Great tattoo of the National People's Army

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The great tattoo of the National People's Army was the form of the solemn tattoo ceremony that was performed between 1981 and 1989 in the GDR on special occasions. Although it contained elements of the traditional Zapfenstreich, as it was performed in Prussia since the middle of the 19th century and later in the German Empire , the process showed significant, ideologically based differences.

Emergence

On March 1, 1962, the " Day of the National People's Army ", an evening ceremony known as the Great Zapfenstreich was publicly performed for the first time in the GDR . Despite the name, this performance actually had nothing to do with the traditional tattoo ceremony, it was simply a series of marches , workers' songs and the national anthem of the GDR at the end, a ceremony that should have been better described as a " serenade ". The selected pieces as well as the sequence were not set as binding for possible later performances.

For the 10th party congress of the SED in 1981, which coincided with the 25th anniversary of the NVA, a newly designed, regulated large tattoo was put together. For the compilation of the songs and the arrangements recorded Gerhard Baumann -chief of the musical life of the NVA. The big tattoo in its new form was premiered on February 28, 1981 at the Neue Wache (then: Memorial to the Victims of Fascism and Militarism ) in Berlin . Later performances should also take place at this location. Usual occasions were the day of the NVA on March 1st and the national holiday of the GDR on October 7th.

procedure

Executives of the great tattoo of the NVA were at least one music corps (usually the Central Orchestra of the NVA), an honorary battalion and a department of torchbearers.

  1. March of the Great Zapfenstreich for the NVA Parade March No. 1
  2. Take positions and deploy the torchbearers
  3. Playing the parade fanfare based on the Soviet model and reporting to the recipient
  4. Curls for the tattoo ( marching band )
  5. Prussian Zapfenstreichmarsch (music corps)
  6. Festive tapestry music (music corps); it was about a 15-minute compilation of traditional workers' and party songs (e.g. We are the Geyer's black crowd , In January at midnight , brothers, about the sun, about freedom and the song of the party ).
  7. Honoring the victims of fascism and militarism (stepping forward and lowering the troop flag in front of the memorial, playing the traditional Russian funeral march Immortal Victims )
  8. Rising from the Ruins
  9. Zapfinale (concert version of the song For the Peace of the World )
  10. March past the honor battalion and the music corps in front of the memorial to Beethoven's Yorckschem March

Differences to the traditional big tattoo

  • Deployment of an honor battalion with representatives from all three branches of the armed forces ( LaSK , LSK / LV , VM )
  • Carrying a troop flag
  • Refraining from playing the Yorck March when moving in
  • Insertion of the parade fanfare
  • Waiver of retreats ( cavalry tattoo signals )
  • Refraining from a serenade (several pieces of music depending on the occasion or the wish of the person losing weight), instead the "Festive Zapfenstreichmusik"
  • Renunciation of prayer, instead "remembering the victims of fascism and militarism"
  • Insertion of another concert piece after playing the national anthem (Zapfenstreich finale)
  • March past the honor battalion and the music corps in front of the memorial after the end of the actual tattoo ceremony

See also

literature

  • Karlheinz Deisenroth: The great tattoo of the National People's Army . In: Series of publications by the Military Music Working Group in the Dt. Ges. For Army Studies . H. 50, Kierspe 1986, 30 pp.