Live - Sing - Fight
The songbook Leben - Singen - Fiegen was the official songbook of the GDR youth organization Free German Youth and was published by them in 18 editions. In addition to fighting and workers' songs, it also contains many German folk songs and international folk songs, some in polyphonic movements. It served as a songbook for the various forms of youth camps and for choir work in training at the state music schools in the GDR.
Adapted to the political situation, not only was the visual appearance of the book adjusted, but the content was also changed several times. As a result of drastic political events and changes to the SED's program (e.g. June uprising in 1953 , Stalin's death, Honecker's election as general secretary of the SED in 1971, Biermann's expatriation in 1978), titles that were no longer in line with the current line were removed of the SED program and the FDJ corresponded. Of the 164 titles in the second edition, only 50 could be found in the last revision from 1979. Instead, 273 new titles were recorded there. Certain titles were no longer up-to-date at the latest when the Wall was built , e.g. For example: "The köllsche Kraate and the Münchner Madl" (The Free German Youth storms Berlin) or the song from Berlin with lines of text like: "A German must also be a Berliner because Berlin makes us unified".
In the 1950s, the book also had the subtitle Songbook of German Youth on the title , as the GDR pursued the reunification efforts of the two German states during this time. In the 1973 edition this was changed to a songbook .
The first edition in 1949 was approved by the Soviet military administration ( SMAD ) before the GDR was founded. From 1950 the book was first published by Neues Leben , and later by VEB Friedrich Hofmeister .
The 1949 edition consisted of 288 pages and was based on the songbook of the German Youth from 1946. From the 2nd edition the book underwent decisive changes:
- 2nd edition 1950 - Songbook of the FDJ (301 pages): Addition of songs to the newly founded GDR
- 8th edition: 1954 - song book of the German youth with FDJ logo (425 pages): expansion to include socialist battle songs and specifically agricultural titles that concern the newly founded LPG s; Removal of those songs that glorify Stalin
- 9th edition: 1958 - songbook of the German youth without further identifying marks, revised edition (355 pages)
- 11th edition 1968 - songbook of the German youth without further identifying marks, revised and expanded edition (382 pages)
- 12th edition 1973 - songbook (373 pages)
- 14th edition 1979 - subtitle song book of the Free German Youth only on the endpaper (400 pages); Removed numerous popular titles
The changes can also be traced on the basis of the heavily modified structures. While the 1950 book still had the sections
- Free youth, new life
- Fight and celebration songs
- Folk and native songs
- Hiking and travel songs
- Joy and happiness
- Songs of the nations
included, the 1979 edition was clearly tailored to socialism and the socialist worldview. Folk songs and romantic art songs were mixed in. B. the ode to joy under the heading Brothers to the Sun, to Freedom :
- Forward, you young guard (Socialist Youth Movement, Free German Youth, Democratic Youth of the World)
- Brothers to the Sun, to Freedom (Opposition and Revolution, Great October Socialist Revolution, German Labor Movement, Struggle and Victory of the Working Class and its Party)
- It's about the earth a red ribbon (proletarian internationalism, anti-fascist resistance struggle, solidarity)
- Home, we will guard you (socialist home, work, peace, defense readiness)
- Today is a wonderful day (times of day, seasons, hiking, sports)
- Loving brings great joy
- Whoever wants to create has to be cheerful (socializing, humor, singing and dancing)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Thomas Freitag: Everything sings or the end of the song? Song heritage and singing culture of the former GDR . In: Yearbook for Folk Song Research . tape 38 , 1993, ISSN 0075-2789 , pp. 2 , doi : 10.2307 / 848947 , JSTOR : 848947 .
- ^ 1968 edition as an exhibit in the GDR Museum. February 18, 2017, accessed May 4, 2020 .
- ↑ ND archive: 02/13/1970: Live, sing, fight. Retrieved May 4, 2020 .