Ich hab mich ergeben

Ich hab mich ergeben

English: 'I Have Surrendered'
The text in an album titled Gelübde
Former national anthem of West Germany
Also known as	„Gelübde“ (English: 'Vow')
Lyrics	Hans Ferdinand Maßmann, 1820
Music	August Daniel von Binzer, 1819
Adopted	1949
Relinquished	1952
Preceded by	"Deutschlandlied" and "Horst-Wessel-Lied" (by Germany)
Succeeded by	"Deutschlandlied"
Audio sample
U.S. Navy Band instrumental rendition in F major file help

Former Deutschlandfunk interval signal

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"Ich hab mich ergeben" (German: [ɪç hap mɪç ɛʁˈɡeːbən]; lit. 'I Have Surrendered'), originally titled "Gelübde" (IPA: [ɡəˈlʏbdə]; 'Vow'), is a German patriotic song. The text was written in 1820 by Hans Ferdinand Maßmann.

As singing the traditional anthem, the Song Of The Germans, starting with the line "Deutschland, Deutschland über alles" ("Germany, Germany above all else"), didn't seem appropriate after Germany's surrender in World War II, the double meaning of the line 'Ich hab mich ergeben', which means 'I have surrendered' in literal translation, but in the context of this song's lyrics also 'I am devoted to thee', made this song one of the favorites for a national anthem in post-war Germany. As such, it was one of the unofficial national anthems of West Germany from 1949 until 1952, and in national radio it was played even since 1945 before intermission. However, public interest in the song declined before the Deutschlandlied was officially reinstated, of which only the third stanza is sung ever since.^[1]

The tune is now used in the Micronesian national anthem, a cultural realm which has been historically influenced by German colonial presence.