 It is one of the German "Rhine songs" 
invoking the Rhine as part of the German national patrimony in the face of French territorial claims.The song appears to have been used as the "de facto" national anthem of Liechtenstein by the late 19th century, and was officially adopted as such in 1920.Iceland's de facto national anthem in the 19th century was "Íslands minni" ("To Iceland", better known as "Eldgamla Ísafold"), a poem by Bjarni Thorarensen set to the melody of "God Save the King".