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Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 1956

Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest

Manuscripts, fine bindings, an engraving plate and preserved performance ephemera
Arts and lettersInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionFeb 20, 2026
Entity authorityQ481333 ↗
Source-derived summary

Germany was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 1956 with two songs: "Das Lied vom großen Glück", written and performed by Walter Andreas Schwarz; and "So geht das jede Nacht", composed by Lotar Olias, with lyrics by Peter Moesser, and performed by Freddy Quinn. The German participating broadcaster on behalf of ARD, Nord- und Westdeutscher Rundfunkverband (NWRV), organised a national final to determine their two entries for the contest. "Das Lied vom großen Glück" was the first-ever entry from Germany performed in the Eurovision Song Contest.

Background

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) was formed in 1950 among 23 organisations with the aim of the exchange of television programmes. 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. Following this series of transmissions, a "Programme Committee" was set up within the EBU to investigate new initiatives for cooperation between broadcasters. The new European contest was subsequently approved at the EBU's General Assembly in October 1955. A planning sub-group, was subsequently formed to build out the rules of the competition. The rules of the contest were finalised and distributed to EBU members in early 1956. Per the rules of the contest, each participating broadcaster submitted two songs into the contest.

Editorial summary

This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 1956” as germany in the Eurovision Song Contest. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.

Editorial reviewA productive route into publication, performance and collection histories when the underlying object or edition remains clearly identified. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1956, 1950, 1955—that can be checked directly. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. The account is most persuasive where Germany, Eurovision and Song can be independently traced.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

The subject matters to the arts & letters register because the source frames it as germany in the Eurovision Song Contest. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.

Evidence profile

Reception evidence should be dated and situated: later canonical status may differ sharply from the work’s initial circulation. The source revision retrieved here is dated Feb 20, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q481333. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1956, 1950 and 1955.

Critical limits

Titles can refer to several editions, objects or performances, making precise identification essential before interpretation. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.

Best used for
  • Identifying works and editions
  • Tracing reception history
  • Finding collection records
Verify next

The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 1956”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 1956 primary sources, Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 1956 archive and Germany research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 1956”?
  2. Which edition, object, performance or recording is being described?
  3. Where is authorship, date or provenance documented?
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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 1956” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.