The Edelweiss is a high altitude mountainous flower that grows in Europe. The flower was previously used in traditional folk medicine, but since the 1880s has been a protected plant in many countries. Its name comes from the German edel, meaning "noble," and weiss, meaning white, translated to "noble whiteness" or "noble purity." Its alluring appearance and mountain ties have made it a part of our cultural heritage.
The Austrian-Hungarian Army used the Edelweiss as the symbol for their alpine troops, it was used in WW II by the Wehrmacht Gebirgsjäger, and it is on the Austrian Euro 2 cent coin. Its influence is far reaching and can be seen on many popular commercial items, including Austrian beer.
In 1934 the flower performed one of its most dubious duties. Adolph Hitler was set to arrive at Anhalter Station and a delegation from various women's organizations in Berlin planned to greet him with flowers. However, after contacting his propaganda minister's secretary, they were informed that Hitler had no favorite flower, nor any particular interest in flowers. In a spur of the moment decision, the Edelweiss was selected for him, due to its rarity and connection to the Bavarian mountains where Hitler spent time in his youth. From that point on it became the official flower of the Fuhrer. Conversely, and interestingly, it was also the badge of the anti-Nazi youth group, The Edelweiss Pirates, during the Third Reich.
Perhaps its best known role is from The Sound of Music, the last musical on which Rogers and Hammerstein collaborated. The song "Edelweiss" was written specifically to take advantage of the skills of Theodore Bikel, who played Captain George Ludwig von Trapp in the stage production. Despite the flower's connections to Hitler, the song was meant to illustrate von Trapp's support of his homeland in opposition to Nazi rule. The song's popularity exceeded that of the musical itself, spawning many misconceptions -- including one that President Ronald Reagan fell prey to. When the emissary of Austria visited the United States, Edelweiss was played because it was believed to be the national anthem and a traditional folk song.
-Professor Walter
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