Bayernhymne

The "**Hymn of Bavaria**" is the regional anthem of the Free State of Bavaria in southern Germany. The music was composed by Max Kunz in 1835, and the lyrics to the original first three stanzas were written by Michael Öchsner. They were both members of the Bürger-Sänger-Zunft München that first performed the song on 15 December 1860.

## History

In 1946, 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 "*Deutsche Erde" ('German soil') in the first stanza with "*Heimaterde*" ('native soil') instead. That same year, it was also officially recognised as the national anthem of Bavaria.*

In 1966, the then PM 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, e.g. it was sung during the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to his native Bavaria in 2006, who also joined in singing this version.

## Lyrics

### German original

Gott mit dir, du Land der Bayern,
Deutsche Erde, Vaterland!
Über deinen weiten Gauen
Ruhe seine Segenshand!
Er behüte deine Fluren,
Schirme deiner Städte Bau
Und erhalte dir die Farben
Seines Himmels - Weiß und Blau!

Gott mit uns, dem Bayernvolke,
Dass wir, unsrer Väter wert,
Fest in Eintracht und in Frieden
Bauen unsres Glückes Herd!
Dass mit Deutschlands Bruderstämmen
Einig uns der Gegner schau'
Und den alten Ruhm bewähre
Unser Banner - Weiß und Blau!

Gott mit ihm, dem Bayernkönig,
Segen über sein Geschlecht!
Denn mit seinem Volk im Frieden
Wahrt er dessen heilig Recht.
Gott mit ihm, dem Landesvater!
Gott mit uns in jedem Gau!
Gott mit Dir, du Land der Bayern,
Deutsche Heimat - Weiß und Blau!

Готт мит дир, ду ланд дер Баерн,
Дойче эрде, фатерланд!
Ибер дайнен вайтен гауен
Руэ зайне зегенсханд!
Эр бехюте дайне флурен,
Ширме дайнер штедте бау
Унд эрхальте дир ди фарбен
Зайнес химмельс - вайс унд блау!

Готт мит унс, дем Баернфольке,
Дас вир, унзрер фетер верт,
Фест ин айнтрахт унд ин фриден
Бауен унзрес глюккес херд!
Дас мит Дойчландс брудерштеммен
Айниг унс дер гегнер шау’
Унд ден альтен рум бевере
Унзен баннер - вайс унд блау!

Готт мит им, дем Баернкёниг,
Зеген ибер зайн гешлехт!
Денн мит зайнем фольк ии фриден
Варт эр десен хайлиг рехт.
Готт мит им, дем ландесфатер!
Готт мит унс ин едем гау!
Готт мит дир, ду ланд дер Баерн,
Дойче Хаймат - вайс унд блау!

### English translation

God be with you, you land of Bavaria,

German soil, fatherland!

Over your wide Gaun

Rest his blessing hand!

He guards your fields

Shields of your cities construction

And get the colors

His sky - white and blue!

God be with us, the people of Bavaria,

that we, worthy of our fathers,

Feast in unity and in peace

build our hearth of happiness!

That with Germany's brother tribes

Agree us the opponent look

And preserve the old glory

Our banner - white and blue!

God be with him, the Bavarian king,

Blessings on his sex!

For with his people at peace

Does he uphold his sacred right.

God be with him, the father of the land!

God be with us in every Gau!

God be with you, you land of Bavaria,

German home - white and blue!