Hymne an Deutschland

The Hymne an Deutschland is a patriotic song which the then-president of West Germany, Theodor Heuss, aspired to establish as the new national anthem of Germany. During the early 1950s prior to the adoption of "Deutschlandlied" by West Germany, it acted as a sort of de facto national anthem of the nascent state.

History

Its lyrics were written by Rudolf Alexander Schröder in 1950. Hermann Reutter composed its tune after Carl Orff, whom Heuss wanted to have as composer, had rejected the request and suggested Reutter instead. Heuss' attempts failed, and in 1952 he and Chancellor Adenauer recognized the "Deutschlandlied" as the new national anthem, with only the third stanza being sung on official occasions.