Auferstanden aus Ruinen (English: Risen from Ruins) is the national anthem of Großgermania, adopted in 2009 to replace the former anthem, Das Lied der Deutschen, which was perceived as Germanocentric by many of the Empire's ethnic minorities. The song's original lyrics were written to the melody of Das Lied der Deutschen in 1949 by Johannes R. Becher; Hanns Eisler later composed a separate score for the anthem, which was officially adopted as the anthem of the German Democratic Republic that same year. After undergoing extensive lyrical changes under the direction of Emperor Michael von Preußen, the anthem was adopted on Unification Day, 2009, in commemoration of Großgermania's unification and held on the first anniversary of its proclamation.
Although written as the anthem for East Germany, the anthem reflects heavily on German unity. Prior to the rejection of the March Note by Western powers, unification of the post-war Allied Occupation Zones in Germany was seen by Germans, specifically those in the Soviet sector, as a viable future for Germany. As such, Auferstanden aus Ruinen was written to reflect Germany as a unified state.
Becher's lyrics were abandoned by the East German government in 1973 as a gesture of goodwill towards the Federal Republic of Germany, and would never again be officially adopted as part of the anthem. Following German reunification in 1990, Auferstanden aus Ruinen ceased to be used as an anthem, with Das Lied der Deutschen replacing it as the anthem of a unified German state. Following the creation of Großgermania in 2008, it was decreed that Das Lied der Deutschen would continue to serve as the country's national anthem, with versions in all of Großgermania's regional languages being official. No lyrical changes were made to the anthem, maintaining use of the words "Germany" and "German" in reference to the nation. This was harshly criticized by numerous regional governments, specifically that of the Kingdom of Denmark.
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