Westfalenlied

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Westfalenlied , arrangement for male choir (around 1900)
" Westfalen -Gruss" with a vedute by Iserlohn and the four stanzas of the Westphalia song; Lithographed postcard by Willy Hoehl , around 1898
Memorial plaque in Iserlohn, Theodor-Heuss-Ring

The Westphalia song, written in 1868, is intended to be a hymn and identification of Westphalian culture, it is intended to describe the inhabitants of Westphalia in the various individual regions and their character.

The best-known version was first published in the weekly newspaper for the Iserlohn - Altena constituency in April 1869. This text was written by the merchant, poet and reciter Emil Rittershaus (1834-1897) during a stay in Iserlohn. A memorial plaque at the location of the former Gasthof zur Post on Theodor-Heuss-Ring in Iserlohn's city center reminds of this.

Probably the most famous setting ? / i was created at the same time and comes from Peter Johann Peters (1820–1870). Audio file / audio sample

In addition to the Rittershaus version, there are other and similarly structured texts by other authors who also have the title "Westfalenlied", but are far less known.

The lyrics

Sculpture detail of the Rittershaus memorial in Menden -Bertingloh

The Westphalia song

You may praise the Rhine, the proud,
Who lies in the lap of the vines
Where in the mountains rests iron
Mother rocked me there.
The fir trees stand high on the rock,
In the green valley the herds go
As a guard at the edge of the court
The oak tree stretches up,
|: That's where my cradle was
Oh my God, Westphalia!  : |
We don't have sweet speeches
And beautiful words abundance
And not so soon for anyone
The brother greeting and brother kiss.
If you want us to be welcome
So look at the heart, not at the appearance
And look us straight in the eye,
Absolutely, that's Westphalia custom!
|: It doesn't ask about games and trinkets
The men from Westphalia.  : |
And our women, our girls,
With eyes as blue as the sky,
You don't spin the love threads
Just kidding for the idle hour.
A pious angel keeps watch
In her soul day and night
And loyal in bliss, loyal in pain
Remains a loving heart until death.
|: Blessed is whose arm embraces
A girl from Westphalia.  : |
God keep you, you red earth,
You land of Wittekind and Teut,
Until I turn to dust and ashes
My heart rejoices in its homeland!
You Land of Westphalia, Land of the Mark,
Like your oak trunks strong
Your pale mouth still blesses you
In dying, in the last hour!
|: You country, where my cradle was,
Oh my God, Westphalia!  : |

literature

  • Gertrud Stendal : The home hymns of the Prussian provinces and their landscapes; a literary characteristic . Heidelberg 1919, pp. 95-101

Web links

Commons : Westfalenlied (Rittershaus)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files