The Watch on the Rhine
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A national song of the old German Empire, sharing the place of honour v/ith'Deutschland uber Alles (Germany over all).
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “The Watch on the Rhine” mean?
A national song of the old German Empire, sharing the place of honour v/ith'Deutschland uber Alles (Germany over all).
Is “The Watch on the Rhine” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.