Upper Austria has had its national anthem for 70 years

The anniversary celebratory evening in the main hall of the Anton Bruckner Private University on Friday lasted many times longer – but it was still entertaining. A merit not least of Rector Martin Rumblehis teachers and students, who created an evening without hymns of praise, but with a lot of depth.

Various musical interpretations of the national anthem led through the program like a red thread. The “Villekulla” trio set the hoamatg song to music using saxophone, percussion and zither, while teachers and students at the Jazz Institute developed a jazz version. The host not only led through the program, but also approached the concept of “home” – also musically on the cello. Together with the newly appointed professor for accordion Heidi Luosujarvi pieces by Ernest Bloch were performed. The Swiss-American composer, whose works were deeply influenced by his Jewish identity, always commuted between the two countries in search of a home.

Franz Stelzhamer: No name stands for the national anthem like that of the poet. Joachim Rathke from the Institute for Drama devoted himself to the life marked by poverty and the torn personality of the Innviertler, without neglecting his anti-Semitic attitude. He took turns doing this Julian Sigl. The Landestheater ensemble member recited poems in the poet’s deepest Upper Austrian dialect, including Stelzhamer’s text “Der Jew”, in which he compares the Jewish people to a harmful tapeworm that needs to be eliminated

On the other hand, the audience heard hymns in medley form from Erasmus students from the Netherlands, Slovakia and Spain after they talked about the importance of hymns in their country.

Finally, the governor referred to the importance of the national anthem to create identity Thomas Stelzer in his concluding ceremonial speech, before – quite traditionally – the guests in the hall rose and started the Hoamatg song, including the members of the state parliament Sabine Binder (FPÖ), Peter Binder (SPÖ) and Reinhard Ammer (Greens), also state cultural director Margot Nazzal, Klaus Huber (President of the Stelzhamerbund), Erich Dietachmair (President of the OLG), John Fisher(President of the State Administrative Court) and Josef Rathgebmayor of Oberneukirchen, home of the composer Hans Schnopfhagen.