and became the alternative National Anthem to "Deutschland Uber
Alles"
I too wondered why on earth this son had such an effect. It took me
several months to locate a copy of it. At first I found it rather
insignificant, but on second or third hearing it became very
"cathchy".
HORST WESSEL LIED
Die Fahne hock, die Reihen fest geshlossen
SA marshiert mit ruhig festem schritt
Kar'raden die Rottfront und Reaktion erhossen
marshiern im Geist in unsern Reihen met
Die Strasse frei den braune Batalion
Dei strasse frei dem Strumbabteilungsm.
Es schaun aufs hakenkreuz voll Hoffnung schon Millionen
Der Tag fur Freiheit und fur Brot bricht an.
Zum letzen Mai wird nun Appell geblasen
Zum Kampfe stehn wir alle schon bereit
Bald flatern Hilterfahn uber alien Strasse
die Knechschaft dauert nur noch kurze Zeit.
[I am not too sure that my German is correct!)
roughly translated:
Up with the flag, close the ranks
the SA marches at a quiet steady pace
Comrades shot by the red Front and reactionaries
Their spirit marches within our ranks
Clear the street for the brown battalions
Clear the street for the Stormtroopers
Millions already look to the swastika full of hope
for the daybreak of Freedom and Bread is upon us
The signal sounds for one's last charge
We stand ready for the struggle
Soon Hilter's flag will wave over all the streets,
The days of Slavery will be short lived
Larry Doering
In article <4mdmi4$j...@portal.gmu.edu>,
Thomas A. Knapp <tkn...@orion.it.luc.edu> wrote:
>
>The song was written to commemorate SA street fighter and one-time pimp,
>Horst Wessel, who was killed in a brawl with Communists before 1933.
>Besides the song, city streets, military units, naval vessels (I think),
>and God knows what else were named "Horst Wessel" after 1933. The song
>became the official party anthem and, after 1933, a kind of obligatory
>national anthem always played/sung after "Deutschland ueber Alles."
>[...]
The song was 'effective' because of Horst Wessel's significance as a
martyr to the Nazi cause. In his _Berlin Diary_, William Shirer
describes Nazi rallies where the 'Blutfahne' ('blood-flag') was prominently
displayed - this was a bloodstained Nazi flag that Wessel allegedly was
carrying when he was killed, and was supposedly stained with his blood.
Whether Wessel was really killed by a rival pimp or by Communists in
the streets didn't matter once the Nazi propaganda machine took over.
There was an article in _Smithsonian_ magazine last year about the
German ship "Horst Wessel" - it was built in the same Blohm and Voss
shipyard that built the Bismarck, and was launched in 1936. It's
a steel-hulled sailing ship that was used for training naval cadets.
After the war, it was taken over by the United States as war booty,
and is still in service today, as the U.S. Coast Guard training
ship "Eagle".
ljd
George J. Lehmann
The >Horst Wessel Lied< begins,
"Die Fahne hoch, die Reihen fest geschlossen ..."
(The flag held high, the ranks tightly closed ...)
It was effective for three reasons:
The MELODY had the quality of a folk song or chorale
The FOCUS was solidarity and comradship
The OPPOSITION was both the Communists AND the old order.
(There's no reference to anti-Semitism in the Horst Wessel Lied.)
One should always remember the name of the "Movement" (so called
because the Communists were a "Party") was National SOCIALISM.
The SA was more socialistic than any other element, which is why it
was purged in 1934. There is no question that Hitler saw himself as
a revolutionary and a messiah.
SEMPER FIDELIS (et Semper Prudens)!
U.M.
George J. Lehmann
The full text of *Das Horst-Wessel Lied* in German and (a correct)
English translation (in meaning) is as follows:
Die Fahne hoch! The flag [held] high!
Die Reihen fest geschossen! The ranks closed tight!
SA marschiert, The Brown-Shirts march
mit ruhig festem Schritt. with calm, fixed pace.
Kameraden, die Rotfront Comrades shot by the Red Front
und Reaktionen erschossen, and Reactionaries
marschieren im Geist also march in spirit
in unsern Reihen mit. in our ranks.
Die Strasse frei The street's [now] open
den braunen Bataillonen! for the Brown Battalions [SA]!
Die Strasse frei The street's [now] open
dem Sturmabteilungsmann! for the Storm Trooper!
Es schauen aufs Hackenkreuz Already millions are looking at the
voll Hoffnung schon Millionen. swastika filled with hope.
Der Tag der Freiheit und Dawning is The Day of freedom
der Brot bricht an. and of bread.
Zum letzten Mal For the last time
wird Sturmalarm geblasen! the tocsin will be sounded!
Zum Kampfe steh'n wir Fully prepared for battle,
alle schon bereit. we're already standing.
Bald flattern Hitlerfahren Soon along all [the] streets
ueber allen Strassen, the Hitler-flag will wave,
die Knechtschaft dauert [Our] Bondage will last
nur noch kurze Zeit. but awhile longer.
==================================================================
It should be noted that the theme is one of liberation from the
deprevations of the Great Depression: bread and freedom for all.
Both the Communists and the defenders of the Weimar regime (the
"Reationaries") are depicted as the enemy. The swastika has no
racial connotations in the song, rather it's the symbol of a "New
Deal." One should bear in mind that the Nazi [Hitler] flag had a
RED field (socialism), on which was a WHITE circle (nationalism),
with a BLACK swastika--the Aryan Sun Wheel--representing strength,
prosperity, and (later) racial purity. National-Socialism, in many
respects, had STRONG religious overtones: a successor to Chris-
tianity. It should also be remembered that personally, Hitler
practised a variant of Tantraism: a vegetarian, non-smoker, (nomin-
ally) celibate. Indeed, there is strong evidence to suggest that
much of what was incorporated into National Socialism originated in
Tibet! One may compare The Horst Wessel Lied to The Battle Hymn of
the Republic, in the effect it had on the masses. (Actually, it's
much easier to sing than either The Star Spangled Banner or The
Marsaillaise.)
GJL.