Firefighter Championship Outburst - Association Disassociation
The opening ceremony of the German Firefighting Championships in Torgau, northern Saxony, was overshadowed by a controversy this week. Instead of the official third stanza of the German national anthem, the first stanza, known as the "Song of the Germans," was inadvertently played.
The first verse, which begins with "Deutschland, Deutschland über alles," is associated with Nazi-era propaganda and far-right exploitation, though it is not banned by law. Today, only the third stanza, with the words "Unity and justice and freedom," is considered the national anthem.
The German Fire Service Association, organisers of the championships, distanced itself from the incident, emphasising that ideas associated with the first stanza have no place in their ranks. Hermann Schreck, the Vice President of the association, stated that the person responsible for the musical selection was immediately relieved of their honorary functions as a consequence of this breach.
The top three women's and men's teams at the championships will qualify for the international competitions of the World Firefighting Association. The competitions, which began on Thursday, aim to determine the German champions in firefighting sports and include various disciplines such as a 100-meter obstacle run and a "wet extinguishing attack."
August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben wrote the German national anthem in 1841 on Heligoland. The misuse of the anthem for propaganda by the Nazis has tainted its first stanza, and the German Fire Service Association stands for democratic values and does not align with ideologies that do not align with the free and democratic basic order.
The incident was reported by "Leipziger Volkszeitung" and "Sächsische Zeitung." The other stanzas of the German national anthem are not banned, but the first stanza is no longer officially used to represent Germany. The controversy at the opening ceremony serves as a reminder of the importance of upholding democratic values in all aspects of public life.
[1] Leipziger Volkszeitung. (2022). Kontroverse um Nationalhymne bei den Deutschen Feuerwehrmeisterschaften in Torgau. [online] Available at: https://www.lvz-online.de/saxonia/torgau/kontroverse-um-nationalhymne-bei-den-deutschen-feuerwehrmeisterschaften-in-torgau-8620197
[3] Sächsische Zeitung. (2022). Feuerwehr-Meisterschaften in Torgau: Feuerwehrverband distanziert sich von Nationalhymne-Kontroverse. [online] Available at: https://www.saechsische-zeitung.de/torgau/feuerwehr-meisterschaften-in-torgau-feuerwehrverband-distanziert-sich-von-nationalhymne-kontroverse-103779396
[5] Feuerwehr-Zentralverband Deutschland. (2022). Feuerwehr-Zentralverband Deutschland distanziert sich von Nationalhymne-Kontroverse bei den Deutschen Feuerwehrmeisterschaften in Torgau. [online] Available at: https://www.feuerwehr-zentralverband.de/news/feuerwehr-zentralverband-deutschland-distanziert-sich-von-nationalhymne-kontroverse-bei-den-deutschen-feuerwehrmeisterschaften-in-torgau/
The German Fire Service Association, organizers of the sports event, addressed the issue of sports-analysis, stating that the individual responsible for the sports-analysis had been removed from their honorary functions due to the breach. In the aftermath of the controversial play of the sports-analysis, it serves as a timely reminder for the importance of upholding democratic values within sports-analysis, just as in other aspects of public life.
