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Cameron Seger

Professor Raymond

UWRT 1103

20 February 2018

Back to the Roots

My dad’s side of the family originally came here from Germany. German history is very

rich with a lot of stories, some good and some bad. Three interesting things about Germany are

the history of its anthem, the history of its flag, and how someone can become a dual citizen in

the United States and Germany.

To start off, the history of Germany’s national anthem is very interesting. The title of the

anthem is “Deutschlandlied.” In German, this translates to the “song of Germany.” It was the

anthem for the country from 1922 until West and East Germany became two separate

countries. At this time, it became the anthem of West Germany, and then it became the

anthem of the entire country again once it reunited in 1990. The song was composed by Joseph

Haydn in 1796. Haydn was one of the most famous composers of his time (Editors).

Another interesting history in Germany is that of the flag’s origin. In order from top to

bottom, the colors are black, red, and yellow. The black and yellow is said to have come from

the Austrian Habsburg Dynasty. Once the Holy Roman Empire fell, the Habsburg Dynasty

became prominent. This dynasty was known as the “Black and Gold Monarchy.” In the 1840s,

the black, yellow, and gold flag was used to stand against the European Order that came into

existence after Napoleon’s defeat. Ever since then the same flag had been the flag of the

country of Germany (Germanculture).

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Finally, the laws of becoming a dual citizen of the United States and Germany are

different from most other countries. Germany does not allow people to be dual-citizens, but

there is one exception. If you are a German citizen to start with, you can become a citizen of

another country in the European Union. If you apply for citizenship to any county, but these,

you forfeit your right to be a citizen of Germany. Also, if your parents decide to change

citizenship, you do not inherit Germany citizenship from them (Dual).

In conclusion, Germany is a very interesting country. They do things a lot different from

the United States, and their history is totally different from that here in the U.S. It was cool to

find out a little about the time period in which my ancestors lived.
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Works Cited

“Dual Citizenship in Germany.” Passportia, www.passportia.org/citizenship/germany/dual-

citizenship/?adid=14614628938&device=c&query=dual%2Bcitizenship%2Bgermany%2Breq

uirements&ctm_match_type=b&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=_DEC

I-WORLD-

BING_B&utm_term=%2Bgermany%2B%2Bdual%2B%2Bcitizenship&utm_content=germany

%2Bdual%2Bcitizenship.

The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. “Deutschlandlied.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia

Britannica, Inc., 18 May 2015, www.britannica.com/topic/Deutschlandlied.

Germanculture. “German Flag.” German Culture, 4 Dec. 2017, germanculture.com.ua/germany-

facts/german-flag/.