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German Poland songs in the pre-March Period: Hoch Polonia!

The so-called Poland songs were written after the Polish uprising in Germany in November 1830. The authors were not so much concerned with casting an eye on Poland. Their main target was the political situation in Germany. The Poland songs were also intended to persuade Germans to struggle against their repression by the Princes and create a liberal system of government. In the 1830s they made a considerable contribution to the German pre-March period.

Some of these songs have been recreated and staged within the framework of a musical history project entitled “History in Songs”. This throws a light on a close link between Germans and Poles that often surprises contemporary audiences. In a Europe that is threatening to break apart once again, such a project could point towards the future.

Stephan Höning & Joachim Seltmann von Geschichte-in-Liedern mit Jakobinermützen, dem Symbol der deutschen frühdemokratischen Bewegung in den 1790er-Jahren.

www.geschichte-in-liedern.de

Late Poland songs: Georg Herwegh (1840–46)

In the further course of the decade the Polish battle for liberation was lost sight of in Germany and the phase of Poland songs almost came to an end. Only occasionally did poets like Georg Herwegh refer to Poland and take up the well-known themes. In his song “Poland’s Cause, Germany’s Cause” (1846) he warns that the battle for freedom can only succeed if it is fought together. Herwegh refuses to have anything to do with a German freedom which is bought at the price of Polish bondage. Hence he appeals to Germany in the following words:

“You yourself are fighting to throw off the bonds of subjugation.
But do you want to shift your yoke onto the necks of another nation?”

[https://www.poleninderschule.de/assets/polen-in-der-schule/downloads/arbeitsblaetter/d-polenlieder-00-gesamtkorr.pdf]

In a Europe that is still struggling to find a common identity, where it is far from obvious that the problems of the 21st century can be solved together, in this Europe the German Poland songs of the pre-March era can send us a contemporary political message: there can be no freedom without unity – and the same applies in reverse.

Stephan Höning, November 2016

Requests for performances of the Poland songs should be made at:

www.geschichte-in-liedern.de

Sources and further reading:

Brudzyńska-Němec, Gabriela: Polenbegeisterung in Deutschland nach 1830
http://ieg-ego.eu/de/threads/europaeische-medien/europaeische-medienereignisse/1830er-revolution/gabriela-brudzynska-nemec-polenbegeisterung-in-deutschland-nach-1830

Kozielek, Gerard: Polenlieder - eine Anthologie, Stuttgart 1982 (Reclam)

Leonhard, Stanisław [ed.]: Polenlieder deutscher Dichter (2), Krakau 1917
http://idb.ub.uni-tuebingen.de/diglit/DkXI3936-2