Bayernhymne


The Bayernhymne 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, 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, since after the abdication of King Ludwig III in 1918, Bavaria has been without a king. He also replaced the Deutsche Erde in the first stanza with Heimaterde.
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 Bavarian minister-president Franz Josef Strauß changed the official version to contain just the first two stanzas and switched Heimaterde back to Deutsche Erde, though the Heimaterde version is still widely used.
The song, like most national anthems, contains many symbolic representations, including repeated allusions to the colours white and blue, Bavaria’s national colours, especially describing Bavaria's Himmel, which can refer to both sky and heaven. The march Bayerischer Defiliermarsch is often played along the hymn.

Current Version

Variations

Version by Joseph Maria Lutz from 1946

Michael Öchsner’s 1860 Poem

Later Text from Michael Öchsner