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National anthem of Austria
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The National Anthem of Austria (Bundeshymne der Republik Österreich), also known by its incipit "Land der Berge, Land am Strome" (pronounced [lant deːɐ̯ ˈbɛʁɡə lant ʔam ˈʃtʁoːmə]; 'Land of the Peaks, Land by the Stream'), was adopted in 1946. The melody, originally attributed to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, was matched with a text by Paula von Preradović the following year.
![]() | You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in German. (June 2019) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
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The composer of the song remains disputed among various composers today and has been attributed to either Johann Holzer or Paul Wranitzky.
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History
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Nineteen days before his death on 5 December 1791, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed his last complete work, the Freimaurerkantate, K. 623. In parts of the printed edition of this cantata there appeared the song K. 623a "Lasst uns mit geschlungnen Händen" ("Let us with joined hands"). To this melody the Austrian national anthem is sung. Today, Mozart's authorship is regarded as dubious and the song is attributed to Johann Holzer (either solely or co-authored with Mozart)[1] or Paul Wranitzky.[2]
Before the World War II Anschluss, Austria's state anthem was "Sei gesegnet ohne Ende", set to the tune of Haydn's "Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser", the state anthem of imperial Austria since 1797. The current German national anthem "Deutschlandlied" uses the same tune, but with different words (it was also the co-national anthem of Germany during National Socialist rule). To avoid the association, and because singing it was banned for a time after the war, a new state anthem was created. The lyrics were written by Paula von Preradović, one of the few women to have written lyrics for a national anthem.[3] On 22 October 1946, the song was officially declared Austria's national anthem, albeit without words. Lyrics were added in February 1947. On 1 January 2012, parts of the lyrics were changed to make the composition gender-neutral.
Attempts at gender-neutral language
Since the 1990s, several attempts have been made to modify the lyrics to use more gender-neutral language. In 2005, Women's Minister Maria Rauch-Kallat of the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) stated her objection to the words sons, fraternal and fatherland in the lyrics and proposed changes.[4] Her proposal met strong resistance by Austria's largest newspaper, the Kronen Zeitung, and failed to gain support from the then coalition partner, the Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ).
In January 2010, Austrian pop singer Christina Stürmer presented a pop rock version of the hymn "Heimat bist du großer Söhne und Töchter" ('Thou art home to great sons and daughters')[5][6] as part of a campaign by the Austrian federal ministry of education. She was sued for violation of copyright by the estate of Paula von Preradović but subsequently cleared by the Austrian Supreme Court of Justice[7] who called it "a mere modernisation" and allowed the version to stand.
Since 1 January 2012, a few words in the state anthem are different from before. The text and notes of the state anthem were officially codified in the Federal Act of the National Anthem of the Republic of Austria.[8]
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Lyrics
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Only the first verse is considered official and performed during official events.
Slovene verse
A Slovene-language version of the third verse was written for the Carinthian Slovenes of Carinthia. It was translated from the pre-2012 German version of the third verse.[10]
- Hrabro v novi čas stopimo,
- prosto, verno, glej, hodimo;
- upa polni, delavni.
- Bratski zbor prisega hkrati,
- domovini zvestobo dati.
- 𝄆 Ljubljena nam Avstrija. 𝄇
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Music

Parodies
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Otto and Fritz Molden
The same evening after von Preradović learned that her lyrics were chosen for the national anthem, her sons Otto and Fritz Molden composed a satirical version of them.[11]
Land der Erbsen, Land der Bohnen,
Land der vier Besatzungszonen,
Wir verkaufen dich im Schleich!
Und droben überm Hermannskogel
Flattert froh der Bundesvogel.
Vielgeliebtes Österreich!
Land of the peas, land of the beans,
Land of the four zones of occupation,
we sell thee on the black market!
And up there over the Hermannskogel
gladly the federal bird flutters.
Much beloved Austria!
According to media researcher Peter Diem , the first two of these lines were popular in the schools of Vienna in 1955.[12]
Drahdiwaberl
In 1979, the music group Drahdiwaberl released their parody of "Land der Berge, Land am Strone", titled "Kaiserhymne / Pink Punk Shirt". The following text is modeled after von Preradović's lyrics and sung to the same tune.[citation needed]
Land der Äcker, Land der Dome
Land am Strom ohne Atome,
Land der Titel und Diplome
Heimat bist du großer Söhne
Heimat bist du großer Töchter
Zusatzvers der Frauenrechtler
Land der unmöglich begrenzten,
Land der Berg’, der allerschensten,
Land der Seen und Lipizzaner,
Der Prohaskas und des Klammer
Land der Krone, Land des Staberl
Land der Gruppe Drahdiwaberl.
Land of the fields, land of holy place
Land on the river without atoms,
Land of titles and diplomas
Home thou art of great sons
Home thou art of great daughters
Additional verse from feminists
Land of the impossibly limited,
Land of the peaks, the most beautiful,
Land of lakes and the Lipizzans,
The Prohaskas and the Klammer
Land of the crown, land of the Staberl
Land of the Drahdiwaberl group.
Rotzpipn
In 2012, the Viennese band Rotzpipn won the 9th protest song contest with their "Hymne 2.0". The jury included Ernst Molden, grandson of Paula von Preradović, who gave the group the highest score.[citation needed]
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Notes
- See Help:IPA/German, German phonology and Austrian German.
References
External links
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