German Marching Song: Wir sind des Geyers Schwarzer Haufen

The song “Wir sind des Geyers Schwarzer Haufen” (roughly translated as “We are Geyer’s Black Company”) was written by German songwriter Fritz Sotke in 1919, the lyrics deriving from a poem written by the Bavarian poet and artillery officer Heinrich von Reder in 1888. The song is based off of a leader of the German Peasants’ War (1524-1525), Florian Geyer, and his “Black Company”, who served as a heavy cavalry unit for the peasants. They were known for attacking cathedrals and castles and killing clerics and noblemen. This rendition of the song was performed by the German band “Die Streuener” (The Strays in English) in 1998 for their album “Wein, Weib und Gesang” (Wine, Women, and Song).