Erzgebirge

“Oh Arzgebirg wie bist du schie!” – said the famous Erzgebirge poet and singer Anton Günther many years ago. Today, his words are still repeated by everyone; at the so-called “Hutzenabenden”, anecdotes, songs and poems by Anton Günther are performed to this day. As a memorial to him there is a public monument near the marketplace not far from Oberwiesenthal.

The language of Oberwiesenthal enchants guests and visitors and brings a smile to their faces. Numerous poets and songwriters form Erzgebirge, such as Anton Günther, Hans Siegert, Arthur Schramm, Stefan Dietrich (Saaflob), Günther Pollmer, Luise Pinc, Max Tandler or Christian Friedrich Röder, demonstrate this with their amusing texts and musical pieces in the Erzgebirge dialect. Particularly remarkable are the numerous diminutive forms such as Gushcl (little mouth), Raachermannel (little smoking men), Tichl (towel), which can vary from place to place.

For those not native to Erzgebirge, comprehension is very difficult at first in spite of the similarity to Saxon dialect. But “erzgebirgisch” is generally spoken only among the locals, so don’t panic.

Try a little Erzgebirgisch out. Here is the text of a song by Anton Günther:

Vergaß dei Haamit net!

Vergaß dei Haamit net! Su singt jeds Vögele.
Vergaß dei Haamit net! Su rauscht der Wald.
Es heilt der Storm ons zu in kalter Winterschzeit:
Vergaß dei Haamit net, dort is dei Halt!
Fest stieh zen Volk, der Haamit trei,
su wolln mir Arzgebirger sei!

Jeds Blümel wos do blüht, der Wind daar drüberzieht,
on's Bachel rauscht ons immer haamlich zu:
Vergaß dei Haamit net! Denk a de Gongezeit,
wie du derham gelücklich warscht on fruh!
Fest stieh zen Volk, der Haamit trei,
su wolln mir Arzgebirger sei!

Als letzten Abschiedsgruß ruft noch der Vater nooch,
wenn's Kind verloßen muß es Elternhaus:
Vergaß dei Haamit net, on ehr dei Mottersproch!
Mog's komme wie's när will, horch, halt fei aus!
Fest stieh zen Volk, der Haamit trei,
su wolln mir Arzgebirger sei!

Wächst aah när Gros dort drubn, is aah der Winter lang,
sei doch de Barg vull Wälder frisch on grü.
Vergaß dei Haamit net, wenn's noch su aafach is,
denn in der Haamit is doch immer schie!
Fest stieh zen Volk, der Haamit trei,
su wolln mir Arzgebirger sei!

Drüm Leit ven Arzgebirg, blebbt aafach, racht on fest,
wie onnre Wälder drubn of grüner Flur.
On loßt ons alle Zeit echt deitsche Brüder sei
on gabt en Handschlog drauf zen alten Schwur:
Fest stieh zen Volk, der Haamit trei,
su wolln mir Arzgebirger sei

Source: www.anton-guenther.de
 

Did that pique your interest? Then visit us in the guest information centre and look through our assortment of post cards with songs, books about Anton Günther or CDs.

Find out additional information about Anton Günther here

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