The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-09-04
Watch on the Rhine-Death OF the
Autfsor-Sketch OF His Lie.


the death. at Schmalkalden. OF Carl WIZ
helm. whose name will go down to posterity
&C the composer of the music of DIE Wdcht
IN, Rheia. the grand national anthem when
Mayed sueh a conspicuous part in the recent
str;,og,c between Germany and France, and
which. Prince Bismarck Is reported TO nave
said aided the Germans in the late war more
than welI.cuuipped army of one hundred
thousand men.
he was born at Schmalkalden, in Thurln-
rio. in 1915. From his father, who was an
oreanist by profession, he received his hrsf
instruction in music, his studies being con-
timred at Cassel in the years 1895 under
Halloween and Bot, and also under the
celebrated maestro, L. Spohr. lie further
devoted himself to the study Of bis art at
Frankfort oretbe- Main under Alloys Schmidt.
an admirable master Of the plano-forte, ana
at Ofenbach under Herr A. Andre, as
teacher of counterpart. In 1871 he began
life as a teacher of music at Crefeld, where
his talcnts were fully appreciated, aud where
he was soon elected director OF the Singac'
demie for mixed chorus and OF the Lleder.
tatel. nv bis exertiens the latter society
was raised to degree Of excellence equal
ing that of any other in Germany.
For twenty-four years Wilhelm taught
music at Crefeld, and during this period ne
published about one hundred compositions
nearly all for the piano-forte, and many OF
which have enjoyed great popularity. Con
tinucd ill-hcalth enforced retirement from
his duties as teacher and director, ana
finally. in 1865, he was obliged to return TO
his native town, where he continued to re-
side IN TO the time of his death. After his
retirement he produced but one noteworthy
composition, magnificent chorus for male
voices. entitled IFache duf, Deutschland
wake up. Germany, which has for its re-
fraiu the characteristic line Not foots
breadth of German soil shall ever become
French. +"
The Watch on the Rhine was composed by
Wilhelm in the year 1854. The authorship
of the words for some time after the oat
break of the recent war was in dispute, but
it was eventually proved satisfactorily thai
they were written by Max SchneckenburSer,
prosperous merchant Of Burgdorf, who wa:
born ut Thalheim, Wurtemberg, in 1878, and
died in 1S49, several years before they were
set to the stirring strains of Wilhelm. Thu
Watch on the Rhine soon attained genera
popularity, and us long ago Is 1860 1t wa:
said not only to have made the round OF LAND
and sea, but to have become regularly
established as a national song of Germany.
1t was not, however, until the ex-EmperoI
Napoleon made his reckless assault upon the
| nationality and unity Of Germany that The
| Watch on the Rhine was taken up by the
| whole FatherIand, and reCchOed through the
faireSt portions of France by her armies, un'
til it had almost supplanted What IS the Ger
mans Fdtterldnd j.? and I am a Prusstan.
The popularity of the struggle into which
| Germany was drawn by the urprovoked as
| sault of France gave singular significance
| to the words of the song, and contributed to
its surprising popularity both at home and
in the field. Peculiarly appropriate to the
| great issue ut stake as it was. Prince Bis
| lnarck did not eXaggerate its influence upon
the spirit and endurance of the army in the
words referred to above.
Wilhelm lived long enough to reap full
| measure of reward for his inspiring and pa.
triotic strains. His name was on the lips of
every son of the Fatherland. Queen Augusta
caused Il medal in his homer TO be struck and
presented to him. and on the occasion Ola visit
which he made to Berlin in December, 1870,
he was the recipient Of Il great ovation, in
which all the choristers of the PruSSlan cap
itaI joined.