Königgrätzer Marsch
Encyclopedia
The Königgrätzer Marsch (Armeemarschsammlung
II, 134 (Armeemarschsammlung II, 195)) is a famous German military march composed by Johann Gottfried Piefke
after the Battle of Königgrätz
, 1866, the decisive battle
of the Austro-Prussian War
, in which the Kingdom of Prussia
defeated the Austrian Empire
.
It was one of Adolf Hitler
's favorite marches and was often played during his public appearances. Despite the somewhat unfortunate connotations this has caused, the Königgrätzer March continues to be very popular and is a staple of any modern German military parade, whereas in Austria it is heard very rarely, for obvious reasons. Like many German marches it is also used by the Chilean Army
and the Russian Army
. The second half of the Königgrätzer is a rendition of Der Hohenfriedberger
.
Armeemarschsammlung
Armeemarschsammlung The Army March Collection, also known as the Prussian Army March Collection refers to the basic catalog of works of German military march music....
II, 134 (Armeemarschsammlung II, 195)) is a famous German military march composed by Johann Gottfried Piefke
Johann Gottfried Piefke
Johann Gottfried Piefke was a German conductor, Kapellmeister and composer of military music....
after the Battle of Königgrätz
Battle of Königgrätz
The Battle of Königgrätz , also known as the Battle of Sadowa, Sadová, or Hradec Králové, was the decisive battle of the Austro-Prussian War, in which the Kingdom of Prussia defeated the Austrian Empire...
, 1866, the decisive battle
Battle
Generally, a battle is a conceptual component in the hierarchy of combat in warfare between two or more armed forces, or combatants. In a battle, each combatant will seek to defeat the others, with defeat determined by the conditions of a military campaign...
of the Austro-Prussian War
Austro-Prussian War
The Austro-Prussian War was a war fought in 1866 between the German Confederation under the leadership of the Austrian Empire and its German allies on one side and the Kingdom of Prussia with its German allies and Italy on the...
, in which the Kingdom of Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
defeated the Austrian Empire
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
.
It was one of Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
's favorite marches and was often played during his public appearances. Despite the somewhat unfortunate connotations this has caused, the Königgrätzer March continues to be very popular and is a staple of any modern German military parade, whereas in Austria it is heard very rarely, for obvious reasons. Like many German marches it is also used by the Chilean Army
Chilean Army
The Chilean Army is the land arm of the Military of Chile. This 45,000-person army is organized into seven divisions, a special operations brigade and an air brigade....
and the Russian Army
Russian Ground Forces
The Russian Ground Forces are the land forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, formed from parts of the collapsing Soviet Army in 1992. The formation of these forces posed economic challenges after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and required reforms to professionalize the force...
. The second half of the Königgrätzer is a rendition of Der Hohenfriedberger
Der Hohenfriedberger
The Hohenfriedberger , also called Hohenfriedberger March, is one of the best known German military marches...
.
Trivia
- The "Königgrätzer Marsch" is heard at the beginning of the massive revue parade in Leni RiefenstahlLeni RiefenstahlHelene Bertha Amalie "Leni" Riefenstahl was a German film director, actress and dancer widely noted for her aesthetics and innovations as a filmmaker. Her most famous film was Triumph des Willens , a propaganda film made at the 1934 Nuremberg congress of the Nazi Party...
's Nuremberg RallyNuremberg RallyThe Nuremberg Rally was the annual rally of the NSDAP in Germany, held from 1923 to 1938. Especially after Hitler's rise to power in 1933, they were large Nazi propaganda events...
film Triumph of the WillTriumph of the WillTriumph of the Will is a propaganda film made by Leni Riefenstahl. It chronicles the 1934 Nazi Party Congress in Nuremberg, which was attended by more than 700,000 Nazi supporters. The film contains excerpts from speeches given by various Nazi leaders at the Congress, including portions of...
when Viktor LutzeViktor LutzeViktor Lutze was the commander of the Sturmabteilung succeeding Ernst Röhm as Stabschef.-Early life:...
leads SASturmabteilungThe Sturmabteilung functioned as a paramilitary organization of the National Socialist German Workers' Party . It played a key role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s...
honor guards in their march past.
- "Königgrätzer Marsch" can be heard playing during the book burningBook burningBook burning, biblioclasm or libricide is the practice of destroying, often ceremoniously, books or other written material and media. In modern times, other forms of media, such as phonograph records, video tapes, and CDs have also been ceremoniously burned, torched, or shredded...
scene in the film Indiana Jones and the Last CrusadeIndiana Jones and the Last CrusadeIndiana Jones and the Last Crusade is a 1989 American adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, from a story co-written by executive producer George Lucas. It is the third film in the Indiana Jones franchise. Harrison Ford reprises the title role and Sean Connery plays Indiana's father, Henry...
.
- In Call of Duty: World at WarCall of Duty: World at WarCall of Duty: World at War is a first-person shooter video game developed by Treyarch and published by Activision for PC, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360. It is generally considered to be the fifth mainstream game of the Call of Duty series and returns the setting to World War II. The game was...
's multiplayer, if the WehrmachtWehrmachtThe Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
faction wins, "Königgrätzer Marsch" plays. Also, in the penultimate mission of the game's campaign mode, the song can be heard in and outside the Reichstag. It can also be heard in the minigame Nazi Zombies on the map Nacht Der Untoten.
- Before the Source release of Day of DefeatDay of DefeatDay of Defeat is a team-based multiplayer World War II first-person shooter video game of the European Theatre of World War II. As of 2008, the game is one of the ten most played Half-Life modifications in terms of players, according to GameSpy....
, the "Königgrätzer Marsch" played if the WehrmachtWehrmachtThe Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
faction won.