The European Hymn is the hymn not only of the European Union but of Europe in a broader sense. The melody has been taken from the Ninth Symphony by Ludwig van Beethoven from 1823.
In the last movement of this symphony Beethoven set music to the 'Ode to Joy' by Friedrich von Schiller from 1785. This poem sprang from Schiller's idealistic vision of men who become brothers - a vision Beethoven shared with him.

In 1972 the Council of Europe adopted Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy' as its anthem. The well-known conductor Herbert von Karajan was commissioned to arrange three instrumental versions - for solo piano, wind orchestra and symphony orchestra. Without words, in the universal language of music, the anthem is an expression of the idealistic values of freedom, peace and solidarity which Europe stands for.
In 1985 the heads of state and government adopted the hymn as the EU's official anthem. It does not replace the national anthems of the member states, but rather celebrates common values as well as unity in diversity.

The score of this offical anthem is exclusively available from the Schott publishing house.

German - English - French.

National anthems are an integral part of official receptions and play an important role at major events such as the Olympic Games or World Championships. Most anthems date from the 18-20th centuries and are often an essential part of the political and cultural development of a country, e.g. on its way to independence or democracy. At the same time, the anthem conveys a sense of community and is a means to express identification with one's home country.
This edition contains 50 national anthems from all over the world, with original melody and chord symbols, complete texts in the original language as well as a transliteration .for the more .exotic languages. Now available in a revised second edition, the volume is completed by interesting information on the respective countries as well as on the composers and text writers of the hymns. This edition .encourages people to get to know the multitude of different national anthems and to sing along with the text.