Ostpreußenlied

The "Ostpreußenlied",^[a] also known as "Land der dunklen Wälder"^[b] or "Lied auf Ostpreußen"^[c] was considered the regional anthem of East Prussia until 1945, when the lands of East Prussia were lost to the Soviet Union, and the Polish People's Republic. However even after the destruction of East Prussia, the song is still used to this day.

In the early 1930s, the composer from Königsberg (today Kaliningrad, Russia) Herbert Brust (born April 17, 1900, died June 26, 1968) composed the "Oratorium der Heimat" ("Oratory of the Fatherland"),^[1] and soon after it was made, at the suggestion of Königsberger Hartungsche Zeitung, Brust requested the writer Erich Hannighofer to add lyrics to the song, of which Hanninghofer made four stanzas.

The result of the combination, now called Ostpreußenland, garnered significant interest, allowing it to replace "Sie sagen all, du bist nicht schön".^[1]

In 1933, the song was played on Ostmarken Rundfunk AG, not under the name "Ostpreußenland", but under "Ostpreußenlied"; meaning the name was the one primarily used by the East Prussians.^[2]

At the time, nationalism was on the rise in Germany, and so, it became an important symbol of both East Prussian and German identity, and it's popularity increased. It also rose in popularity due to its connection with the landscape in general.^[3]

After and because of the exile of Germans from East Prussia, one more stanza started to appear in 1945; but not by Hannighofer. He was already missing on that year's January 1.^[1]

Although East Prussia ceased to exist as a German territory in 1945, the song lives on. It has continued to be significant for the displaced and their descendants, and is often used in contexts where the lost homeland is remembered and honored. Organizations such as the Landsmannschaft Ostpreußen, an association of displaced East Prussians; have played an important role in preserving and spreading the song as part of the collective memory of East Prussia, especially among the descendants of those who were displaced and who now live in Germany.^[4][1]

Sometimes, the third and fourth verses are swapped from the order of 3–4, to the order of 4–3.^[5][6] If the 5th verse is added, it is common to put in the middle of the two swapped verses (if they are swapped in the first place), making the order of 4–5–3.^{[7][8][9][10][11]}

In 1993, Ostpreußenlied was translated into Old Prussian by Mikkels Klussis with the name Prūsas Grīma, as part of the revival movement for the language. Today there are two versions of said translation, with slight differences in orthography (and thus, also differences in pronunciation):^[12][13]

Ostpreußenlied on YouTube

Prūsas Grīma on YouTube