| Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 1956 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eurovision Song Contest 1956 | ||||
| Participating broadcaster | ARD[a] –Nord- und Westdeutscher Rundfunkverband (NWRV) | |||
| Country |  Germany | |||
| Selection process | Song: National final Artist: Unknown | |||
| Selection date | 1 May 1956 | |||
| Competing entries | ||||
| First entry | ||||
| Song | "Das Lied vom großen Glück" | |||
| Artist | Walter Andreas Schwarz | |||
| Songwriter | Walter Andreas Schwarz | |||
| Second entry | ||||
| Song | "So geht das jede Nacht" | |||
| Artist | Freddy Quinn | |||
| Songwriters |
| |||
| Placement | ||||
| Final result | N/A | |||
| Participation chronology | ||||
| ||||
Germany was represented at theEurovision Song Contest 1956 with two songs: "Das Lied vom großen Glück",[b] written and performed byWalter Andreas Schwarz; and "So geht das jede Nacht", composed byLotar Olias, with lyrics byPeter Moesser [de], and performed byFreddy Quinn. The German participating broadcaster on behalf ofARD,Nord- und Westdeutscher Rundfunkverband [de] (NWRV), organised a national final to determine their two entries for the contest.[2][3] "Das Lied vom großen Glück" was the first-ever entry from Germany performed in theEurovision Song Contest.
TheEuropean Broadcasting Union (EBU) was formed in 1950 among 23 organisations with the aim of the exchange of television programmes.[4] Following the formation of the EBU, a number of notable events were transmitted through its networks in various European countries, such as Belgium, France, and the United Kingdom.[4] Following this series of transmissions, a "Programme Committee" was set up within the EBU to investigate new initiatives for cooperation between broadcasters.[5] The new European contest was subsequently approved at the EBU's General Assembly in October 1955.[5][6][4] A planning sub-group, was subsequently formed to build out the rules of the competition.[7][8][9] The rules of the contest were finalised and distributed to EBU members in early 1956.[10] Per the rules of the contest, each participating broadcaster submitted two songs into the contest.[11] During a meeting held on 27 and 28 October 1955, the television program directors of the German broadcasting corporationARD decided to participate in the contest and to organise a national final.[12] Germany was subsequently included on the EBU's list of seven countries whose broadcasters had signed up to partake in the contest.[11] For the 1956 contest, NWRV held a national final to choose two German entries.[13][14]
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"Grand Prix 1956 Eurovision" – Schlager und Chansons was the national final held to determine the two songs that should represent Germany.[15] It took place on 1 May 1956 at 20:00CET (19:00UTC) at the Großer Sendesaal ofKölner Funkhaus [de] inCologne and was broadcast onDeutsches Fernsehen.[15] Initially, the final was planned to be held in Hamburg.[16] It was produced byNord- und Westdeutscher Rundfunkverband [de] (NWRV), a cooperation ofNDR andWDR, and directed byJohn Olden [de].[15][14] The presenter wasHeinz Piper [de].[2] 13 songs took part in the national final.[17] The participants were chosen upon invitation from NWRV and other ARD broadcasters.[18][12]
Initial plans foresaw that each ARD broadcaster submitted two songs and two artists for the national final until 1 February 1956.[12]
In April 1956, several listings magazines finally announced a list of 11 performers who should sing the competing compositions:[15][13]Lys Assia (nominated bySDR),Eva Busch (SWF),Angèle Durand,Margot Eskens (SFB),Friedel Hensch und die Cyprys [de] (NWRV),Margot Hielscher (BR),Bibi Johns (SDR), Rolf Baro (Radio Bremen),Walter Andreas Schwarz (HR),Hans Arno Simon [de], andGerhard Wendland [de] (NWRV).[15][13][12]Freddy Quinn was not part of the announced list.[13][15] The periodicalfff-press later reported that "a large number of the artists that had been announced weren't present."[19] Press reports published after the national final confirmed the participation of Friedel Hensch und die Cyprys,[17] Walter Andreas Schwarz,[20]Melitta Berg [de] (nominated bySWF, and not part of the initial list),[20][12] as well as of Lys Assia.[17][21] By the time the national final took place,Lys Assia had already beenselected to represent Switzerland at Eurovision.[2] In contrast, Margot Hielscher stated that, according to her documents, she was not in Cologne on 1 May 1956 but in Berlin for filming.[2]
The artists were accompanied by theWDR Tanz- und Unterhaltungsorchester under the direction ofAdalbert Luczkowski [de].[2][15] The running order was to be drawn by lot with directorJohn Olden [de] being able to overrule the order in case of imbalances.[12] The running order as well as the titles of the participating songs are not known for a few exceptions: "Im Wartesaal zum großen Glück" was presented under the title "Das Lied vom großen Glück" in the national final.[20][22][23] A song titled "Ich bin so unmusikalisch" reportedly took part.[17]Lys Assia performed her song 13th (and last) in the running order.[17] There was a rumour that she sang the song "Ein kleiner gold'ner Ring" in the national final.[23][24] However, this turned out to be incorrect, as she competed with this song in theGerman Schlager Festival of 1961 [de].[25]
Three French-speaking acts, among them Les Compagnons du zodiaque andAnnie Cordy, singing in both German and French, were the interval acts.[21]
A jury, which was watching the songs in a separate room on TV screens, decided the winning songs.[26] The jury was composed by members of the general public with each ARD broadcaster sending one juror.[27][12] It seems that the selection took place in two rounds, with a superfinal confronting a few songs chosen among the 13 entries from the first round.[28]
The first two places were selected to represent Germany at the Eurovision Song Contest in Lugano: "Das Lied vom großen Glück", written byWalter Andreas Schwarz (first place), and "So geht das jede Nacht", written byPeter Moesser [de] andLotar Olias (second).[2][17][26][28] The songwriters of the winning entries were only revealed after the results.[21] A trophy, which consisted of a transparent box filled withorchids, was given to the first place.[20] The full results of the national final are not known. The song sung by Melitta Berg was reported to have finished in third place.[20]
| Place | Artist | Song | Songwriter(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Walter Andreas Schwarz | "Das Lied vom großen Glück" | Walter Andreas Schwarz |
| 2 | Freddy Quinn | "So geht das jede Nacht" | |
| 3 | Melitta Berg [de] |
There have been speculations about whether the national final actually took place: Despite the fact that the show appeared in listings magazines, none of the named participants could recall having taken part in the national final.[2][3] However, reviews and articles about the national final were published in several German print media after the final, includingSüddeutsche Zeitung,Quick andBild+Funk [de], giving details about the jury and the winning songs.[26][20][29]
Walter Andreas Schwarz, of Jewish origins, was a survivor of the concentration camps and had been working as an announcer for theBBC afterWorld War II.[30]Freddy Quinn was an Austrian national with an American father and sung his entry inrock'n'roll style.[30] The first two German entrants, Walter Andreas Schwarz and Freddy Quinn, have therefore been interpreted as "cosmopolitan representatives of a West Germany that was distancing itself from its Nazi past and embracing an Americanized present."[30]
Eurovision Song Contest 1956 took place at theTeatro Kursaal inLugano, Switzerland, on 24 May 1956.[7] "Im Wartesaal zum großen Glück" was, like in the national final, presented under the title "Das Lied vom großen Glück".[31] It was performed fourth and "So geht das jede Nacht" was performed eleventh in the running order, both following Belgium and preceding France's two songs.[7] Both of the German entries were conducted at the contest byFernando Paggi.[7]
Neither of the German songs won the contest, and the full results were not revealed and have not been retained by the EBU.[32] In theGerman national final of 1982, co-presenterRudolf Rohlinger [de] claimed that "Im Wartesaal zum großen Glück" had come second.[33] Though the full results have never been made public, the claim has been repeated several times since.[34][35][36][37]
Eurovision Song Contest 1956 was televised in Germany onDeutsches Fernsehen with commentary provided byIrene Koss.[38][39] It was also broadcast live onRadio Bremen 2.[40] Excerpts from the final in Lugano were broadcast on radioSWF2 [de] on 18 June 1956 at 23:00CET, and onRadio München on 30 June 1956 at 20:15CET.[41][42]
[Hans-Otto Grünefeldt:] Und damit wurde er [Walter Andreas Schwarz], für mich völlig sensationell, Zweiter. [And with this song, he placed – totally sensationally, in my opinion – second]