 | ||
Prinz Eugen, der edle Ritter (Prince Eugene, the Noble Knight) is a German folksong about the victory of Prince Eugene of Savoy in 1717 during the Austro-Turkish War of 1716–1718.
Contents
Theme
The song is a narrative of the Siege of Belgrade. The text diverts from historical accuracy in two aspects. The day of the final assault on the defenders is given as the 21st of August although it was the 16th of August. Second, the song tells of the death of one of Eugene's brothers named Louis (Prinz Ludewig). Eugene had two brothers named Louis but none of them fell at Belgrade. The younger one, Louis Julius (1660-1683) who had entered Imperial service prior to Eugene was killed by Crimean Tatars at Petronell, whereas the older one, Louis Thomas (1657-1702) had died at the Siege of Landau.
Background and legacy
The author of the song is unknown. The melody derives from "Als Chursachsen das vernommen" and has later been adopted also to Ob wir rote, gelbe Kragen. Among others, Josef Strauss (Op. 186) has later composed his Prinz Eugen march based on the folksong.