In dem Kampfe um die Heimat

[Alarm_Uboat]

I wonder how many recordings were made, as well as the official name. Since I met two names, one of which was ,,D̶i̶e̶ Hitlerleute,,

[Ivan Ž.]

Hello again,

This one's a bit tricky when it comes to titles. First of all, as you probably know, this song was a German cover of the Italian Fascist anthem "Giovinezza". Since the Nazis copied a good part of their image from Italian Fascists, their role model's anthem was obviously a big deal for them.

The main titles of the Nazi version were "In dem Kampfe um die Heimat" and "Faschistenmarsch". The latter one was more of a description title, indicating that it's a Fascist (Italian) tune. So the main title of the Nazi version should be "In dem Kampfe um die Heimat", with "Faschistenmarsch" as secondary title. The title "Hitlerleute" (without "Die") was only used on Crystalate's records (labels: Kristall and Hakenkreuz & Eichenlaub). Don't confuse it with "Die Hitlerleute", which was another title of "Kameraden, laßt erschallen".

The Germans recorded both vocal and instrumental versions of the song. The instrumental versions were released both under the German and Italian titles, regardless of the arrangement or performer. Therefore, in my opinion, the only true recordings of "In dem Kampfe um die Heimat" were the vocal recordings, while all the instrumental versions should be considered recordings of "Giovinezza".

Listed below are the known German commercial recordings of the tune (radio recordings excluded).

Vocal versions:

__.__.1932 | Crystalate | Männerchor, Kapelle der SA-Standarte II, Ltg. Rolf Mentzel * title: "In dem Kampf um die Heimat"
09.06.1933 | Telefunken | Hans Schmitt, Männerchor, Orchester Hans Bund * unreleased
29.06.1933 | Telefunken | Männerchor, Blasorchester Carl Woitschach * title: "In dem Kampfe um die Heimat"
10.08.1933 | Lindström | Chor des SA-Sturms 25/10, Musikzug der SS-Standarte 42, Ltg. A. H. Flessburg * title: "In dem Kampfe um die Heimat"

Instrumental versions:

__.__.1932 | Clausophon | Blasorchester * title: "In dem Kampfe um die Heimat" (released incomplete; intro was cut-off)
__.__.1932 | NSSI | Kapelle der SA-Gruppe Berlin-Brandenburg, Ltg. Johannes Fuhsel * title: "Faschisten-Marsch"
__.__.1933 | Clausophon | Kapelle der SA-Gruppe Berlin-Brandenburg, Ltg. Johannes Fuhsel * title: "Giovinezza"
__.__.1933 | Electrola | Musikkorps des III. Bataillons des 9. (Preuß.) Infanterie-Regiments, Ltg. Adolf Berdien * title: "'Al Duce' Giovinezza"
__.__.1933 | Grammophon | Blasorchester * title: "Giovinezza"
__.__.1933 | Crystalate | Blasorchester Carl Woitschach * title: "Hitlerleute"
24.05.1933 | Telefunken | Blasorchester Carl Woitschach * title: "In dem Kampfe um die Heimat"
10.08.1933 | Lindström | Musikzug der SS-Standarte 42, Ltg. Alexander Heinz Flessburg * title: "Giovinezza"

(The Electrola title was misleading: "Al Duce", meaning "To the Leader", the leader being Mussolini, was a dedication, not part of the title.)

Cheers,
Ivan

[Alarm_Uboat]

Thanks!

[Ivan Ž.]

Note that the majority of these recordings start with a short intro; as I mentioned before, it's the melody of the famous international youth song "Gaudeamus igitur" (So let us rejoice). It was obviously used because of the original song's theme ("giovinezza" means "youth"). The earliest use of the tune as intro for "Giovinezza" known to me was in 1926, Italy (it could have been used before, I haven't heard all of the Italian recordings).

Apart from Woitschach's Telefunken recordings, all German versions that I heard start with "Gaudeamus igitur"; I only haven't heard Fuhsel's Clausophon version (Patria 301) and the unreleased Bund's Telefunken recording, obviously; the 1932 Clausophon version by an anonymous brass band clearly also contained the intro, but, as I previously wrote, it was cut-off; only its last note can be heard on records (Patria 121 and 122).