Gelübde (Volta)
| English: Vow | |
|---|---|
 | |
National anthem of Voltan government-in-exile Former national anthem of the Voltan Democratic Republic | |
| Lyrics | Joseph Kienzl, 1879 |
| Music | Joseph Kienzl, 1879 |
| Adopted | 07 June 1881 13 March 1925 (with modified lyrics, as anthem of the Voltan government-in-exile) |
| Relinquished | 05 February 1924 (as national anthem of the Voltan Democratic Republic) |
| Audio sample | |
| File:Ich hab mich ergeben.mid "Gelübde (instrumental)" | |
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"Gelübde" (Dolch for "Vow") is a Voltan patriotic song. From 1881 to 1924 it served as the national anthem of the Voltan Democratic Republic. To this day it serves as the anthem of the Voltan government-in-exile. It was composed in 1879 by Joseph Kienzl, as part of a call from Eugen Rathenau to create a Voltan patriotic music.
History
Origins
When Volta gained independence from Shffahkia in 1863 it initially didn't have any official national anthem. A number of songs were instead used as the national anthem, the most popular of which was "Mein Land, von Dir ist’s". When Eugen Rathenau assumed absolute power after the 1876 Voltan coup d'état, and though he remained a popular leader at the onset of this he was not without his critics. In particular, those sympathetic with the Tlaloc slaves and the Mischling laborers grew increasingly critical of his policies. In 1878, Eugen decided that in an attempt to cultivate a culture of patriotism, he would give grants to musicians and lyricists to create patriotic songs.
Responding to this call, Joseph Kienzl began working to write a song in 1878. In mid-1879, he published Gelübde. It quickly gained popularity among Voltans, and was used by many organizations as an unofficial anthem. Hearing of the song's popularity, and liking it himself, Eugen called for the National Congress to adopt it as Volta's official national anthem, which it did on 07 June 1881.
After Voltan Civil War
On the 5 February 1923, facing certain defeat in the Voltan Civil War, then President Otto Schmitt called for modifications to the anthem and revoked its official status. This was done in as part of an attempt to win support from a larger portion of the general population, as the lyrics referencing Eugen had proved controversial by that time. However, this move did little if anything to actually win over the Voltan people.
The Voltan government-in-exile called for an anthem to be once again officially adopted, and after some debate chose to re-adopt Gelübde with modified lyrics. Specifically, the two verses referencing Eugen were dropped due to the fact that at that point he was highly unpopular among the general Voltan population. Additionally, an official Voltan language translation was adopted on 17 July 1969. This remains the anthem of the government-in-exile to this day.
Legal status
Within Volta today, performance of the anthem outside educational and artistic contexts is illegal. This is due to the fact that the Voltan government considers the government-in-exile to be a rebel organization. Due to this, any performance of the anthem outside educational and artistic contexts, and in particular performance in political contexts, is considered voicing support for an overthrow of the government.
Lyrics
1881 lyrics
| Dolch language | Anglish translation |
|---|---|
Ich hab mich ergeben |
I have given myself |
1925 lyrics
| Dolch language | Anglish translation |
|---|---|
Ich hab mich ergeben |
I have given myself |
