Westpreußen, mein lieb' Heimatland, wie bist du wunderschön!
Mein ganzes Herz, dir zugewandt, soll preisend dich erhöh'n.
Im Weichselgau ich Hütten bau', wo Korn und Obst der Flur entsprießt,
wo Milch und Honig fließt.
O Land, durch deutsche Tüchtigkeit und deutschen Fleiß erblüht,
dir schwört mein Herz Ergebenheit und Treue mein Gemüt.
Durch deutsche Kraft und Wissenschaft sei deutsches Wesen, deutsche Art
dir allerzeit gewahrt.
Das Westpreußenlied was written in 1902, text by Paul Felske, music by Hugo Hartmann, who came from Marienberg/Malbork, near Elbing/Elblag. There's a clip of the 13th century castle in the clip. (see Hartmann's great grandnephew's site for more). It's like a window on a world that's completely disappeared. West Prussia is now part of Poland. English speakers might take task with the second verse about German Industry and Science, but 110 years ago Germany was an industrial and scientific power, just as Victorian/Edwardian Britain was. They're thinking of the shipyards of Danzig/Gdansk, the world's biggest cigar factory, farmers, workers, citizens. This was a more innocent form of national pride than we're used to today. The rivalry between Britain and Germany led to the First World War and all that followed. No-one has a monopoly on virtue. There's a third verse, which this clip doesn't include, which runs
Wie lieblich grüßen Wald und Feld, manch blauer See im Tal.
Drum steht mir auf der ganzen Welt kein schönres Land zur Wahl.
Im Weichselgau auf blum'ger Au will ich dereinst begraben sein,
ich zur Ruhe sein.
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