Today, Germany is saying goodbye to Angela Merkel with music and military honors. What do the songs she chose for the farewell ceremony from the position of chancellor tell us?
After 16 years as German Chancellor, Angela Merkel is retiring politically. Until the election of her successor, probably next week, Merkel is still the "technical chancellor", but this Thursday, Germany will say goodbye to the head of the government with military honors.
The "Great Tattoo" (Großer Zapfenstreich) will be held in Berlin in the evening, which is the largest military ceremony in the Federal Republic of Germany - with torches, soldiers in ceremonial uniforms, officers and choreography planned to the last detail.
The "Great Tattoo" is special in that the Bundeswehr Military Orchestra also plays some songs during that ceremony, which are chosen by those people from whom it says goodbye. Angela Merkel's musical wishes have been known for some time, and they have been provoking certain reactions among German citizens for some time now - mostly approval and a quiet smile. Why?
In addition to the ecumenical church song "We praise you, God, we praise you" (Großer Gott, wir loben dich), the outgoing chancellor also wished to hear Hildegard Knef's song "Let the rains of red roses fall for me" (Für mich soll's rote Rosen regnen).
Already in the first stanza of that song it is said:
"At 16," I said softly,
I want, I want everything or nothing. "
Indeed, Angela Merkel has achieved so much - for 16 years she was the most powerful woman in Germany, the first woman to serve as chancellor, a woman who was both recognized and respected around the world. And here are the last stanzas of the song:
"I don't have enough,
I still want to win,
I want everything, or nothing.
Let the rains of red roses fall on me,
let me meet some new miracles,
to find myself far from the old again.
Do the most of what is expected
I want, I want. "
Angela Merkel is retiring at the age of 67, but judging by those verses, she certainly has some new wishes and dreams that she wants to fulfill. All this sounds a bit defiant, which is a side of the chancellor's character that has not been associated with her character and work so far.
And the second song chosen by Angela Merkel says a lot about her. It's an old GDR hit sung by Nina Hagen: "You forgot the color film" (Du hast den Farbfilm vergessen). Nina Hagen was still known in East Germany as an insolent pop singer, and after she went to West Germany, she became a punk icon.