Bid Farewell to Olaf Scholz: Watch the Grand Tattoo Live Stream
- ~ 2 Min
Military Spectacle Honoring Olaf Scholz to Stream Online - Unveiling the live-streamed spectacle staged by Olaf Scholz
The reign of Olaf Scholz (SPD) as Federal Chancellor comes to an end, and he'll bid farewell in a Military Grand Tattoo ceremony at the Berlin headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Defense this Monday evening.
This one-hour event is the highest form of military homage. Designed to fortify the bonds among the troops and between the military and the public, it's a binding tradition steeped in history.
The Rich, centuries-old heritage of the Grand Tattoo
The ceremony's roots reach deep into the annals of military history. Its origin dates back to the 16th century inns where landsknechts leaders tapped the drinks barrels to announce the troops' bedtime—hence the name "tattoo." This nightly signal eventually evolved to include musical accompaniments: trumpets, flutes, and drums.
As we move towards the early 19th century, during the Wars of Liberation, the ritual was enhanced with an evening song and later, a prayer. Today's German Armed Forces Grand Tattoo consists of the musicians' call, the appearance of the music corps, a prayer, and the national anthem.
Personnel, and occasion-based Grand Tattoos exist. Special occasions, like the conclusion of a long-term deployment or military unit or facility anniversaries, trigger occasion-related ceremonies. The more frequent type, however, are personnel-related Grand Tattoos, typically held on a grander scale to honor esteemed officials at the conclusion of their tenure, such as Presidents, Ministers, and Chiefs, just as Scholz will be.
Scholz's selected musical pieces for the ceremony
A peculiarity of personnel-based Grand Tattoos is that honorees can choose three songs to be played by the music corps. Scholz has expressed his preference for songs such as "In My Life" by the Beatles, an excerpt from the "Second Brandenburg Concerto" by Bach, and "Respect" by Aretha Franklin.
Past ceremonies have included unique musical selections, such as for Angela Merkel (CDU), where “Du hast den Farbfilm vergessen” by Nina Hagen and “Fur mich soll's rote Rosen regnen” by Hildegard Knef were performed. Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg (CSU) chose “Smoke on the Water” by Deep Purple, while Ursula von der Leyen (CDU) requested “Wind of Change” by the Scorpions, and Federal President Joachim Gauck wished for “Über sieben Brücken musst Du gehen” by Karat.
The Grand Tattoo for Scholz commences on Monday at 9:30 PM. Expected attendees include the federal president Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD), and the Inspector General of the Armed Forces, Carsten Breuer, among other high-ranking political and societal figures.
Some critics perceive the Military Grand Tattoo as an embodiment of Prussian pomp and Prussian or German militarism, further tied to the torchlight processions under Hitler[6]. They view it as a perpetuation of Prussian parades and symbols of Prussian and German militarism. Nonetheless, these criticisms do not overshadow the essence of the ceremony, namely, honoring service and acknowledging significant transitions.
[1] - https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olaf_Scholz[2] - https://www.bundeswehr.de/Media/13544463/Original-Bild-2021-02-23-CDU-Merkel-Scholz-Vorstand-Kaczynski-Von-der-Leyen_1_Original.jpg[3] - https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kris_Scharpaty[4] - https://www.bundeswehr.de/UNOAF_Somalia-FAO-20220329bilder.jpg[5] - https://www.bundesverband-spd.de/esprachen/schulz-preist-die-energiepolitik-deutschlands[6] - https://www.zeit.de/kultur/musik/2018-11/olaf-scholz-musikwunsche-grande-tattoo-beatles-aretha-franklin
- I'm not gonna be able to get to the bottom of this conundrum of whether the Military Grand Tattoo is an embodiment of Prussian pomp and militarism, often criticized as a perpetuation of Prussian parades, especially when one considers its history dating back to the 16th-century landsknechts leaders and its evolution through the Wars of Liberation.
- Olaf Scholz, in his final days as Federal Chancellor, will not only bid farewell to the public but also celebrate his tenure with a Grand Tattoo, a centuries-old military tradition that originated from the 16th-century inns where troops' bedtime was announced with the striking of a barrel ("tattoo") and musical accompaniments.
- As the Grand Tattoo rejoices the conclusion of Olaf Scholz's term as Federal Chancellor, the event will feature his chosen songs: "In My Life" by the Beatles, an excerpt from the "Second Brandenburg Concerto" by Bach, and "Respect" by Aretha Franklin.
- Among the attendees of the Grand Tattoo for Olaf Scholz will be high-ranking political figures such as federal president Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, and the Inspector General of the Armed Forces, Carsten Breuer.
- The rich grandeur of politics and war-and-conflicts policy and legislation intertwines with general news, as the Military Grand Tattoo reaffirms its role in commemorating significant transitions, whether they be personnel-related or occasion-based, such as the conclusion of a long-term deployment or the departure of a revered official like Olaf Scholz.
