# Ostpreußenlied

The "Ostpreußenlied", also known as "Land der dunklen Wälder" or "Lied auf Ostpreußen" 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 loss of East Prussia, the song is still used to this day.

## Origin

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"). The writer Erich Hannighofer added four stanzas to the final part of the text, and the resulting Ostpreußenland was met with great interest.
With the interest in the song, it was later adopted, replacing the old anthem – Mein Heimatland. After becoming the anthem of East Prussia, it's original name of Ostpreußenland, was changed to Ostpreußenlied.
After the exile of Germans from East Prussia in 1945, one more stanza started to appear; however it was not made by Hannighofer, for he had already went missing by the 1st of January of the same year.

## Lyrics

| | German original | English translation |
| 1. | Land der dunklen Wälder Und kristall'nen Seen, über weite Felder Lichte Wunder geh'n | Land of Somber forests And crystal-clear lakes Across wide-open plains Vivid wonders occur. |
| 2. | Starke Bauern schreiten Hinter Pferd und Pflug, über Ackerbreiten Streift der Vogelzug. | Strong plowmen are striding Behind steed and plow. All across the farmland The migratory birds fly. |
| 3. | Und die Meere rauschen Den choral der Zeit Elche steh'n und lauschen In Die Ewigkeit. | And the Seas are roaring The choral of time, Elks stand and listen Into eternity. |
| 4. | Tag ist aufgegangen über Haff und Moor, Licht hat angefangen, Steigt im Ost empor. | The day has broken, Across lagoon and moor, The light has risen Rising in the east. |
| 5. | Heimat wohlgeborgen zwischen Strand und Strom, blühe heut' und morgen unterm Friedensdom. | Home safe and sound, Between beach and stream, Bloom today and tomorrow Under the dome of peace. |
Sometimes, the third and fourth verses are swapped from the order of 3-4, to the order of 4-3. 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.
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):
| | Original Version | Twānkstas Prūsa | English translation |
| 1. | Timran meddin tāuta Eīskun azzaran Kīrša plattun laūkan Swāiksti Pāitaran. | Timran meddjan tāuta Eīskun azzaran Kīrsa plattun laūkan Swāiksti pāitaran. | Land of dark forests Clear lakes Across broad fields Pleiades shines. |
| 2. | Kīrša pelkins, teīnan Austrā jāu etskīt Tīt pagaūne dēinan Skīstan swāikstan, tīt. | Kīrsa pelkins, teīnan Āustra jāu etskīt Tēt pagaūnja dēinan Skīstan swāikstan, tēt. | Now, between the marshes Dawn has already risen Thus the day starts So purely, light (shines). |
| 3. | Treppa spārtai būrai, Pas plūgan dei ēit, Be en dāngu dūrai Pippelka jāu skreīt. | Treppa spārtai būrai, Pas plūgan dei ēit, Be en dāngu dūrai Pippelka jāu skreīt. | The farmers strongly step, After they plough their walk And in the cowardly forest Small birds already fly. |
| 4. | Jūris tenna grīmuns Iz deiwūtiskwan, Braīdis enklausīwuns Ēn prabūtiskwan. | Jūris tenna grēmuns Iz deiwūtiskwan, Braīdis enklausīwuns Ēn Prabūtiskwan. | The sea continues singing Out of bliss, Elks are (in) listening Into eternity. |

## Links

Ostpreußenlied on YouTube
Prūsas Grīma on YouTube