HITLER AND HAYDN

HITLER AND HAYDN
One of the first things Hitler did to begin his Third Riech, as he took over Austria, was to change the words of the national anthem. Written over a century before by Franz Josef Haydn (1732-1809), Gott erhalte, Franz der Kaiser remains one of the most noble of national anthems. Written in the spirit of God Save the Queen, as a prayer of hope that God would preserve and bless the Kaiser, it is a lofty hymn of praise. Hitler immediately supplanted the words related to the Kaiser with the words, Deutschland, Deutschland, über alles (Germany, over all), calling forth his hope (Mein Kampf) that Germany would ultimately rule the entire world. Imagine if you will a foreign power coming to your land with the hope of ruling with an iron hand. Imagine being forced to sing your beloved National Anthem with new lyrics about the supremacy of the conquering force. It was no doubt a terrible challenge to bear for the Austrians.