Starting from the 2026/27 school year, pupils graduating in Bavaria will no longer be allowed to leave the stage quietly to the sound of slightly awkward applause.
Instead, at least two anthems will be played at every ceremony: the Bavarian anthem, and either the German national anthem or the European anthem.
Bavaria’s plan to mandate the Bavarian anthem at school graduation ceremonies originated with the Junge Union, the youth wing of the conservative Christian Social Union (CSU). What began as a symbolic gesture was then adopted as official CSU policy and championed by Minister‑President Markus Söder, who framed it as a way to promote identity, integration and social cohesion.
But critics have dismissed the move as cheap symbolic patriotism that ignores deeper problems in Bavaria’s education system, such as staff shortages and underfunded schools.
In a column published by Die Zeit, teacher and writer Ewald Arenz also described how the proposal exposed political and cultural divisions in the classroom, including objections from non‑religious students and those with migrant backgrounds.
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The national anthem – the Deutschlandlied – is often regarded as similarly problematic. Written in 1841 by August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben and set to a melody by Joseph Haydn, it became the anthem of the Weimar Republic in 1922.
But under the Nazis, only the first verse was sung and its opening line – "Deutschland, Deutschland über alles" – became particularly toxic in the post-war period. Today, only the third verse is used, beginning with the safer line, "Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit" ("Unity and justice and freedom").
Germany isn’t the only country to have an anthem filled to overflowing with historical baggage, of course. Spain famously decided to solve the problem by simply axing all the lyrics to its Marcha Real, while Britain sticks determinedly to a song that names neither the country nor its citizens.
Which just goes to show that – whatever other service they provide – national and regional songs invariably provide a fascinating insight into what makes a place tick.
Germany’s state anthems – official and unofficial – offer a sideways glance at the country’s past. They celebrate landscapes, hint at old loyalties and occasionally dodge uncomfortable questions.
Which German states have official anthems?
Only three of Germany’s sixteen states have official anthems officially recognised and protected by law: Bavaria, Hesse and Saarland.
Bavaria’s Bayernhymne dates back to 1860, a decade or so before German unification, and was composed in Munich under the title Für Bayern.
It opens with the line, "Gott sei mit dir, Land Bayern, deutscher Boden, Vaterland! " (God be with you, land of Bavaria, German soil, fatherland!).
Originally, the anthem had three verses, including a monarchist “King’s Verse”. In 1980, then premier Franz Josef Strauß decreed that only two verses should be sung on official occasions. A replacement third verse written after the Second World War never made it into official use.
Hesse’s anthem strikes a gentler note. Known simply as the Hessenlied, it has been the official state anthem since 1951. Its opening line is disarmingly lyrical:
"Ich kenne ein Land, so reich und so schön."
("I know a land, so rich and so beautiful.")
People have been singing versions of the song since the early 20th century, and there is still no single standardised text. Its light, landscape‑loving tone meant it never became popular during the Nazi era, and it remains cheerfully low on chest‑thumping.
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Saarland, meanwhile, occupies a special niche. After the Second World War, it briefly existed as an autonomous state and even used its Saarlandlied as a national anthem.
Today, the song – now titled "Ich rühm’ dich, du freundliches Land an der Saar" ("I praise you, you lovely land on the Saar") – is protected as an official state anthem and celebrates friendliness and natural beauty rather than political grandeur.
What about the other states?
Most German states have no official anthem at all. Instead, they rely on unofficial songs – Heimatlieder – that express regional pride, landscape and history.
Schleswig‑Holstein’s best‑known song is often introduced by the line, "Schleswig‑Holstein, vom Meer umschlossen"(Schleswig‑Holstein, embraced by the sea).
Its actual title, however, is Wanke nicht, mein Vaterland ("Do not waver, my fatherland") – which sounds sterner than the bracing maritime imagery that follows.
North Rhine‑Westphalia has one of Germany’s youngest state songs. The Lied für NRW was presented to the state in 2006 by public broadcaster WDR to mark its 60th anniversary, with the Cologne band Bläck Fööss giving the first public performance.
Brandenburg’s unofficial anthem, Märkische Heide, begins with the lines, "Stürze dich hoch, du roter Adler" ("Soar high, you red eagle"). An attempt to make it the state’s official anthem failed in 1994.
In Thuringia, the Rennsteiglied is widely regarded as the state’s musical calling card. First performed in 1951 by folk singer Herbert Roth in Suhl, it celebrates the Rennsteig hiking trail rather than politics.
Other states, from Hamburg to Lower Saxony, have their own unofficial songs, sung enthusiastically in some regions and barely known in others. The full list is available here. Â
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Three songs for Baden‑Württemberg
Baden‑Württemberg deserves a section of its own because it doesn’t have just one anthem but three.
The Badnerlied, the 'WĂĽrttemberg anthem' and the Hohenzollernlied all coexist, none officially dominant.
This musical pluralism reflects the state’s history. Baden‑Württemberg was only created in 1952, merging Baden, Württemberg‑Baden and Württemberg‑Hohenzollern – a union that was politically necessary but emotionally awkward.
Choosing a single anthem would almost certainly have inflamed regional sensitivities, so the state sensibly settled for the peaceful coexistence of keeping the three regional anthems instead.
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