Tennis players get knotted knickers over "Nazi Anthem"

Snickers Man

Several news outlets including the BBC are reporting a diplomatic incident that followed the accidental playing of a supposedly "NAZI anthem" as part of the preliminary rituals for a tennis match involging a German team in Hawaii. (EDIT: Not Canada as originally and mistakenly posted )

The Americans apparently retained an operatic singer to perform the anthem and she dutifully sang the first verse, which the Germans have politely declined to sing since the end of WWII.

Any of the reports I have seen (from Reuters, BBC, the Independent etc) have said that what is so objectionable about the verse is its opening stanza which says "Deutschland Deutschland uber alles" which they say implies that Germany should be above everybody else in the world pecking order and therefore smacks of a German wish for global domination.

But this is bollox. For a start, the song has nothing to do with the Nazis. It was written in the 19th century before Germany existed as a single unified state.

Secondly, Deutschland uber alles just means "My country above all things" an inference that one's duty to one's country should be one's first priority. This is a recurring theme in partriotic songs and slogans from many countries, not least the USA. Think of "America First" as a modern equivalent.

The real problem with the first verse of the German anthem, which they don't sing any more, is the aspiration expressed in lines that come later.

"Von der Maas bis an die Memel
Von der Etsch bis an den Belt"

Composed before the formation of a unified German state, the song expressed the nationalist desire for the formation of a single united country of all German speakers. The two lines above describe the intended geographical boundaries of such a state: From the Maas to the Memel; from the Etsch (Adige) to the Belt.

Now the Maas is still more or less the Western boundary of Germany with France and Belgium, and the Belt is more or less the northern boundary of Germany with Denmark. The problem comes with the other two. The Adige is in Southern Austria, close to the border with Italy. Clearly the nationalist intent was for the German and Austrian states to merge (Anschluss) into a single entity.

As for the Memel: that was for a long time the eastern boundary of Prussia but to get to the Memel river now, if one started from the most easterly point of modern Germany, one would have to pass through the territory of no fewer than three countries: Poland, Russia (Kaliningrad/formerly Konigsberg) and Lithuania.

Clearly that smacks a bit too much of Lebensraum and so the Germans don't sing it any more. Might make Eastern European countries worried.

Fleawuss

Fcuking rivers. Causing trouble since forever.

Harry Palmr

Der Rheingold part one of Wagner's Ring Cycle was on BBC Four the other night, I was inspired to invade the fridge and cupboards for some grub and watch Taboo instead.

gramar

That is all very interesting. Very interesting indeed.

silverharp

there is some muppet on RTE sports that introduces the German Anthem at soccer games as "Deutschland uber alles" , surprised no one ever put him straight

Hande hoche!

The Borat Kazakhstani anthem mix up was much more amusing.

Harry Palmr

silverharp wrote: »

there is some muppet on RTE sports that introduces the German Anthem at soccer games as "Deutschland uber alles" , surprised no one ever put him straight

Jimmy McGee?

Snickers Man

Actually, just to be wicked :D:D

I've often thought that even those two lines were very reminiscent of the couplet in God Bless America which goes

From the mountains
To the prairies
To the oceans white with foam
God Bless America My Home Sweet Home.

Funny isn't it that the German words in the part of the anthem they no longer sing fit perfectly into that part of God Bless America!!!

Try it. Sing Deutschland Uber Alles to the tune of God Bless America. Only do it on the inside ;)

Snickers Man

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Jimmy McGee?

Actually I think it's Dangerhere.

gandalf

Errr this happened in America not Canada, the tournament was in Hawaii.

osarusan

Snickers Man wrote: »

The real problem with the first verse of the German anthem, which they don't sing any more, is the aspiration expressed in lines that come later.

"Von der Maas bis an die Memel
Von der Etsch bis an den Belt"



Clearly that smacks a bit too much of Lebensraum and so the Germans don't sing it any more. Might make Eastern European countries worried.

And this is what happened - they (Americans, not Canadians) played the anthem complete with the first verse, the verse which usually isn't sung any more, rather than just the 3rd verse, which is what the anthem is now.

Snickers Man

gandalf wrote: »

Errr this happened in America not Canada, the tournament was in Hawaii.

Sorry.
Report in link was from BBC USA & Canada. Hence confusion. Thanks for clearing up.

DEFTLEFTHAND

Was it an honest mistake or trolling?

I've of this tactic being used before to wind up Germans.

9or10

I thought this was about knickers, maybe with a bit of tennis.

gandalf

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

Was it an honest mistake or trolling?

I've of this tactic being used before to wind up Germans.

It's probably reflecting the US's new National Socialist leanings

Grayson

What the OP is forgetting is that the opening verse isn't part of their official anthem. It was removed because of it's nazi links. Sure it didn't have those links but it does now. The swastika originally had no links to nazisim but now it does and it's banned too. Wonder how germany would feel if at a tennis match that was flown as the german flag?

Wibbs

Grayson wrote: »

What the OP is forgetting is that the opening verse isn't part of their official anthem. It was removed because of it's nazi links. Sure it didn't have those links but it does now. The swastika originally had no links to nazisim but now it does and it's banned too. Wonder how germany would feel if at a tennis match that was flown as the german flag?

Slight bit of a jump from an extra verse(one that as you point out on its own has no Nazi overtones) likely added in error, to flying the crooked cross on a flag.

As for the reaction, nay seeming overreaction. Hardly too much of a shock these days, where social signalling tends towards the hysterical, regardless of the "controversy" involved.

Snickers Man

Grayson wrote: »

What the OP is forgetting is that the opening verse isn't part of their official anthem. It was removed because of it's nazi links.

What have I "forgotten"?

It IS part of the song that is the German "official" anthem. It's just not sung as part of that anthem at official functions any more.

Just like we only sing the chorus of our own national anthem and not the verse(s) as well. In fact, I don't know without googling how many verses there are to our national anthem. But I suspect there's a few. And there are extra verses to God Save the Queen as well, except they tend not to sing them any more either. Especially the bit about "crushing rebellious Scots"

Anyway, my main point was to emphasise that "Deutschland uber alles" is not the problematic lyric. It's the one about the Etsch and the Memel.

Atoms for Peace

The Nazi anthem is the Horst-Wessel-Lied: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horst-Wessel-Lied.

Your Face

KungPao

Atoms for Peace wrote: »

The Nazi anthem is the Horst-Wessel-Lied: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horst-Wessel-Lied.

That anthem holds a special place in the hearts of Wolfenstein fans.