679. Germany: The Song Hitler Stole (Part 3)
Episode of The Rest Is History · June 14, 2026 · 1 h 13 min
Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook trace the history of Germany's national anthems, from Haydn's Austrian hymn through Nazi, West and East German anthems to reunification.
Summary
In this third episode of a World Cup-linked series on national anthems, Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook examined the history of the German national anthem, Das Lied der Deutschen. Sandbrook argued that the anthem is widely misunderstood in Britain: its tune was composed by Joseph Haydn in 1797 as an Austrian imperial hymn inspired by God Save the King, and its lyrics, written by August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben on British-held Heligoland in 1841, were a liberal call for German unity rather than a programme of conquest.
The hosts traced how the song was neglected in Bismarck's empire in favour of Heil dir im Siegerkranz and Die Wacht am Rhein, revived after Heligoland passed to Germany in 1890, linked to the Langemarck 'Kindermord' legend of the First World War, and adopted by Friedrich Ebert for the Weimar Republic in 1922. Under the Nazis the first verse was emphasised and paired with the Horst-Wessel-Lied, which Holland described as the product of Goebbels's propaganda and which has been banned since 1945.
Sandbrook recounted West Germany's post-war indecision, including the use of the carnival song Trizonesien-Song, the standoff between Konrad Adenauer and Theodor Heuss that ended with only the third verse being sung, and the controversy at the 1954 World Cup final. He described East Germany's anthem Auferstanden aus Ruinen, by Johannes R. Becher and Hanns Eisler, which he called an 'all-time banger', and its later suppression of singing because of its reference to a united fatherland. The hosts discussed reunification-era proposals, including Lothar de Maizière's compromise and Bertolt Brecht's Kinderhymne, before concluding with the 2006 World Cup, which Sandbrook presented as the moment Germans embraced their anthem. The episode ended with the East German anthem being played.
Chapters
- 2:13
The misunderstood German anthem
The hosts introduce the German anthem, its title, why only the third verse is sung, and recent controversies involving AfD politicians and Bodo Ramelow.
- 6:44
Haydn's Austrian hymn
Sandbrook recounts how Joseph Haydn, inspired by God Save the King in London, composed Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser in 1797.
- 11:03
Hoffmann von Fallersleben and Das Lied der Deutschen
The 1841 lyrics written on Heligoland are explained as a liberal plea for German unity, including the geography of the first verse.
- 21:38
Anthems of Bismarck's empire
The Prussian Heil dir im Siegerkranz and Die Wacht am Rhein overshadow the song until its revival after the 1890 Heligoland handover.
- 27:07
First World War and the Weimar adoption
The Langemarck legend, Hitler's memoir and Friedrich Ebert's 1922 adoption of the song as the national anthem are discussed.
- 36:22
The Nazis and the Horst-Wessel-Lied
The Nazis favour the first verse and elevate the Horst-Wessel-Lied, which was later banned in post-war Germany.
- 42:16
West Germany's anthem dispute
West Germany uses the Ode to Joy and a carnival song before Adenauer persuades Heuss to restore the anthem with only the third verse.
- 48:42
The 1954 World Cup controversy
German fans sing the first verse after the Miracle of Bern, prompting a rebuke from Heuss and East German mockery.
- 52:14
East Germany's Auferstanden aus Ruinen
Sandbrook describes the creation, popularity and later partial suppression of the East German anthem by Becher and Eisler.
- 59:08
Reunification and Brecht's Kinderhymne
Proposals at reunification, including de Maizière's compromise and Brecht's self-critical Kinderhymne, are rejected in favour of the third verse.
- 1:04:10
The 2006 World Cup and final verdicts
The hosts discuss how the 2006 World Cup changed German attitudes to the anthem and give their own views before playing the East German anthem.
Key points
What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.
- Dominic Sandbrook
Sandbrook argues that the German anthem is commonly misnamed in Britain and is actually titled Das Lied der Deutschen, written in 1841.
“Actually, it's not called Deutschland über alles. It was written in 1841”
- Dominic Sandbrook
Sandbrook claims the German anthem has perhaps the most fascinating history of any national anthem, including Britain's.
“I think it has actually perhaps the most fascinating history of any national anthem, including Tom Our Own”
- Dominic Sandbrook
Sandbrook relays musicologist Michael Geisler's argument that Haydn drew the tune from an Austrian folk song.
“he argues that Haydn basically gets this from an Austrian folk song, that that's the inspiration for it”
- Dominic Sandbrook
Sandbrook argues that 'Deutschland über alles' was a call for Germans to put unity above regional loyalties, not a militaristic or expansionist slogan.
“Hoffman would have been amazed to hear people say this is militaristic and a call for expansionism”
- Tom Holland
Holland compares the anthem's original meaning to the Ode to Joy as the EU anthem, a call to bury differences for a greater whole.
“It's kind of implicitly saying, let's bury our differences and celebrate a greater whole”
- Dominic Sandbrook
Sandbrook says the song was originally a liberal rather than conservative idea, beloved of students and poets.
“And at the time, this is not a conservative idea. It's a liberal idea. So the people who are singing this song”
- Dominic Sandbrook
Sandbrook argues the Langemarck legend was powerful precisely because the students sang an idealistic song rather than a militaristic one.
“It's a much more powerful story because it's this utopian, idealistic song than if it had been The Wash on the Rhine”
- Tom Holland
Holland says Goebbels rewrote the squalid story of Horst Wessel's death to create a Nazi martyr for propaganda purposes.
“Goebbels isn't going to be worried by something like that. He completely rewrites the story, turns Wessel into this kind of martyr and vehicle for Nazi PR”
- Tom Holland
Holland remarks that some Protestant churches were so close to Nazism that they sang the Horst-Wessel-Lied.
“Protestant churches, some of them are so close to Nazism, aren't they? They're kind of ring-wraith churches, yeah”
- Dominic Sandbrook
Sandbrook states that polls in the early 1950s showed a majority of West Germans backed Adenauer's wish to restore the old anthem.
“polls showed that Adenauer spoke for the majority. So seven out of 10 people in the early 50s said, come on, we want the old one back”
- Dominic Sandbrook
Sandbrook expresses doubt about the story that Swiss radio cut its broadcast when German fans sang the first verse in 1954.
“I don't know whether that's actually true because the only source for that is football journalism written in the 1990s”
- Dominic Sandbrook
Sandbrook declares the East German anthem an outstanding anthem, second only to the Soviet anthem in his view.
“I think there's only one better anthem, and that's the anthem of the Soviet Union”
- Dominic Sandbrook
Sandbrook suggests East Germany discouraged singing rather than changing its anthem's lyrics to avoid admitting it had been wrong about unification.
“I suppose because changing the words would mean some sort of admission that they'd been wrong, which they don't want to do”
- Tom Holland
Holland calls de Maizière's proposal to pair Haydn's tune with East German lyrics a neat idea, comparable to South Africa's later compromise.
“It is a neat idea. And it's a kind of prefiguring of what we're going to be talking about in our last episode about South Africa”
- Dominic Sandbrook
Sandbrook argues that Der Spiegel's pre-tournament pessimism about the anthem proved wrong at the 2006 World Cup.
“Anyway, the Spiegel was wrong because actually loads of Germans did sing the anthem and nobody complained at all”
Linked moment · 1:07:27Skip to 1:07:27 using a listen link in the info box.
Dominic SandbrookSandbrook gives his personal verdict that the current German anthem is good and that he would sing it enthusiastically if German.
“I think if I was German, I would sing it with great enthusiasm”
People
In the conversation
- Dominic SandbrookBritish historian, author and co-host of The Rest Is History
- Tom HollandEnglish actor cast as Telemachus
Discussed
- Joseph HaydnAustrian classical composer who wrote the anthem's tune in 1797
- August Heinrich Hoffmann von FallerslebenGerman poet who wrote the lyrics of Das Lied der Deutschen in 1841
- Adolf HitlerLeader of Nazi Germany, whose near-death in a car accident opens Diamond's book
- Friedrich EbertFirst president of the Weimar Republic, who adopted the anthem in 1922
- Konrad AdenauerFirst chancellor of West Germany, who campaigned to restore the anthem
- Theodor HeussFirst president of West Germany, who initially opposed the anthem
- Hanns EislerCommunist composer of the East German anthem and Brecht's Kinderhymne
- Bertolt BrechtGerman playwright who wrote the Kinderhymne
- Johannes R. BecherPoet who wrote the lyrics of the East German anthem
- Horst WesselNazi stormtrooper whose song became an emblem of the Third Reich
- Joseph GoebbelsNazi propaganda minister who turned Horst Wessel into a martyr
- Wilhelm PieckFirst president of East Germany, who commissioned its anthem
- Otto von BismarckPrussian statesman who unified Germany
- Helmut KohlGerman chancellor who rejected East German lyrics at reunification
- Lothar de MaizièreLast prime minister of East Germany, who proposed a compromise anthem
- Bodo RamelowDie Linke politician who called for a referendum on a new anthem
- Michael GeislerMusicologist who has written about the German anthem
- Friedrich NietzscheGerman philosopher cited for the idea of embracing one's fate
Topics
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From the publisher
Why is the German national anthem the most controversial of all? Is it true that it is Austrian in origin? And, what happened when Germany split after the Second World War? Did it perhaps lead to an absolute banger in the form of East Germany’s new anthem..? Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss the history of Germany and its various different anthems. _______ Join The Rest Is History Club: Unlock the full experience of the show – with exclusive bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to every series and live show tickets, a members-only newsletter, discounted books from the show, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Sign up directly at therestishistory.com. To read our new newsletter, sign up at: therestishistory.com/newsletters _______ Advertise with us: Partnerships@goalhanger.com _______ Lloyds. 250 years on and still backing the nation's aspirations. _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Video Editors: Jack Meek, Harry Swan + Adam Thornton Social Producer: Harry Balden Producers: Tabby Syrett & Aaliyah Akude Senior Producer: Callum Hill Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on September 29, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.