Landesvater

The ceremonial Landesvater is a German college custom developed in the 18th century, where student caps are pierced with the blade of a sword, during the recital of a particular song. The song that accompanies this event is also called 'Landesvater'. The word Landesvater is also used as a name for the prime ministers of the individual German states, or Länder.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, it was common among students to pierce their hats in order to show their love for a girl. Later, the custom changed insomuch as it symbolised friendship between two students who henceforth said Du (brother) to each other. A further step in the development of this custom transferred the symbolic expression of friendship to their larger community. After 1770, academic orders were founded, following the example of the Freemasons. They used the rite in order to express their loyalty to their respective prince or the emperor. The original version of the 'Landesvater' that is still used today, with modified lyrics, hence praises Emperor Joseph II. The pierced parts of the caps are often embroidered with cloth in the form of an oak leaf.

The ceremony is accompanied by the song Alles schweige, jeder neige / Ernsten Tönen nun sein Ohr, which was written by August Niemann in 1782. Whereas Niemann's version praises Emperor Joseph II, the lyrics of the 'Landesvater' were changed in the 19th century, and have since then praised Germany, instead of a single monarch. The modern version emanates from Friedrich Silcher (1823).

Niemann's original 18th century lyrics (excerpts) were as follows: