An anthem is a musical composition of celebration, usually used as a symbol for a distinct group, particularly the national anthems of countries. Originally, and in music theory and religious contexts, it also refers more particularly to short sacred choral work and still more particularly to a specific form of liturgical music. In this sense, its use began c. 1550 in English-speaking churches; it uses English language words, in contrast to the originally Roman Catholic 'motet' which sets a Latin text.
The Rhine is one of the major European rivers. The river begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms the Swiss-Liechtenstein border and partly the Swiss-Austrian and Swiss-German borders. After that the Rhine defines much of the Franco-German border, after which it flows in a mostly northerly direction through the German Rhineland. Finally in Germany, the Rhine turns into a predominantly westerly direction and flows into the Netherlands where it eventually empties into the North Sea. It drains an area of 9,973 km2.
Ernst Moritz Arndt was a German nationalist historian, writer and poet. Early in his life, he fought for the abolition of serfdom, later against Napoleonic dominance over Germany. Arndt had to flee to Sweden for some time due to his anti-French positions. He is one of the main founders of German nationalism during the Napoleonic wars and the 19th century movement for German unification. After the Carlsbad Decrees, the forces of the restoration counted him as a demagogue.
"My Country, 'Tis of Thee", also known as simply "America", is an American patriotic song, the lyrics of which were written by Samuel Francis Smith. The song served as one of the de facto national anthems of the United States before the adoption of "The Star-Spangled Banner" as the official U.S. national anthem in 1931. The melody used is adopted from the national anthem of the United Kingdom, "God Save the King".
The "Swiss Psalm" is the national anthem of Switzerland.
"De Vlaamse Leeuw" is the official anthem of Flanders, a region and community in Belgium.
"Die Wacht am Rhein" is a German patriotic anthem. The song's origins are rooted in the historical French–German enmity, and it was particularly popular in Germany during the Franco-Prussian War, World War I, and World War II. The original poem was written by Max Schneckenburger during the Rhine crisis of 1840, and is generally sung to music written by Karl Wilhelm in 1854, seven years after Schneckenburger's death.
The music of Liechtenstein has produced an internationally renowned composer in Josef Rheinberger (1839–1901), who was mentor to Engelbert Humperdinck and a friend of Franz Liszt.
"Heil dir im Siegerkranz" was the Kaiserhymne of the German Empire from 1871 to 1918 and royal anthem of Prussia from 1795 to 1918.
Bingen am Rhein is a town in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
Emmerich am Rhein is a city and municipality in the northwest of the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The city has a harbour and a quay at the Rhine. In terms of local government organization, it is a medium-sized city belonging to the district of Kleve in the administrative region (Regierungsbezirk) of Düsseldorf.
The Class 420 is a commuter electric multiple unit train type in service on German S-Bahn networks since 1972. Their use in Munich during the 1972 Summer Olympics earned them the colloquial name Olympiatriebwagen.
"Rufst du, mein Vaterland" was the former national anthem of Switzerland. It had the status of de facto national anthem from the formation of Switzerland as a federal state in the 1840s, until 1961, when it was replaced by the Swiss Psalm.
Die Rheinnixen is a romantic opera in four acts by Jacques Offenbach. The original libretto by Charles-Louis-Étienne Nuitter was translated into German by Alfred von Wolzogen.
"O Deutschland hoch in Ehren" is a patriotic German song written by Ludwig Bauer (1832–1910) in 1859 and set to music by Henry Hugh Pierson. The song was, besides the "Deutschlandlied", "Die Wacht am Rhein" and "Des Deutschen Vaterland", the most popular patriotic anthem in the 19th century.
Mein Waldeck is a German patriotic song and was the anthem of the Waldeck between 1879 and 1929 when Waldeck joined Prussia.
Variations on "America" is a composition for organ by the American composer Charles Ives.
Robert Schneider is an Austrian writer, who published novels including Schlafes Bruder, texts for the theatre, and poetry. His works have been translated into many languages. Schlafes Bruder became the basis of a film, a ballet, an opera and several plays, and received international awards. Schneider withdrew from writing in 2007.
"Heil unserm König, Heil!" was the royal anthem of the Kingdom of Bavaria and the Kingdom of Greece. The song whose lyrics have varied over the decades and which has never been formally declared a national anthem, was one of the numerous German state anthems set to the melody of 'God Save the King' which often began with the same line of lyrics.
