Ich bin der Doktor Eisenbart facts for kids
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Ich bin der Doktor Eisenbart ("I am the Doctor Eisenbart") is a very popular German folk song. It's also known as the Eisenbart Song. This song was created around 1800. It tells a funny story about a real person, Johann Andreas Eisenbarth, who was a doctor. The song makes him seem like a "quack," which means someone who pretends to have medical skills but doesn't really.
There are many different versions of the song. The oldest known version was published in 1814. The first time the song appeared with its melody was in 1840. Later, in the 20th century, this student song became a popular youth and children's song. Its tune was even used for another well-known song, "Ein Mann, der sich Kolumbus nannt" ("A Man Named Columbus").
How the Song Was Created
The funny song "Ich bin der Doktor Eisenbart" was probably written by students in Göttingen around 1800. A favorite place for these students to visit was Hann. Münden. This town was the home and burial place of Johann Andreas Eisenbarth, the doctor the song is about.
The song starts with these lines:
Ich bin der Doktor Eisenbart,
widewidewitt, bum, bum,
kurier die Leut’ auf meine Art,
widewidewitt, bum, bum.
Kann machen, dass die Blinden geh’n,
widewidewitt, juchheirassa,
und dass die Lahmen wieder seh’n,
widewidewitt, bum, bum.
Over time, many more verses have been added to the original twelve.
How the Song Spread
The "Doctor Eisenbart" song became very popular. It even inspired many authors to write books. Some famous writers who wrote novels based on the song include Josef Winckler and Hanns Kneifel.
The song also led to plays, operas, and even an operetta by Nico Dostal called Doktor Eisenbart. In the 1950s, a school opera called Der Arzt auf dem Marktplatz was written in East Germany. It also used ideas from Doctor Eisenbarth's life.
Dutch Version of the Song
There is also a version of the song in Dutch called Ik Ben Doktor Grijzenbaard. This version changes the name "Eisenbart" to grijzenbaard, which means "grey beard." This way, it doesn't directly refer to the real Doctor Eisenbarth.
In 1978, a comedy band from Belgium called De Strangers made a funny version of Ik Ben Doktor Grijzenbaard. They called it Ik Ben Vader Grijzenbaard. This song made fun of how popular Vader Abraham's The Smurf Song was. It also joked about The Muppets.
