Brothers reach out to the covenant

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Alleged author: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

The song, also known as a chain, consecration or covenant song, "Brothers reaching out to the covenant" was originally attributed to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and is sung among others by Freemasons and fraternity students. The melody of the song has been used as the Austrian national anthem since 1946 .

history

Nineteen days before his death, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a member of the Masonic Lodge " Zur Wohltkeit ", wrote  his last completed work with the Masonic Cantata ( KV 623). On November 14, 1792 the kk brought privil. Book printer Joseph Hraschansky in Vienna published the score in two versions. Part of the total edition was the later, very well-known “Kettenlied” (or “Bundeslied” or “Weihelied”) (KV 623a) with the text Let us with looped hands . The title is based on the fact that the Freemasons ended their meetings by singing the song with their hands clasped as a sign of their community.

In 1824, the now more well-known text Brothers, Shakes hands with this melody was written for this melody by Johann Gottfried Hientzsch (* 1787, † 1856, director of the royal institutions for the blind, Berlin).

Since at least the 1960s, music researchers have questioned the origin of the "chain song", which has become known as the "federal song", ascribed to Mozart. According to the knowledge of leading musicologists , the federal song comes from the “Claviermeister” Johann Baptist Holzer , a lodge brother of the Viennese Masonic lodge “ To true harmony ”.

Text brothers, reach out your hand to the covenant

Pages of the Kommers book with the "chain song"

(1) Brothers, reach out your hand to the covenant!
This beautiful friendship hour *)
lead us to light heights!
Let what is earthly escape;
our friendship harmonies
|: last forever solid and beautiful. : |

(2) Prize and thanks to the world champion,
who are the hearts, who are the spirits
created for an eternal work!
Create light and justice and virtue
holy weapons through truth,
|: be our sacred profession. : |

(3) You, the best on this star,
People all in the east and west,
like in the south and in the north:
Seek truth, practice virtue,
To love God and people heartily,
|: that is our watchword! : |

In the version of the General German Kommersbuch 1896/1906.

 *) Later editions and other sources use “celebration hour” instead of “friendship hour”.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ according to the Lahrer Kommersbuch, edition approx. 1970s
  2. ↑ Cf. Richard Bamberger , Franz Maier-Bruck : Austria Lexicon in two volumes. First volume A – K, Austrian Federal Publishing House for Education, Science and Art / Verlag Jugend und Volk, Vienna / Munich 1966, p. 161: “Federal anthem, […] The text is by Paula Preradović, the melody by Mozart (originally Freemason -Bundeslied 'Brothers, reach out to the Bunde'; music researchers have recently questioned the authorship of Mozart). ... "(Note: Bold type not included in the quote.)
  3. ↑ Robert Sedlaczek: It certainly wasn't Mozart! Not only the text of the national anthem has repeatedly caused controversy, but also the music. Taking stock of a decades-long debate. In: Wiener Zeitung extra, 22./23. October 2011, p. 2f. ( Online as PDF on the Austria Lexicon website . Accessed December 12, 2011.)
  4. ↑ Peter Diem: Land der Berge, Land am Strome… Documentation on the origin of the national anthem, Version 168, December 3, 2011. In: Knowledge collection of the Austria Forum : The symbols of Austria.
  5. ↑
    Wikisource: General German Kommersbuch  - Sources and full texts
    , 55. – 58. Edition, 1896/1906, p. 138.