Unsere_Heimat

Unsere Heimat

Unsere Heimat

East German youth movement song


"Unsere Heimat" (Our Homeland) was a popular song in the German Democratic Republic (East Germany), where it was sung by the Ernst Thälmann Pioneer Organisation. The lyrics were written by Herbert Keller [de] and the melody by Hans Naumilkat. The song expresses strong bonds with nature, emphasizing the significance of a sense of homeland (Heimat) beyond people. "Unsere Heimat" was taught in school music classes and was typically sung by children’s choirs. In 1951, when the song was written, an attempt was being made to establish a new idea of homeland, distinct from fascism’s conception of it. Over time, the song developed into a kind of anthem that glorified the idea of a socialist homeland and thus the political ideology of the GDR.[1]

The song plays an important role in the 2003 film Good Bye, Lenin!, being sung several times by Young Pioneer groups.

Lyrics


References

  1. Sophie Grobler (25 May 2023). "Our Homeland". norient.com (essay). Retrieved 9 March 2024. (in English)
  2. "Unsre Heimat", text and melody, vodf.de

Further reading

  • Confino, Alon (2006). Germany as a Culture of Remembrance: Promises and Limits of Writing. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 0-8078-3042-9.

Share this article:

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Unsere_Heimat, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.