Alte Kameraden
(Redirected from Old Comrades)
| "Alte Kameraden" | |
|---|---|
| March by Carl Teike | |
| English | "Old Comrades" |
| Catalogue | Armeemarschsammlung HM II, 150 |
| Composed | 1889: Germany |
"Alte Kameraden" ("Old Comrades") is the title of a popular German military march.[1] It is included in the Armeemarschsammlung as HM II, 150.
History
The march was written around 1889 in Ulm, Germany, by military music composer Carl Teike.[2] Teike wrote many pieces for the marching band of Grenadier-Regiment König Karl (5. Württembergisches) No. 123. When bringing his newly composed march to the regiment, the Kapellmeister Oelte simply told him: "We've got plenty enough of musical marches, put this one in the stove!".[2] This episode eventually led to Teike taking his leave of the band and naming the march as "Alte Kameraden". A publisher purchased the song from him for 25 German Goldmark.[3] In 1895, the Nowaweser Kapelle Fritz Köhler premiered the march.[3] Alte Kameraden later became one of the most popular marches in the world.[3] It was played in 1937 at the coronation ceremony for English King George VI.[3] The march can also be heard in the film Der blaue Engel.[3] Teike later worked as a police officer but also continued composing military marches.[3]
Due to its militaristic connotations, the march was banned in Germany after both World War I and World War II. According to one source, the march became popular among Finnish amateur photography clubs after "kameraden" was mistranslated to "cameramen" in Finnish.[4]
Lyrics
Alte Kameraden auf dem Marsch durchs Land |
Old comrades on the march through the country |
Zur Attacke geht es Schlag auf Schlag, |
During the attack, things happen fast, |
Im Manöver zog das ganze Regiment |
During maneuvers, the whole regiment |
Lachen scherzen, lachen scherzen, heute ist ja heut' |
Laughing joking, laughing joking, today is today |
Alter Wein gibt Jugendkraft; |
Old wine gives the strength of youth, |
Ob in Freude, ob in Not, |
Whether in joy, whether in need, |
Sind wir alt, das Herz bleibt jung, |
Even if we are old, the heart stays young, |
References
- ^ "Neue Kameraden". Der Spiegel (in Deutsch). Hamburg. 2 June 1965. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
- ^ a b Schröder, Dietrich (7 May 2014). "Wie die "Alten Kameraden" nach Gorzów kamen". MOZ.de (in Deutsch). Frankfurt an der Oder: Märkisches Medienhaus. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f Hohenstein, Erhart (4 August 2007). "Weltberühmte "Alte Kameraden"". Potsdamer Neueste Nachrichten. Potsdam. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ^ Kaup, Monika; Rosenthal, Debra (15 August 2002). Mixing Race, Mixing Culture: Inter-American Literary Dialogues. University of Texas Press. ISBN 978-0-292-74348-9.
