German March songs

Here is now a selection of German folk and children songs about the month ‘March’.

These folk songs are sung at this time of year in German speaking kindergartens. They celebrate the change of season: the winter is going and the springtime is approaching. The farmer is getting his fields ready, the birds are returning and the flowers are blossoming.

However, we Germans also have songs written about the March revolution that took place in 1848. These songs are of political nature. Some became folk songs later on.

The Germans remember the March revolution in 1848 on the place of 18th March in Berlin close to the Brandenburg Gate.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platz_des_18._M%C3%A4rz

The 18th of March 1848 and the 18th of March 1990 were very important dates in Gesn history. You can find out when reading the info underneath this sign on the photo.

But here are now some explanations:

More about the March revolutions here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_revolutions_of_1848%E2%80%931849

The March revolutions also took place in Berlin in 1848.

https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A4rzrevolution_1848_in_Berlin

But the 18th of March is a historical date in Germany for another reason.

The German nations: former GDR and the FRG decided on the 18th of March 1990 to reunite.

In these elections, the East Germans could decide if they wanted the reunification with West Germany.

https://www.bpb.de/shop/zeitschriften/izpb/info-aktuell/195467/18-maerz-1990-erste-freie-volkskammerwahl/

But why is the third of October the Day of Renification.

The elections on the 18th of March 1990 were the prerequisite for the reunification. But the third of October 1990 was the official day when the former GDR and FRG were reunited. That is why we Germans celebrate this day as a national holiday every year.

So the month ‘March’ does not only bring the springtime but has brought political change and even uprising in German history.

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Our visit at Tempelhof Airport

We Germans are thankful to the servicemen  who sacrificed their lives for us.

Einfach ich - Just Me

My husband and I visited the Tempelhof Airport in Berlin in October 2021.

There is no air traffic at this airport anymore because the runway is too short for modern aeroplanes.

However, this airport was very important during the cold war.

The Western part of Berlin was cut off and the people in West Berlin were starving.

The Allied Forces decided to install an air bridge to feed the people trapped in this part of Berlin.

More here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Blockade

The pilotes flew in three flight corridors to speed up this process.

Unfortunately, not every aircraft landed safely. The Russians did not agree with this intervention and their aircraft flew into these flight corridors in order to stop the Allied Forces.

It came to some tragic accidents not only because of the Sowjet flight interventions but also due to the tight flight schedule. Every three minutes an aeroplane landed at Tempelhof…

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Now is the time to explore Germany

Recently, I went to Germany. With the 9 Euro ticket you can board all regional trains in June, July and August.

You find out more in these links:

https://www.bahn.com/en/offers/regional/9-euro-ticket-en

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.dw.com/en/everything-you-need-to-know-about-germanys-9-euro-ticket/a-61978439

I travelled through Germany to see my family. I went to Berlin, Cologne and Westphalia. On the way back to the UK I met another German lady who did the same.

It was a great opportunity.

Berlin station

I had a wonderful time. Now there are lifting most corona restrictions in Germany. However, you still have to wear a fpp2 face mask on public transport.

Germany has beautiful mountain tops in the South and the seaside in the North. You can see it all at your leisure.

German April song

Like the British, the Germans like to play tricks on the first of April.

Unlike other nations, Germans like to spread some fake news on this very day. These news are funny, abstruse and untrue.

Here are some examples:

The Big Ben will be digitalised. The Eiffel Tower will be dismantled.

We have a special term for it: Zeitungsente.

https://www.historia.net/de-de/geschenke-ratgeber/zeitung-vom-tag-der-geburt-verschenken/april-historische-aprilscherzen-zeitungsenten

We sing songs, we play tricks on teachers. And the weather is very unpredictable in April.

Photo by Bich Tran on Pexels.com

One famous song is the following. Listen in!

April, April, der weiß nicht, was er will.
Bald schaut der Himmel trübe drein,
bald Regen und bald Sonnenschein.
April, April, der weiß nicht, was er will.

April, April, der weiß nicht, was er will.
Am Monatsersten mancher Scherz
und gar die Lüge freut das Herz.
April, April, der weiß nicht, was er will.

Now my translation:

April, April, it does not know what it wants.
Soon the sky looks cloudy,
Soon rain and soon sunshine.
April, April, it does not know what it wants.

April, April, it does not know what it wants.
Some jokes on the first of month.
and even lies that gladden the heart.
April, April, it does not know what it wants.

Translation of books

Translating books into another language is a difficult endeavour. Translating songs is even more complex.

The translator has to keep in mind the stanza, the language spoken at this historic period and the syntax of the sentence.

I love Heinrich Heine’ s ‘Book of songs’ which is available on Amazon.

More about Heinrich Heine’s Book of Songs in this blog post.

https://worksheetsforyou.wordpress.com/2022/03/27/buch-der-lieder-heinrich-heine/

As mentioned in my previous blog post, lots of these texts were turned into songs.

Heinrich Heine was not a musician. But he wrote in rhymes and his poems were rhythmical. This facilitated the process of intonating his texts enormously.

Heinrich Heine was not very lucky in finding a suitable lover in his young adult years. This is reflected in the song above.

Translating means to know about the zeitgeist of the epoch. Otherwise its original meaning would be lost in translation.

Are you living in the UK and have a German mum?

Then I know the right present for her on Mother’s Day. This item is called a ‘Topflappen’ in German and it is mainly decorative.

my own creations

There are many more creations to choose from in my Online Shop. 

You can also make your own. You will find further instructions in my blog.

Remember that Mother’s Day in Germany and the U.S. will be in May and Mothering Sunday in the UK will be in March.

It is always good to say ‘Thank you’.

Of course, I designed my own cross cultural version. It is a pair of potholders with the ‘Bacon and Eggs” theme.

bacon and eggs potholders

I also designed floral versions. These potholders are ideal for someone who loves gardening.

Floral potholders.

If you wish to convey the message ‘I love you’ then go for the next option.

potholders with heart motive

The latter version can also be given to someone you love and who loves cooking.

In March is the beginning of spring and people in general rejoice.

The farmers plough the fields and many birds migrate back to Europe.

German folk song

A small present can make somebody happy.