English Title: | German Austria, you wonderful country |
Prefix: | Former national |
Composer: | Wilhelm Kienzl |
Author: | Karl Renner |
Adopted: | 1920 |
Until: | 1929[1] |
Successor: | Sei gesegnet ohne Ende |
Sound: | Deutschösterreich, du herrliches Land.ogg |
Sound Title: | Digital insturmental version |
"" (German for "German Austria, you wonderful country") was the national anthem of Austria from 1920 to 1929. Although it was used as the national anthem, it did not enjoy any official status.
The text was written by Chancellor Karl Renner in 1920, while the melody was composed by Wilhelm Kienzl.
The Republic of German-Austria was formed in 1918 as the successor to the multinational Austro-Hungarian Empire in its predominantly German speaking part. The government and population was much in favour of a unification with Germany, the German nation-state that had been formed in 1871 but had excluded Austria. However, the victors of World War I demanded that Austria remained a separate country. In the Treaty of Versailles, there was a prohibition of unification. Under the provisions of the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1919), German Austria had to change its name to simply Austria.