Lyra-Denkmal

Who could forget the melody of “Der Mai ist gekommen”? Here at the Lyra-Denkmal, we celebrate the man who gifted us this timeless tune. The Lyra-Denkmal, nestled in Osnabrück’s Schlossgarten, commemorates Justus Wilhelm Lyra. He composed the melody for the beloved German song “Der Mai ist gekommen” (The May Has Come). The monument itself, a stone adorned with a bronze lyre, is a tribute to Lyra’s musical legacy. Originally placed at the Vitischanze in 1905, the Lyra-Denkmal was moved to its current location in the Schlossgarten in 1985. The monument was sculpted by Rudolf Wulfertange, a local Osnabrück artist, who also happened to be the son of a woodcarver and sculptor. This connection adds another layer of local significance to the monument. Lyra, born in Osnabrück in 1822, wasn’t just a composer. He was also a Lutheran pastor. While studying philology and music in Berlin, Lyra, along with two colleagues, compiled the songbook “Deutsche Lieder nebst ihren Melodien” (German Songs and Their Melodies). Published in 1843, this songbook included not only “Der Mai ist gekommen” but also several other popular student songs. This very songbook became the basis for the “Allgemeinen Deutschen Kommersbuches,” a widely used student songbook. Lyra also composed a Christmas cantata based on texts by Matthias Claudius. So, as you stand before the Lyra-Denkmal, remember the man behind the melody that heralds the arrival of spring. His contribution to German song resonates even today, especially here in Osnabrück, his birthplace, where “Der Mai ist gekommen” is still sung on May Day eve.