Wild Geese (song)
Wildgänse rauschen durch die Nacht ("Wild geese rush through the night") is a war poem by Walter Flex. It was published in 1917 in his poem book Im Felde zwischen Nacht und Tag ("In the (battle) field between day and night"). The poem was also included in his 1916 novel Der Wanderer zwischen beiden Welten ("The Wanderer Between Two Worlds"). The lyrics achieved popularity through a musical adaptation written by Robert Götz. Götz's melody existed as early as 1916 but Wild Geese was widely sung by members of the Wandervogel movement / Bündische Jugend society during  the late 1920s. It is also sung in the Austrian, German and French army. Creation. The date of creation of the lyrics are unknown. The inspiration for the poem is described in his memoirs "The Wanderer Between Two Worlds": "The Wanderer Between Two Worlds" achieved great popularity in Germany. After participating in the Lake Naroch Offensive Flex returned to Berlin to write a series of reports on the offensive, which was published posthumously in 1919 as "Die russische Frühjahrsoffensive 1916" (The Russian Spring Offensive of 1916). He died on October 17, 1917 from wounds sustained during Operation Albion. Wild Geese