The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-07-23
Die Wacht Am Rhein" Was Written
 By Poor Druggist

A poor apothecarv's clerk, who nv-- ed in obscurtty and died without dreaming of the pothumous honor that would attach to his name. was the author of the most popular Of German battle anthems Die Wacht am RhetT.'' Although not the off, cial national anthem of the German empire. Max Schneckenburg song enjoys a wider popularity among Teu- tons than any other, and it is the fa- vorite battle hymn of the Kaiserss troops today. "HeiI dir i'm Sieger- kranz;s which Frederick William II. made the Prussian national anthem 120 years ago, makes but a scant ap- peal to the German soldier as com pared. with Die Wacht am Rhein. ''ss
 This may be said to be the semi centenary of ttDie Waeht am Rhein'', as the real if unofficial national an them lof the Germans, for it was just fifty years ago today that the anthem leaped into popularity when sung By the League of German Singers at Dresden. Previous attempts to pop ularize the hymn had practically fail- eds but at Dresden it was greeted with uproarious# applause and from that city it spread through all the German states. The F'ranco-Pfussian war made it more popular than ever. for it became the marching song of the victorious Teuton troops, and since uho S4I pI9Q HUH 9IoIu SBq IT u9Q4 against all rivals.
 Not in the bitterest of Gerrnany,s enemies may deny the power and in spirationg and ringing appeal of Die Wacht am Rhein.' Max Schnecken- burger, who wrote the words, was a. native of TK1a1nei m, y Wurte n1berg. He wrote the poem in 1840, when he was working as an sapothecary' assistant in Berne, Switzerland At that time there was much talk of war between France and Prussia, and German song-writcrs were turning out an- Rhein" was lost in this mass of pa- triotie hymns and attracted little at tentions Schneck en burger was the author of many other poems, and these he published in book form t1 n11- der the title of German Songs" His masterpiece was included among these, bat the book had few readers and soon lapsed into obscurity, along with it's author.
 Schneckenburger died in 1s49. and his passing attracted no attention out side of the circle of his relatives and friends His book remained, how ever, and the beauty and power of tsDie Yacht am Rhein'' attracted the attention of Carl Wilhelm a composer of little note, who made a living as a Hedertafe1 leader. Wilhelm composed music for Schneckenburger song, and it was first performed in public in 1854, as a part of the musical pro gram of the celebration of the twenty fifth wedding anniversary of the Prussian Crown Prince,e afterward Emperor William L
 After this Die Wacht am Rhcin'' again lapsed into obscurity for a de- cade, only to be revived by the League of German Singers in Dresden in 1885, Carl Wilhelm, the composer of the music. died in 1873, shortly after fIe iTl1nef-i3l govern T11aT1 ha PranteO him a pension of 5000 marks per year. Wilhelm lived to- hear the song shouted by multitude of mar ching men. but poor schnecken- burger was denied all knowledge. of the greatness of his work.
 As battle hymn 'sDie Wacht am Rhein'' has no rival among national anthems, with the possible exception of '@Thc MarseiIlaise.' The stirring French hymn was written by Rouget de Lillie, French engineer officer. who cenposed it to cheer the con scripts at Strasburg in 1792,