Heinrich Harries

Heinrich Harries ( born September 9, 1762, Flensburg, † September 28, 1802 in Bruges ) was a minister in the then Danish duchy of Schleswig. From him the text comes to the " Prussian national anthem " Hail to thee in victor's crown and his German -speaking commitment to Danishness " Oh Dania ".

After studying theology and exam Harries lived from 1786 to 1790 in Flensburg, where he worked as an editor of the " Flensburg weekly paper ". In 1790 he was appointed pastor after Sieverstedt. From 1794 he was a pastor in Bruges in the Official Bordesholm.

On the occasion of the 41st birthday of the Danish King Christian VII Harries published on January 27, 1790 in his " Flensburg weekly paper " a " song for the Danish subject, to his King's birthday to sing in tune of English folk song: God save great George the King ". It began with the words " Hail, the loving ruler of the fatherland! Salvation, Christian, you! ".

The song was reworked by Balthasar Gerhard Schumacher and reduced to five stanzas, appeared in this version under the title "Berlin folk singing " in the " Haude and Spenersche Zeitung" of 17 December 1793 and thereafter became increasingly popular.

Works

• Poems (Altona 1804, 2 volumes), also includes his original version of Hail to thee in victor's wreath