The history of the German National Anthem starts in 1797 with the composition „Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser“ by Joseph Haydn which was written to tribute Emperor Francis II, the last emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. After the breakdown of the empire in 1806 different forces acted on the German kingdoms (for example the French under Napoleon) and caused a German patriotism. This took form in many new patriotic songs („Rheinlieder“). Hoffmann von Fallersleben made holidays on Heligoland in the summer of 1841. On 26 August 1841 he wrote the three stanzas that later made up the anthem. The text was written especially for the melody by Haydn and so a reference to the „old empire“. Three days later the book dealers Campe and Neff came to Heligoland to bring Hoffmann von Fallersleben the first copies of his recently published book „Unpolitische Lieder“. At this occasion Hoffmann von Fallersleben mentioned his new creation and the two book dealers agreed to publish the work. Only two days later (!) on 1 September 1841 the score was published.
The song became extremely popular in short time, but only as one of the many patriotic songs. It was not before World War I that the song more and more became the „German song“ and finally was announced the official German national anthem on 17 August 1922.