Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser

song by Haydn

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June 29, 2026

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"Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser" (God Save Emperor Francis) was a song composed by Joseph Haydn in 1797. It served as the first Austrian national anthem and was later used as the melody for the German national anthem "Deutschland, Deutschland über Alles". The melody was also incorporated into Haydn's *Emperor Quartet*, which was written in the same year. This demonstrates how melodies can be adapted for different patriotic purposes across nations.12

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Joseph Haydn
The late Esterházy and Viennese period
…nation the stirring song “Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser” (“God Save Emperor Francis”). It was used for more than a century as the national anthem of the Austrian monarchy and as the patriotic song “Deutschland, Deutschland über alles” (“Germany, Germany Above All Else”) in Germany, where it remains the…
Read More
…nation the stirring song “Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser” (“God Save Emperor Francis”). It was used for more than a century as the national anthem of the Austrian monarchy and as the patriotic song “Deutschland, Deutschland über alles” (“Germany, Germany Above All Else”) in Germany, where it remains the…
Read More