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HISTORY The Zapfenstreich originally originated in the military as a sign of the end of daily activities in both field and garrison. The term was mentioned for the first time in 1596. The Saxonian major Hans von Fleming described this military custom for the first time in detail in his book "The Perfect German Soldier" (1726). The word Zapfenstreich ("strike the tap") is similar to the Dutch "tap toe", from which the English word "tattoo" comes from. Like the tattoo military ceremony, it is based around retiring from the day's work. The Groβe Zapfenstreich in its current form originated in in the first half of the 19th Century during the reign of Prussian king Friedrich William III. It featured the troops presenting arms, a prayer and a military song. During the wars of liberation the expansion of the tap caper, as arranged 1813, followed thereby the example of Russia, Austria and Sweden . The form of the Groβe Zapfenstreich changed several times, but was arranged by the Friedrich William Wieprecht, then director of music of the music corps of the Prussian guard corps. It was first performed on 12 May 1838 in Berlin in honours of the Russian Czar Nicolas I. After the Prussian victory against France in 1871, a prayer was added. Since 1922, a rendition of the national anthem "Deutchslandlied" has taken place at the conclusion of the ceremony. When foreign heads of state or military units are guests, their respective national anthems are played. The German Democratic Republic reinstituted the Groβe Zapfenstreich in 1962, suppliementing the traditional German ceremony with music based on "elements of the progressive military inheritance"; for example, this included the song "For the Peace of the World," composed by Soviet composer Dimitri Shostakovich had composed. The Groβe Zapfenstreich is the highest honor that the German Federal Armed Forces can render to a civilian. On June 29, 2004 the Federal President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Johannes Rau, was so honored. This ceremony involved 450 servicemen of all branches, the alert battalion of the Bundeswher, and the Staff Music Corps of the Bundeswehr. In addition, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder was honored on November 20, 2005 with a Groβe Zapfenstreich in his hometown Hanover. ELEMENTS AND PERSONNEL Participants in the Groβe Zapfenstreich involve at least a military band, two escorts parties, and an honor formation of torch carriers. Elements of the Groβe Zapfenstreich are generally:
There may be regional variations. CRITICISM Abolishing the Groβe Zapfenstreich has been demanded. The well-known Socialist Party SPD politician Hans Koschnick called it "predemocratic" and "obsolete". In 1996, the Party Of Democratic Socialism and the Green Party demanded the ceremony, or at least the prayer, be aboldies. . (This is loosely based on a translation/paraphrase of the German article Groβe Zapfenstreich). |
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