The Börgermoorlied: The Journey of a Resistance Song throughout Europe, 1933–1945

Abstract

The Börgermoorlied, Moorsoldatenlied or Lied der Moorsoldaten, better known in English as The Peat Bog Soldiers or The Soldiers of the Moor, was born under the Third Reich in the camp of Börgermoor during the summer of 1933. Created by communist inmates in one of the first Nazi camps, this song represents a unique example of a European and even international musical circulation before, during, and after the Second World War. From the first Nazi camps in Germany to the death camps of Auschwitz-Birkenau, London, the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939), and French internment camps, this Song of deportation spread throughout Europe. This article traces the history and evolution of the song from its origin to nowadays. It also shows how this song was used by many artists, from the early camps to the exile, to help to build a “space of communication” and spiritual resistance against totalitarianism.