Bayernhymne

Infobox Anthem
title = Bayernhymne
english_title = Hymn of Bavaria


image_size =
caption =
prefix = Regional
country = Free State of Bavaria
author = Michael Öchsner / Joseph Maria Lutz
lyrics_date = 1946
composer = Max Kunz
music_date = 1835
adopted = 1946
until =
sound =
sound_title =The Bayernhymne (Hymn of Bavaria) is the official anthem of the Free State of Bavaria.

The melody of the song was written by Max Kunz in 1835. The text for the original first three stanzas was written by Michael Öchsner. Both men were members of the Bürger-Sänger-Zunft München (Citizen-Singers-Guild Munich), that first performed the song on December 15, 1860.

In 1946, the poet Joseph Maria Lutz wrote a new third stanza as a replacement for the 'Königsstrophe' (King's Stanza), since after the abdication of King Ludwig III in 1918, Bavaria has been without a king. He also replaced the 'Deutsche Erde' (German earth) in the first stanza with 'Heimaterde' (native soil).

In 1946, it was also officially recognised as the national anthem of Bavaria, and on July 29, 1966, the then prime minister of Bavaria, Alfons Goppel, chose the version written by Joseph Maria Lutz to be the official version.

In 1980, the prime minister Franz Josef Strauß, changed the official version to contain just the first two stanzas and switched 'Heimaterde' back to 'Deutsche Erde'.

The song, like most national anthems, contains many symbolic representations, including repeated allusions to the colours white and blue, Bavaria's national colours.

Current Version

(According to the bulletin of the Bavarian prime minister on July 18, 1980.)

Later Text from Michael Öchsner

Republican Variation of the Third Stanza

External links

* [http://www.bayern.landtag.de/06_bayernhymne.html Official site of the Bavarian Parliament] (in German, includes audio)