March of the Mountain Troopers. Since the war in Yugoslavia was fought, as the popular Partisan song says – through forests and over mountains [po šumama i gorama] – the German units that participated in it had to be adequate too, that is, they were mainly Jäger and mountain units. The term "Jäger" [hunter] has been used in Germany as a military term since the first half of the 17th century and the Thirty Years' War, when the first military unit composed of professional hunters and forest rangers was formed in Hesse. In the army of the Third Reich, Jäger units were formed during the war, in 1942 and 1943, for fighting in the Soviet Union and the Balkans. German mountain troops, on the other hand, have a lot shorter, more precisely – a century old tradition; they were first created during World War I, in 1915, as Alpine Corps (shortly after the formation, the corps was sent to Serbia, through which it retreated too, at the end of the war); several later famous people served in this elite unit, among whom there were future field marshals Erwin Rommel, Friedrich Paulus and Ferdinand Schörner. In the army of the Third Reich, mountain units were formed from 1935 to 1945. In the territory of Yugoslavia operated the 42nd, 100th, 104th, 114th, 117th and 118th Jäger divisions (plus the "Brandenburg" Division), the 1st and 188th mountain divisions (and the 4th during the invasion) and the 7th, 13th and 21st SS mountain divisions (formations of the 23rd and 24th divisions were also initiated, but were never completed). As their insignia, Jäger units used the oak leaves, symbol of the forest, and mountain units used the edelweiss, symbol of mountains. The "March of the Mountain Troopers" comes from 1940, and it was written and composed by a soldier, Karl-Heinz Räntzsch, who himself was a member of these troops. The lyrics are typical German, and they speak of sacrificing love, and even own life, to protect the fatherland (the Germans, however, never explained in their songs why is the fatherland always being "protected" in a foreign territory). In the recording, of three original strophes, only the first one was sung (i.e. just the romantic part of the song). The performer is the orchestra of then favourite German composer, Herms Niel, who will be given the task, the following year, to compose the official song of the invasion of Yugoslavia, for which he will be rewarded by Hitler himself, with the title of professor.
Text: Ivan Ž.
Composer: Karl-Heinz Räntzsch.
Lyricist: Karl-Heinz Räntzsch.
Performer: Band of the Reich Labour Service led by Oberfeldmeister Herms Niel, with soldiers' chorus.
Date: 24 June 1940.
Location: Berlin, Germany.
Lyrics: 1) There is a little, little edelweiss, on a steep, steep rocky height! It's surrounded by snow, yes, snow and ice, the little edel-edelweiss. 2) We're on this rocky height too, in battle and storm, ice, yes, ice and snow! We're standing guard for the German fatherland and protecting it from the enemy hands. 3) And should I never return, then do not cry, yes, do not cry, my darling. A steep rock is my silent tomb, destined for my eternal rest. Refrain: I'm greeting you, my darling – don't forget me, my darling – from a steep, steep rocky height, yes, height! Where the mountain wind strongly blows, there is a little flower, the little edel-edel-edelweiss.
File source: a) Universität Osnabrück, Historische Bildpostkarten, 17 3 020pf; b) Ivan Ž. (private collection).
NOT ALLOWED: removing source credits from the files – using text without crediting the original author – using files and information for political propaganda and commercial purposes.
Composer: Karl-Heinz Räntzsch.
Lyricist: Karl-Heinz Räntzsch.
Performer: Band of the Reich Labour Service led by Oberfeldmeister Herms Niel, with soldiers' chorus.
Date: 24 June 1940.
Location: Berlin, Germany.
Lyrics: 1) There is a little, little edelweiss, on a steep, steep rocky height! It's surrounded by snow, yes, snow and ice, the little edel-edelweiss. 2) We're on this rocky height too, in battle and storm, ice, yes, ice and snow! We're standing guard for the German fatherland and protecting it from the enemy hands. 3) And should I never return, then do not cry, yes, do not cry, my darling. A steep rock is my silent tomb, destined for my eternal rest. Refrain: I'm greeting you, my darling – don't forget me, my darling – from a steep, steep rocky height, yes, height! Where the mountain wind strongly blows, there is a little flower, the little edel-edel-edelweiss.
File source: a) Universität Osnabrück, Historische Bildpostkarten, 17 3 020pf; b) Ivan Ž. (private collection).
NOT ALLOWED: removing source credits from the files – using text without crediting the original author – using files and information for political propaganda and commercial purposes.
Marš brdskih lovaca. Pošto je u Jugoslaviji rat vođen, kao što popularna partizanska pesma kaže – po šumama i gorama – i nemačke jedinice koje su učestvovale u njemu morale su biti odgovarajuće, odnosno većinom su bile lovačke i brdske. Termin "lovac" u Nemačkoj se koristio kao vojni još od prve polovine XVII veka i Tridesetogodišnjeg rata, kada je u Hesenu formirana prva vojna jedinica sastavljena od profesionalnih lovaca i šumara. U vojsci Trećeg Rajha, lovačke jedinice su formirane u toku rata, 1942. i 1943. godine, za borbe u Sovjetskom Savezu i na Balkanu. Nemačke brdske jedinice, s druge strane, imaju dosta kraću, tačnije – jedan vek staru tradiciju; nastale su za vreme I svetskog rata, 1915. godine, pod imenom Alpski korpus (ubrzo po formiranju, korpus je poslat i u Srbiju, preko koje se takođe i povlačio, na kraju rata); u ovoj elitnoj jedinici služilo je više kasnije poznatih ličnosti, među kojima su bili i budući feldmaršali Ervin Romel, Fridrih Paulus i Ferdinand Šerner. U vojsci Trećeg Rajha, brdske jedinice su formirane od 1935. do 1945. godine. Na teritoriji Jugoslavije operisale su 42, 100, 104, 114, 117. i 118. lovačka divizija (plus "Brandenburg" divizija), 1. i 188. brdska divizija (i 4. za vreme invazije) i 7, 13. i 21. brdska SS-divizija (formiranje 23. i 24. divizije je takođe bilo započeto, ali nije dovršeno). Lovačke jedinice su kao oznaku nosile hrastovo lišće, simbol šume, a brdske jedinice runolist, simbol planina. "Marš brdskih lovaca" potiče iz 1940. godine, a napisao ga je i komponovao jedan vojnik, Karl-Hajnc Renč, koji je i sam bio pripadnik ovih jedinica. Reči pesme su tipične nemačke, i govore o žrtvovanju ljubavi, pa i sopstvenog života, da bi se zaštitila otadžbina (Nemci, međutim, u pesmama nikad nisu objasnili zbog čega se otadžbina "štiti" uvek na tuđoj teritoriji). Na zvučnom zapisu, od tri originalne strofe otpevana je samo prva (tj. samo ljubavni deo pesme). Izvođač je orkestar tada omiljenog nemačkog kompozitora, Hermsa Nila, koji će naredne godine dobiti zadatak da komponuje i zvaničnu pesmu invazije na Jugoslaviju, za koju će ga Hitler lično nagraditi, titulom profesora.
Tekst: Ivan Ž.
Kompozitor: Karl-Hajnc Renč.
Tekstopisac: Karl-Hajnc Renč.
Izvođač: Orkestar Radne službe Rajha pod upravom oberfeldmajstera Hermsa Nila, sa vojnim horom.
Datum: 24. jun 1940.
Mesto: Berlin, Nemačka.
Reči: 1) Ima jedan mali, mali runolist, na jednom strmom, strmom, stenovitom vrhu! Okružen je snegom, da, snegom i ledom, taj mali runo-runolist. 2) I mi smo na tom stenovitom vrhu, u borbi i oluji, ledu, da, ledu i snegu! Za nemačku otadžbinu stražu čuvamo i od šaka neprijateljskih mi je štitimo. 3) A ako se ne vratim više, ti ne plači, da, ne plači, draga moja. Moj je tihi grob jedna strma stena, za večni počinak mi je suđena. Refren: Pozdravljam te, draga moja – ne zaboravi me, draga moja – sa jednog strmog, strmog, stenovitog vrha, da, vrha! Tamo gde oštro planinski vetar duva, ima jedan mali cvet, mali runo-runo-runolist.
Izvor fajla: a) Universität Osnabrück, Historische Bildpostkarten, 17 3 020pf; b) Ivan Ž. (lična zbirka).
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