Großer Zapfenstreich

Soldiers of the Bundeswehr's Wachbataillon executing a Großer Zapfenstreich in Bonn (2002).

The Großer Zapfenstreich ("Grand Tattoo") is a military ceremony performed in Germany and Austria. It is similar to the military tattoo ceremony performed in English-speaking countries, and is the most important ceremonial act executed by the German federal armed forces, the Bundeswehr, and by the Austrian Armed Forces. The Zapfenstreich is performed only during national celebrations and solemn public commemorations, to honour distinguished persons present at such special events. Examples are the farewell ceremony for a German federal president, or at the conclusion of large military exercises. It takes place in the evening hours and consists of a military formation of at least one military band, two platoons of armed infantrymen, and two lines of soldiers carrying torches, in total about 400 men.

History

The Zapfenstreich originated in the military as a sign of the end of daily activities in both field and garrison. The term was mentioned for the first time in 1596. The Saxon major Hans von Fleming described this military custom for the first time in detail in his book Der vollkommene deutsche Soldat (The Perfect German Soldier, 1726). The Zapfenstreich was a trumpet signal to end the selling of liquor in the military quarters and to prepare for lights out. To underline that order, the sergeant major walked across the military camp and struck the taps of the casks with a stick. The word Zapfenstreich ("tap strike") is similar to the Dutch "tap toe", from which the English word tattoo comes. Like the tattoo military ceremony, the Zapfenstreich signifies completion of the day's work.

In 1813 the Prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm III witnessed the evening ceremony of the Russian army after the battle of Großgörschen near Berlin. He was deeply impressed of the religious parts of the ceremony, especially a choral version of the Lord's Prayer. The king ordered that a similar ritual be incorporated in the Prussian Zapfenstreich. In 1838, a Zapfenstreich in nearly its present form was prepared by Wilhelm Wieprecht, director of music of the music corps of the Prussian Guard Corps, who arranged a great ("monstre") outdoor concert for the king and his guest, Tsar Nicholas I of Russia, in Potsdam. On 12 May over 1,000 musicians performed the Prussian tattoo signals, a newly composed tattoo march, and the choral "Ich bete an die Macht der Liebe" ("I pray to the power of love"), composed by the Ukrainian musician Dmytro Bortniansky with text by Gerhard Tersteegen. After the founding of the German Reich in 1871, the emperor's hymn Heil Dir im Siegerkranz became part of the Zapfenstreich, but only when the emperor was present at the ceremony. Following the German Revolution the new national anthem, the "Deutschlandlied" by Hoffmann von Fallersleben, replaced the old imperial hymn in 1922.

When foreign heads of state or military units are honored, their respective national anthems are played.

The German Democratic Republic reinstated the Großer Zapfenstreich in 1962 in an updated version, supplementing the traditional German ceremony with music based on "elements of the progressive military inheritance" including the song "For the Peace of the World" by Soviet composer Dmitri Shostakovich and a medley of songs and marches drawn from the German and international working-class movements. The hymn was replaced by a Russian funeral march honoring the martyrs of the Russian and German revolutions. The GDR national anthem replaced the Deutschlandlied. Other elements of the traditional Prussian ceremony—especially the torchlight procession, flourishes, and the Zapfenstreich March—were retained. The additions were an opening fanfare, inspection report of the unit commander, with the unit at present arms and eyes right, the presentation of the National People's Army Colors by the unit color guard, two fanfare calls by the fanfare section and kettle drummers, and a parade march past of the unit present in front of the honored guests after the reformation of the torchbearers and of the parade unit. The GDR's version, made official in 1981 and performed on March 1, NVA Day, and October 7, the GDR's National Day, and on several other occasions when needed, was made possible due to the support of longtime Director of Music of the NVA itself, Colonel Gerhard Baumann, who arranged some of the pieces that were used in the ceremony.

Composition of the Military Grand Tattoo

A corps of drums during a Zapfenstreich

West Germany/Germany (1952-53-present)

East Germany (1962–89)


Austria

Performance

The German Großer Zapfenstreich consists of various components today:

The Großer Zapfenstreich is the highest honor that the German Federal Armed Forces can render to a civilian. Two of the most impressive "Große Zapfenstreiche" were those to mark farewell to the allied troops in Berlin in 1994 and on the occasion of the departure from office of the German chancellor Helmut Kohl in Speyer in 1998.

People who are entitled to be honoured with a "Großer Zapfenstreich" are:

Participants in the Großer Zapfenstreich involve at least a military band (with a timpanist and a minimum of 4-6 fanfare trumpeters) with an additional Corps of Drums of drummers and fifers, two escort platoons or companies, and an honor formation of torch carriers.

There may be regional variations by state. For example, the performance of the "Großer Zapfenstreich" in Bavaria differs slightly from the above: instead of the "Prussian Tattoo March" the "Bavarian Tattoo March" is played, and instead of the "Gebet: Ich bete an die Macht der Liebe" the "Bavarian Military Prayer" by Johann Caspar Aiblinger is played. The Saxon variant march, the "Saxon Tattoo March" is played when a Grand Tattoo is held in Saxony. In each case the state anthem is played before the Deutschlandlied on state level occasions.

The band and torchbearers during a 1974 Großer Zapfenstreich to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the NVA

The East German Großer Zapfenstreich, although using the Prussian practice, was different in all respects. Its components, when summarized, are as follows:

The Austrian version is different from the German one in many respects, and is more modern (the ceremony was first done in 1965). The ceremony is as follows:

Criticism

There have been calls for the abolition of the Großer Zapfenstreich. The well-known politician Hans Koschnick of the Social Democratic Party labelled it "predemocratic" and "obsolete". In 1996, the Party of Democratic Socialism and the Green Party unsuccessfully motioned for the ceremony, or at least the prayer, to be abolished.

Adaptation on Civil events and occasions

The Grosser Zapfenstreich is also performed on civil occasions, or else called for by event organizers. In Germany, the difference is that civilian Marching bands and civilian Corps of Drums are separated but play together during the ceremony. Fanfare bands (the German Fanfarenzug and Fanfarenkorps) are optional participants of the ceremony. They also have torchbearer formations, just like in the military version, when the ceremony is held in the evening or nighttime, but daytime ceremonies have none or have an optional use for the torchbearers. Only a civilian marching band does the Austrian version during civil events.

Some ceremonies call for armed civilian companies while others opt for unarmed escorts. Special uniforms are worn by the civilian escort companies for the ceremony. In several German towns and cities, colors guards are also a part of the ceremony, with the Flag of Germany and the Flag of Europe as first in precedence among all the flags, together with organizational flags and guidons. The same is true in some Austrian towns and cities, as the Flag of Austria takes precedence over the other flags if there are any.

Composition of the Civilian Grand Tattoo

The full performance order of the ceremony is very much the same as in the military version, but a Feu de joie and an entrance of colors would be added in some cases(if these are present they are to be lowered when Ich bete an die Macht der Liebe (only in Germany) and the National Anthem are to be played). For the German civil ceremony the report to the reviewing officer or the guest of honor would optionally also have musical accompaniment was well by the band and the Corps of Drums, playing the Der Präsentiermarsch Friedrich Wilhelms III if appropriate in keeping with tradition.

See also

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