A scandal at the opening ceremony overshadows the German Firefighting Championships in Torgau in the north of Saxony. Instead of the national anthem, the controversial first verse of the German song was played. "We distance ourselves very clearly from this event," explained Hermann Schreck, Vice President of the German Fire Service Association. The fire departments and the association stand for basic democratic values. "Ideas that are not in line with the free and democratic basic order have no place in our ranks."
The Song of the Germans was written by August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben on Heligoland in 1841. However, it was misused by the National Socialists for propaganda purposes ("Deutschland, Deutschland über alles ..."). Today, only the third verse with the words "Unity and justice and freedom" is the national anthem. However, the other verses are not banned.
The behavior is not to be tolerated and the person responsible has been relieved of his honorary functions in the German Fire Brigade Association "with immediate effect", informed Schreck.
