Großer Zapfenstreich
Encyclopedia
Ceremony
A ceremony is an event of ritual significance, performed on a special occasion. The word may be of Etruscan origin.-Ceremonial occasions:A ceremony may mark a rite of passage in a human life, marking the significance of, for example:* birth...
performed in Germany and Austria. It is similar to the military tattoo
Military tattoo
The original meaning of military tattoo is a military drum performance, but nowadays it sometimes means army displays more generally.It dates from the 17th century when the British Army was fighting in the Low Countries...
ceremony carried out in English-speaking countries, and is the most important ceremonial act executed by the German federal armed forces, the Bundeswehr
Bundeswehr
The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...
. The Zapfenstreich is performed only on the occasion of national celebrations and solemn public ceremonies, or to honour distinguished persons at such special events as the leave-taking ceremony for German presidents; also at the conclusion of large military exercises. It takes place in the evening hours and consists of a military formation including at least one military band, two platoon
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
s of armed infantrymen and two lines of soldiers carrying torches, all in all about 400 men.
History
The Zapfenstreich originated in the military as a sign of the end of daily activities in both field and garrison. The term was mentioned for the first time in 1596. The Saxon major Hans von Fleming described this military custom for the first time in detail in his book The Perfect German Soldier (1726). The Zapfenstreich was a trumpet signal to end the selling of liquor in the military quarters and to prepare for lights out. To underline that order, the sergeant majorSergeant Major
Sergeants major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. In Commonwealth countries, Sergeants Major are usually appointments held by senior non-commissioned officers or warrant officers...
walked across the military camp and hit the taps of the casks with a stick ( is an old German word for "to hit"). In 1813 the Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n king Friedrich Wilhelm III witnessed the evening ceremony of the Russian army after the battle of Großgörschen
Großgörschen
Großgörschen is a village and a former municipality in the Burgenlandkreis district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the town Lützen....
near Berlin. He was deeply impressed of the religious parts of the ceremony, especially of a choral version of the Lord's Prayer. As a reaction the king ordered a similar religious act to become part of the Prussian Zapfenstreich. About 20 years later, in 1838, the Zapfenstreich in its current appearance was designed by the Prussian music director Wilhelm Wieprecht, when he arranged a so called "monstre concert" for the Prussian king and his guest, the tsar
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
of Russia, in Potsdam
Potsdam
Potsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. It is situated on the River Havel, southwest of Berlin city centre....
. Over 1,000 musicians performed the Prussian tattoo signals, a new composed tattoo march and the choral "Ich bete an die Macht der Liebe" ("I pray to the power of love"), which was composed by the Russian musician Dmytro Bortniansky
Dmytro Bortniansky
Dmitry Stepanovich Bortniansky was a Russian composer of Ukrainian origin; his father however had been born in thePolish village of Bartne, and was of Lemkos stock.....
, while the text was written by Gerhard Tersteegen
Gerhard Tersteegen
Gerhard Tersteegen , was a German Reformed religious writer, born at Moers, at that time the capital of a countship belonging to the house of Orange-Nassau , which formed a Protestant enclave in the midst of a Roman Catholic country.After being educated at the gymnasium of his native town,...
. Later on, after the founding of the German Reich in 1871, the emperor's hymn Heil Dir im Siegerkranz
Heil dir im Siegerkranz
"Heil dir im Siegerkranz" was from 1871 to 1918 the unofficial national anthem of the German Empire. Previously, it had been the anthem of Prussia, the melody of the hymn derived from the British anthem "God Save the Queen". For these reasons, the song failed to become popular within all of Germany...
became part of the Zapfenstreich, but was only played when the emperor was present during the ceremony. After World War I the new national anthem, the "Deutschlandlied" by Hoffmann von Fallersleben, replaced the old imperial hymn in 1922.
The word Zapfenstreich ("strike the tap") is similar to the Dutch "tap toe", from which the English word tattoo comes. Like the tattoo military ceremony, it is based around retiring from the day's work.
The Großer Zapfenstreich in its current form originated in the first half of the 19th century during the reign of Prussian king Frederick William III. It featured troops presenting arms, a prayer and a military song. During the wars of liberation the expansion of the tap caper, as arranged 1813, followed thereby the example of Russia, Austria and Sweden.
The form of the Großer Zapfenstreich changed several times, but was arranged by the Friedrich Wilhelm Wieprecht, then director of music of the music corps of the Prussian Guard Corps. It was first performed on 12 May 1838 in Berlin in honour of the Russian Czar Nicholas I
Nicholas I of Russia
Nicholas I , was the Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855, known as one of the most reactionary of the Russian monarchs. On the eve of his death, the Russian Empire reached its historical zenith spanning over 20 million square kilometers...
. After the Prussian victory against France
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
in 1871, a band arrangement of a Russian Orthodox hymn was added as a prayer. Since 1922, a rendition of the national anthem "Deutschlandlied" has taken place at the conclusion of the ceremony. When foreign heads of state or military units are guests, their respective national anthems are played.
The German Democratic Republic
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
reinstated the Großer Zapfenstreich in 1962 in an updated version, supplementing the traditional German ceremony with music based on "elements of the progressive military inheritance" including the song "For the Peace of the World" by Soviet composer Dmitri Shostakovich
Dmitri Shostakovich
Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich was a Soviet Russian composer and one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th century....
and a medley of songs and marches drawn from the German and international working-class movements. The hymn was replaced by a Russian funeral march honoring the martyrs of the Russian and German revolutions. The GDR national anthem, of course, replaced the Deutschlandlied. Other elements of the traditional Prussian ceremony—especially the torchlight procession, flourishes, and the Zapfenstreich March—were retained. The additions were an opening fanfare, inspection report of the unit commander, with the unit at present arms and eyes right, the presentation of the National People's Army Color by the unit color party, two fanfare calls by the fanfare section and kettle drummers and the parade march past after the reformation of the torchbearers.
Composition of the Military Grand Tattoo
West Germany/Germany(1952-53-present)- Military bandMilitary bandA military band originally was a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind and percussion instruments. The conductor of a band commonly bears the title of Bandmaster or Director of Music...
(with 4 fanfare trumpeters and timpaniTimpaniTimpani, or kettledrums, are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum, they consist of a skin called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper. They are played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick called a timpani stick or timpani mallet...
) - Corps of DrumsCorps of DrumsA Corps of Drums is a type of military band, which originated in European armies in the 16th century. The main instruments of a Corps of Drums are the drum and the flute or fife. Unlike 'full' military marching bands, Corps of Drums exist within an infantry battalion. A Drum major is the leader of...
- Two escort companies of the BundeswehrBundeswehrThe Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...
/Federal Defense Ministry (Germany) WachbataillonWachbataillonThe Wachbataillon is the German Bundeswehr's elite drill unit. The Wachbataillon is the largest battalion of the German forces with about 1,800 soldiers, split in two garrisons in Berlin and Siegburg... - Torchbearers
East Germany (1962–89)
- Military band (with fanfare section and 2 Timpani)
- Corps of Drums
- Combined Ceremonial Escort Battalion of the National People's ArmyNational People's ArmyThe National People’s Army were the armed forces of the German Democratic Republic .The NVA was established in 1956 and disestablished in 1990. There were frequent reports of East German advisors with Communist African countries during the Cold War...
- Color guardColor guardIn the military of the United States and other militaries, the color guard carries the National Color and other flags appropriate to its position in the chain of command. Typically these include a unit flag and a departmental flag...
of the NVA CCEB - Torchbearers
Performance
The Großer Zapfenstreich consists of four components:- Marching-up of the formation, the military band is playing the Yorckscher MarschYorckscher MarschThe March for Military Band No. 1 in F major, WoO 18, was written by Ludwig van Beethoven in 1808 or 1809 as a march Für die Böhmische Landwehr...
by Ludwig van BeethovenLudwig van BeethovenLudwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of... - Forming up and dressing the formation, post march of the torchbearers
- Report of the commanding officer formally opening the ceremony
- "Serenade": up to four songs which are chosen by the honoured person (in case of the Zapfenstreich performed at a dismissal), otherwise chosen by the acting military band
- Großer Zapfenstreich:
- Locken zum Zapfenstreich (Announcing the tattoo) by the drummers and fifers
- Preußischer Zapfenstreichmarsch (Prussian Tattoo March) by the band
- Retraite mit drei Posten (Retraite with three posts, i.e. traditional old cavalryCavalryCavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
signals) by the band - Ruf zum Gebet (Calling to prayer) by the drummers and fifers
- Gebet: "Ich bete an die Macht der Liebe" ("Kol Slaven" by Dmytro BortnianskyDmytro BortnianskyDmitry Stepanovich Bortniansky was a Russian composer of Ukrainian origin; his father however had been born in thePolish village of Bartne, and was of Lemkos stock.....
) by the band - Ruf nach dem Gebet (Call after the prayer) by the drummers and fifers and the band
- National anthem of Germany by the band
- Report for conclusion of the ceremony, return post march of the torchbearers
- Reformation into parade order
- Marching out of the formation, the military band is playing the Prussian Tattoo March again
The Großer Zapfenstreich is the highest honor that the German Federal Armed Forces can render to a civilian. Two of the most impressive "Große Zapfenstreiche" were those to farewell the allied troops in Berlin in 1994 and on the occasion of the departure from office of the German chancellor Helmut Kohl
Helmut Kohl
Helmut Josef Michael Kohl is a German conservative politician and statesman. He was Chancellor of Germany from 1982 to 1998 and the chairman of the Christian Democratic Union from 1973 to 1998...
in Speyer
Speyer
Speyer is a city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located beside the river Rhine, Speyer is 25 km south of Ludwigshafen and Mannheim. Founded by the Romans, it is one of Germany's oldest cities...
in 1998.
People who are entitled to be honoured with a "Großer Zapfenstreich" are:
- The PresidentPresident of GermanyThe President of the Federal Republic of Germany is the country's head of state. His official title in German is Bundespräsident . Germany has a parliamentary system of government and so the position of President is largely ceremonial...
of GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... - The Chancellor of Germany
- The Minister of DefenceFederal Ministry of Defence (Germany)The Federal Ministry of Defence is a top-level federal agency, headed by the Federal Minister of Defence as a member of the Cabinet of Germany...
of Germany - GeneralsGeneral (Germany)General is presently the highest rank of the German Army and Luftwaffe . It is the equivalent to the rank of Admiral in the German Navy .-Early history:...
and Lieutenant GeneralLieutenant GeneralLieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
s (AdmiralsAdmiral (Germany)Admiral is a rank of the German Navy that first appeared in the 19th century and was expanded in the early 20th century as part of a build-up and mobilization in preparation for the First World War. The rank again saw a resurgence during the Second World War...
and Vice AdmiralVice AdmiralVice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
s) of the BundeswehrBundeswehrThe Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities... - Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR)Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers EuropeSupreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe is the central command of NATO military forces. It is located at Casteau, north of the Belgian city of Mons...
Participants in the Großer Zapfenstreich involve at least a military band with an additional fifes and drums corps, two escort platoons, and an honor formation of torch carriers.
There may be regional variations. For example, the performance of the "Großer Zapfenstreich" in Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
differs slightly from the one above: instead of the "Prussian Tattoo March" the "Bavarian Tattoo March" is played, and instead of the "Gebet: Ich bete an die Macht der Liebe" the "Bavarian Military Prayer" by Johann Caspar Aiblinger
Johann Caspar Aiblinger
Johann Caspar Aiblinger was a German composer.Aiblinger was born in Wasserburg am Inn, Bavaria. In his eleventh year he commenced his studies at Tegernsee Abbey, where he was instructed in piano and organ-playing...
is played. The Saxon variant march, the "Saxon Tattoo March" is played when a Grand Tattoo is held in Saxony.
Criticism
There have been calls for the abolition of the Großer Zapfenstreich. The well-known politician Hans Koschnick of the Social Democratic PartySocial Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
labelled it "predemocratic" and "obsolete". In 1996, the Party of Democratic Socialism and the Green Party
Alliance '90/The Greens
Alliance '90/The Greens is a green political party in Germany, formed from the merger of the German Green Party and Alliance 90 in 1993. Its leaders are Claudia Roth and Cem Özdemir...
unsuccessfully motioned for the ceremony, or at least the prayer, to be abolished.
Adaptation on Civil events and occasions
The Grosser Zapfenstreich is also performed on civil occasions, or else called for by event organizers. The difference is that civilian Marching bandMarching band
Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
s and civilian Corps of Drums
Corps of Drums
A Corps of Drums is a type of military band, which originated in European armies in the 16th century. The main instruments of a Corps of Drums are the drum and the flute or fife. Unlike 'full' military marching bands, Corps of Drums exist within an infantry battalion. A Drum major is the leader of...
are separated but play together during the ceremony. Fanfare band
Fanfare band
Fanfare Bands, Fanfare Corps, Fanfare Battery or Trumpet and Drum Bands are the Marching bands composed of percussion instruments, Natural horns and Fanfare trumpets which are common in Germany and France...
s (the German Fanfarenzug and Fanfarenkorps) are optional participants of the ceremony. They also have torchbearer formations, just like in the military version.
Some ceremonies call for armed civilian companies while others opt for unarmed escorts. Special uniforms are worn by the civilian escort companies for the ceremony. In some towns and cities, colors guards are also a part of the ceremony, with the Flag of Germany and the Flag of Europe as first in precedence among all the flags.
Composition of the Civilian Grand Tattoo
- Military band/Marching band (with timpani and optional fanfare trumpeters)
- Corps of Drums
- Fanfare bandFanfare bandFanfare Bands, Fanfare Corps, Fanfare Battery or Trumpet and Drum Bands are the Marching bands composed of percussion instruments, Natural horns and Fanfare trumpets which are common in Germany and France...
- Civilian Escort Company/Battalion/Brigade (armed or unarmed)
- Color/Colors Guards
- Torchbearers