Editing Heil dir im Siegerkranz (section)

{{short description|Prussian and German patriotic song}}
{{Infobox anthem
| title         = Heil dir im Siegerkranz
| english_title = 'Hail to Thee in Victor's Crown'
| image         = Heil dir im Siegerkranz (ca 1900).jpg
| caption       = Postcard {{circa|1900}}
| alt           = 
| prefix        = Former national
| country       = {{nowrap|the German Empire}}
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Former royal anthem of Prussia
| author        = [[Heinrich Harries]]
| lyrics_date   = 1790
| composer      = "[[God Save the King]]"
| music_date    = 
| adopted       = 1795 (by [[Prussia]])<br>1871 (by [[German Empire|Germany]])
| until         = 1918
| successor     = "[[Das Lied der Deutschen]]"
| sound         = Heil Dir Im Siegerkranz (old recording).ogg
| sound_title   = Old vocal recording in [[A major]]}}

"'''{{Lang|de|Heil dir im Siegerkranz|italic=no}}'''" ({{IPA|de|ˈhaɪl diːɐ ɪm ˈziːɡɐˌkʁant͡s|lang}}; {{lit|Hail to Thee in Victor's Crown}}) was the imperial anthem of the [[German Empire]] from 1871 to 1918, and previously the royal anthem of [[Prussia]] from 1795 to 1918.{{sfn|Fischer|Senkel|2010|p=90}}

Before the [[Proclamation of the German Empire|foundation of the Empire]] in 1871, it had been the royal anthem of [[Prussia]] since 1795 and remained as the royal anthem after 1871.{{sfn|Fischer|Senkel|2010|p=91}} The melody of the hymn derived from the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|British]] anthem "[[God Save the King]]". For these reasons, the song failed to become popular within all of Germany. Not only did it fail to win the support of most German nationalists, but it also was never recognized by the southern German states, such as [[Kingdom of Bavaria|Bavaria]] or [[Kingdom of Württemberg|Württemberg]].<ref>Fehrenbach, Elisabeth. ''Politischer Umbruch und gesellschaftliche Bewegung: ausgewählte Aufsätze zur Geschichte Frankreichs und Deutschlands im 19. Jahrhundert''. Oldenburg, 1997. p. 312.</ref> At the near end of [[World War I]], the German Empire [[German Revolution of 1918–1919|was overthrown]] and "[[Das Lied der Deutschen]]" was adopted as the national anthem of its successor, the [[Weimar Republic]].<ref>{{ill|Wilhelm von Sternburg|de|lt=Sternburg, Wilhelm von}}. ''Die Geschichte der Deutschen''. p. 131.</ref>

It is often considered the official national anthem of the German Empire.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Germany (1871-1918) – nationalanthems.info |url=https://nationalanthems.info/de-18.htm |access-date=2023-06-02 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=National anthem |url=https://www.protokoll-inland.de/Webs/PI/EN/state-symbols/national-anthem/national-anthem.html;jsessionid=DC3D1BEAAF8618B67C717DAE559F605A.1_cid364?nn=10768644 |access-date=2023-06-02 |website=Domestic Protocol Office of the Federal Government |language=en}}</ref> However the German Empire never had an official anthem like the Weimar Republic or the Federal Republic of Germany ([[Deutschlandlied|Lied der Deutschen]]). Together with "[[Die Wacht am Rhein]]" both songs had the status of unofficial national anthems.