Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit

Lore & Background

The phrase originates from the poem 'Das Lied der Deutschen' written by August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben in 1841. In the third stanza, Hoffmann expressed his desire for a united and free Germany where the rule of law, not arbitrary monarchy, would prevail. Since the Reunification of Germany in 1991, only the third stanza has been reconfirmed as the national anthem.

In Their Own Story

The rain fell softly on the old concrete stands of Berlin in the summer of 1990, but the air was thick with anticipation rather than gloom. As the team emerged from the tunnel to face a world that had watched them closely since reunification, a hush fell over the crowd before erupting into a chant that wasn't about goals or glory, but about who they were together. In that moment, the boundary between East and West vanished; the only thing that mattered was the shared rhythm of "Einigkeit," the collective hope for "Recht" on the pitch, and the "Freiheit" to dream of a golden future.

Reader's Guide

The phrase 'Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit' is the unofficial national motto of Germany. It appears on modern German Army belt buckles and the rims of some German coins. The flag associated with the anthem is black-red-gold, not black-white-red.

Did You Know?

• The phrase is from the third stanza of the 'Deutschlandlied', which is the only stanza used as the modern German national anthem.
• It is inscribed on modern German Army belt buckles and the rims of some German coins.
• The music for the anthem was composed by Joseph Haydn in 1797, originally for the Austrian emperor.