"Gott liebt diese Welt" (God loves this world) is a Christian hymn with words in German written by Walter Schulz in 1962, who added one additional verse in 1970.[1] It expresses God's love for the world, expanding on John 3:16. The hymn was originally written for a Protestant youth gathering in East Germany, intended as an encouragement in difficult times after the erection of the Berlin Wall. It appeared in Protestant and Catholic hymnals, and other songbooks.
| "Gott liebt diese Welt" | |
|---|---|
| Christian hymn | |
| Key | C major |
| Written | 1962 |
| Text | by Walter Schulz |
| Language | German |
| Based on | John 3:16 |
| Melody | by Walter Schulz |
| Composed | 1962 |
Background and history
editWalter Schulz was a Protestant pastor who served from 1956 as Landesjugendpastor (state youth pastor) for the Evangelisch-Lutherische Landeskirche Mecklenburgs.[2] In that function, he wrote the text of "Gott liebt diese Welt" in 1962 for a Protestant youth gathering (Evangelischer Jugendtag) in Schwerin. A year after the Berlin Wall was built, he faced suppression and criticism of Christian beliefs by the regime of East Germany. He was interested in putting out a message of encouragement.[2]
The song became part of the Protestant hymnal Evangelisches Gesangbuch as EG 409, and of the Catholic hymnal Gotteslob as GL 464.[3] The hymn is also part of other songbooks, including ecumenical collections and books for young people.[4]
Theme and text
editThe words of the hymn are in eight stanzas of five lines each, with the final stanza being a repetition of the first.[1] It follows a strict formal scheme: the first line of each stanza is "Gott liebt diese Welt"; in the two framing stanzas this line is repeated at the end, while the last line similarly often begins with "Gott" and always ends with "Welt".[1] The rhyme scheme is ABABA. The song, written in the first-person plural, expresses God's love of the world and especially of "us" people, following a verse from the Gospel of John, "God so loved the world" (John 3:16).[1] The inner lines name ways of this love.[1]
Melody and music
editThe melody begins like a fanfare[2] with a downward triad seemingly in a major key but moves to the minor mode and church keys.[1]
Klaus Wallrath composed a Liedermotette Gott liebt diese Welt in 2014, setting the full text for mixed choir, organ and brass.[5]
Usage
editThe hymn was used as the title of a collection of choral music for church services and secular use, containing 50 settings for a convention of youth choirs in 2015. It was published by Bärenreiter.[6]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f Marti, Andreas (2017). Evang, Martin; Alpermann, Ilsabe (eds.). 409 Gott liebt diese Welt (in German). Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht. pp. 80–83. ISBN 978-3-64-750346-2.
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help) - ^ a b c Schnurr, Rüdiger (3 March 2008). "Gott liebt diese Welt" (in German). WDR. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
- ^ "464 ö / Gott liebt diese Welt (L) / Leben in der Welt - Schöpfung". Gotteslob (in German). Diocese of Limburg. 2013. Archived from the original on 17 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
- ^ "Gott liebt diese Welt". evangeliums.net (in German). Retrieved 16 February 2022.
- ^ "Musikdirektor ACV Klaus Wallrath". Diocese of Cologne (in German). Retrieved 2 April 2022.
- ^ "Gott liebt diese Welt" (in German). Bärenreiter. Retrieved 16 February 2022.