‘Fatherland’ or ‘homeland’? German anthem in gender row

BERLIN: Germany’s equality commissioner sparked an outcry Monday over her call for changes to the national anthem’s lyrics to reflect greater gender balance. Kristin Rose-Moehring suggested in an internal circular of the Ministry of Family Affairs that stanzas containing the word “fatherland” (Vaterland) should be replaced by “homeland” (Heimat). “Brotherly with heart and hand” should be replaced with “courageously with heart and hand,” she wrote, noting that Austria had tweaked its national anthem for gender balance. In 2012, Austria substituted “sons” with “daughters and sons” in parts of its national anthem. Canada too announced plans last month to make its anthem more gender neutral, changing the words “all thy sons” to “all of us”. But the German commissioner’s suggestion was slapped down by Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose spokesman Steffen Seibert said she is “satisfied with the current anthem”