"For Danzig" was the official municipal anthem of the Free City of Danzig, which was a city-state under the protection of the now-defunct League of Nations, between 1920 and 1939. (It is now the city of Gdańsk, Poland.) The lyrics were written by Paul Enderling, and the music was composed by Georg Göhler. After the invasion of Poland and the concurrent annexation of Danzig by Nazi Germany in 1939, "Deutschlandlied" was adopted as the official national anthem, along with the "Horst-Wessel-Lied".
Lyrics[]
German original[]
Kennst du die Stadt am Bernsteinstrand,
umgrünt von ew'ger Wälder Band,
wo schlanke Giebel streben
empor zum Sonnenschein!
Refrain I:
Ja, sollt' ich fröhlich leben,
in Danzig müßt es sein!
Kennst du die Stadt, wo Turm an Turm
in Treue trotzt dem Zeitensturm,
wo stolze Schiffe gleiten
ins blaue Meer hinein!
Refrain II:
Ja, sollt' ich tapfer streiten,
für Danzig müßt es sein!
Kennst du die Stadt, wo deutsche Art
voll Kraft und Mut ihr Gut bewahrt,
wo deutsch die Glocken werben
und deutsch ein jeder Stein!
Refrain III:
Ja sollt' ich selig sterben,
in Danzig müßt es sein!
Polish lyrics[]
First version[1] | Second version |
---|---|
Znasz-li ten gród nad bursztynowym brzegiem, |
Na bursztynowym brzegu gród, |
English translation[]
Do you know the city on the amber beach,
wreathed by everlasting green forests,
where slender gables stretch upwards
towards the sunshine!
Yes, I shall live merrily
it must be in Danzig!
Do you know the city, where tower at tower
loyally resists the storms of time
where proud ships glide
towards the blue sea!
Yes, I shall bravely fight
it must be for Danzig!
Do you know the city, where German kind
defends its wealth with might and main,
where in German the bells invite
and where German's every stone!
Yes, I shall blessedly die,
it must be in Danzig!