"Erika" is a German marching song. "Erika" is both a common German female name and the German word for heather. The lyrics and melody of the song were written by Herms Niel in 1938, a German composer of marches. Although the song itself has nothing to do with war or militarism, it became popular especially among soldiers, because this folk tune was able to turn away the thoughts about war and give the soldier a feeling of home - such as the song Lili Marleen did. Although the song is repeatedly referred to as a "Nazi song", this term does not describe the song at all. It wasn't really an exclusive military song and was also a popular hit among the civilian population. The fact that the song became particularly popular due to the ideology of the Third Reich is due to the zeitgeist, but should not be blamed on the song itself. The song is also often associated with war crimes or militarism in some movies, which not only does the song an injustice; It is therefore also misrepresented in its actual use: namely as a distraction from the everyday life of many young men who were drafted into the war.
Nevertheless, it must be said that the composer Herms Niel, who was particularly supported in the Third Reich, would probably never have achieved such popularity if the militarism and war had not prevailed at the time. According to British soldier, historian, and author Major General Michael Tillotson, it was the single most popular marching song of any country during the Second World War.
After the war, the song's popularity declined slightly, but it was never forgotten. Especially with the founding of the Bundeswehr in 1955, the old, non-political soldiers' songs of the Second World War experienced a new heyday and were simply continued to be sung in the Bundeswehr, which was made up of former Wehrmacht soldiers.
The song was sung in the Bundeswehr for a few decades and was also (re-)recorded several times (like this recording) before the singing of these old soldiers' songs declined and is no longer desired by the Bundeswehr leadership today.
The song is officially no longer allowed to be sung there, even though people didn't bother with it for decades. The song continues to be sung there unofficially, without the approval of the authorities.
Although the song is undesirable in the Bundeswehr, it is by NO MEANS forbidden in Germany; such songs are also covered by artistic freedom in Germany, precisely because their content is completely harmless and does not convey Nazi ideology. The mere time at which a song was created should not be blamed on it.
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