Germany's equality commissioner has reportedly proposed altering Germany's national anthem to make it more gender inclusive. The revision would seek to replace the words "Fatherland" and "brotherly."
Image: picture-alliance/U. Baumgarten
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National anthem controversies around the world
Will Germany make its national anthem gender-neutral? It wouldn't be the first country to do so. National anthems can be controversial, and they are not always straightforward — whether or not they have words at all.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Germany: 'Fatherland' no more?
In March 2018, Germany's equal opportunity commissioner called for the national anthem's lyrics to be made gender-neutral: "Fatherland" could change to "homeland" ("Heimatland") and "brotherly with heart and hand" to "courageously with heart and hand." Even Chancellor Angela Merkel weighed in on the controversy that erupted, stating that she was satisfied with the current lyrics.
Image: picture-alliance/U. Baumgarten
Germany's anthem: A controversial history
Germany's national anthem has a controversial history. The three-stanza text was penned by poet August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben in 1841 at a time when German principalities were struggling to unite into a single nation. Hence, the controversial first line, "Germany, Germany above all." The verse was particularly favored by the Nazis. In 1991, the third stanza alone was made official.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/P. Grimm
National anthems: What's all the fuss?
National anthems are musical expressions of national pride intended to arouse feelings of patriotism. They are also a relatively new phenomenon, with many of them — like Germany's "Deutschlandlied" — linked to the development of the nation state in the 19th century. Some older tunes were only made official in the 20th century. Anthems are often played at sporting games and official events.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/A. Estrella
Austria: 'Sons and daughters'
Austria changed its national anthem lyrics in 2012 to make it more gender inclusive. It replaced the word "sons" with "sons and daughters," and a line in the third stanza, reading "Unified in brotherly choirs," was changed to refer to "jolly choirs." However, in the south Austrian region of Carinthia, which has a Slovenian-speaking minority, the Slovenian official text remains unchanged.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/E. Scheriau
Canada: 'Love in all of us'
In 2016 a Canadian MP proposed to change one line in the country's English-language anthem, to replace "True patriot love in all thy sons command" with "True patriot love in all of us command." The suggestion polarized political sentiment, with some, like Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, heralding it as a step towards gender equality, and others blasting the change. The bill passed in February 2018.
Image: Getty Images/T. Szczerbowski
New Zealand: Maori version gender-neutral
The New Zealand anthem exists in two languages, English and Te Reo, the Maori language. Their texts are not identical but are meant to convey similar meaning. For instance, whereas the English refers to "men of every creed and race," the Maori text has "let all people." In this case, that's because Maori pronouns are gender-neutral. The New Zealand flag has been more controversial than the anthem.
Image: Getty Images/H. Hopkins
United States: Protesting during the anthem
In 2016 the American national anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner," became the musical backdrop for protests against police brutality towards African Americans. Professional football player Colin Kaepernic (above right) was the first to "take a knee" during its performance, unleashing a national debate on patriotism and respect. The anthem itself has been criticized for militarism and racism.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/M. J. Sanchez
UK: 'God Save the [insert monarch here]'
The UK's anthem doesn't actually have fixed text, since it depends on whether the ruling monarch is a queen or a king. Currently, with Queen Elizabeth II on the throne, the song includes lines like "scatter her enemies." There is also no single definitive version, though the standard one is criticized for its militarism. An official peace version written after WWI has been largely forgotten.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/D.-L. Olivas
Spain: Should words be added?
Spain is one of the few countries whose national anthem is instrumental. When singer Marta Sanchez (above) sang personal lyrics in a performance in early 2018, some praised her, but others disapproved. The anthem has been sung with words at various times, such as under dictator Francisco Franco, but these were never made official. A bid to add lyrics failed in 2008 after cries of authoritarianism.
Image: picture-alliance/NurPhoto/O. Gonzalez
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Following the example of Austria and Canada, a German official has now proposed revising the national anthem in favor of gender-neutral phrases, according to a report on Sunday.
Rose-Möhring said the change would fit well with the new "Heimat" branch of the Interior MinistryImage: imago/J. Jeske
Kristin Rose-Möhring, the equal opportunity commissioner for Germany's Family Ministry, proposed the changes in a letter sent to ministry staff, the German weekly Bild am Sonntag reported.
Rose-Möhring recommended swapping out the term "Fatherland" with the word "Heimatland" — a term that roughly translates to "homeland."
The phrase "brotherly with heart and hand" should also be changed to read "courageously with heart and hand," Rose-Möhring reportedly wrote.
In early February, Canada approved changes to its national anthem to remove gender-specific terms, while Austria made the change in 2012.
The German Basic Law: equality
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Anthem would match to new 'homeland' ministry
Rose-Möhring, a politician with the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), said the proposal would not only make the anthem more inclusive, it would also fit with the newly-restructured interior ministry.
"Why don't we make our national anthem ... gender sensitive," Rose-Möhring reportedly wrote in the letter. "It wouldn't hurt, would it? And it fits with the new federal ministry for interior, construction and homeland."
SPD members voted in favor of a coalition deal with Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives on Sunday, meaning the SPD will retain the family ministry. The Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) will take over the interior ministry, which will now also focus on "homeland" concerns.
Predictably, news of Rose-Möhring's proposal sparked a heated debate on social media, with some arguing that the move could eliminate other gender-specific words like "mother tongue," while others supported the proposal.
Stefan Möller, the spokesman for the Thuringia state branch of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) wrote on Twitter: "When women with double last names want to misappropriate a masterpiece like the national anthem, hopefully I'm not the only one getting angry."
Others proposed their own revisions to the anthem to include the gay community, as well.
"Openness and multiculturalism/ for the colorful homeland!/ Towards these let us all strive/ loving and tolerant!/ Openness and multiculturalism/ are the foundation of queerness/ flourish in the radiance of this queerness/ flourish, colorful homeland!" wrote Twitter user "Frea von Wegen."
Anthem's tricky history
Portions of the "Deutschlandlied" or "Song of Germany" have been Germany's national anthem since 1922, although after World War II and the fall of the Nazi regime, only the third stanza has been used.
The original text was penned by German poet August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben in 1841. The song has been Germany's national anthem since 1922, although Germany officially shortened the anthem to only the third stanza in 1991.
The controversial first stanza "Germany, Germany above all else" originally stemmed from efforts to unify the disparate German principalities in the 19th century. However, the Nazis affinity for the first stanza and the historical connotations it carries makes it highly controversial in Germany.
As many defenders of the original anthem text pointed out on Twitter on Sunday, the anthem's second stanza already favorably mentions women twice — albeit only in a refrain praising "German women, German loyalty, German wine and German song."