The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1898-09-07
THE WATCH ON THE RHINE
ORIGIN OF THE FAMOUS
WAR SONG.
The Words Were Written BY A
Swabian Merchant, the Music BY
An Obscure Composer.

dents of the Franco German war of
1870 will scarcely need 20 be re-
minded of the part which THE
Watch on the Rhine" played in
overturniug the Napoleonic dynasty
and placing the whole of France at
the feet of the King Of Prussia.
There is, however, no question of
the potent influence of this song on
the allied German troops. 1t was
to its martial air that the aged
King of Prussia rode forth to meet
and vanquish his foe, and it was
due to the patriotic spirit infused
by its chords in the sol Tiers that
the dream of Bismarck's life was
realized. While on one side of the
Rhine the Frenchmen were stimu-
lated to acts of heroism by Tine
Marseillaise," their enemies OH the
opposite bank of the stream oere
inspiring themselves for the strug-
gle with Scheckenburger's famous
song.
1t was written in 1870 by Max
Scheckenburger, quiet and OBJ
scure Swabian merchant WHO, as
far as'is known, never wrote, and
certainly never published any other
than this one song. As often happens
in great national movements
"The Watch on the Rhine" became
the war song of 1870 more by acct
dent than by merit. There exist
other German songs of the same
character which are undoubtedly
superior; but when the French
troops and citizens of Paris began
shouting in their martial frenzy
"a Berlin Berlin" a regiment
of Prussian soldiers took to singing
this song by way of retort to their
Wanting foes. UP to that time
Korner's "Schwertlied" had been
regarded as the chief patriotic song
of the Germans; but Scheckenburg-
er's verses Immediately caught
on, /" and were sung by the whole
Of the officers and men who march
ed to France under the banner OF
King William.
The honest Swabiah merchant
did not live to enjoy the fame
which the accident of war thrust
upon his song. He died in Berne
in I849; but his remains having
been taken back 10 his native place
Tutlingen, in Wurtemberg, a
handsome monument was, after the
close of the war, raised over his
grave, to honor the name and fame
of the homely poet.
The music of this song was the
composition of Carl Wilhelm, a
music teacher and conductor, who
was born at Schmalkalden on Sep
TENDER 5, 1915, and died in his ma.
tive town in 1875. The story Of
its origin as told by Carl Hauser
is curious and interesting. Will
helm was a thorough Bohemian,
and wrote some of his best compost
tons on lager beer tables, amid
fumes of tobacco smoke. He had
great difficulty in selling his COM
positions, even at the modest value
he set upon them, and when he did
make bargain the proceeds were
usually impounded by the publican
in settlement of the droughty
Carls beer score.
On one occasion in 1884 a friend
of Wilhelm, schoolmaster, asked
him to compose chorus foy his
pupils to sing on prize distribution
day. Wilhelm complied, the music
was produced, and the schoolmastei
wrote suitable words, appropriate
to the event. Later the school
master, recognizing the value of the
music, unscrupulously sold it tc
a music publisher, who found il
admirably adapted to Schecken-
burgers patriotic verses, and thus
"Wacht am Rein" became known
to the world. The berry good.
natured composer never derived
any advantage from his composition
until 1871, when, in acknowledg.
ment of the part his music had
played in the success Of the German
arms, he was granted an annua