KANONENFIEBER have released “Meine Lieben,” a song constructed from the final letters Hessian fusilier Philipp Schopp sent to his family from the front during the First World War. The release arrives alongside a lyric video, an ARTE Tracks feature and the announcement of the European Kriegstage 2027 tour.
The single originated through Soldatenschicksale, an initiative that invited KANONENFIEBER listeners to submit documents and stories involving relatives who served during the war. Among the material received was Schopp’s correspondence, preserved and carefully organized by his descendants.
Schopp wanted to return and help his younger brother Josef with his schoolwork, support his mother through everyday difficulties and spend time with his friends again. As the correspondence continued, however, his words revealed a growing sense of resignation. Returning home no longer appeared realistic.
The fusilier wrote his final letter on June 21, 1916. Shortly afterward, he was killed by a shell fragment and buried in a mass grave near the battlefield.
KANONENFIEBER transformed those letters into a first-person narrative. Rather than presenting the conflict through major military operations or prominent historical figures, the song focuses on a young man who gradually understands, through his own words, that he will probably never see his family again.
“Once again, we are reminded that war tears families apart, breaks hearts and destroys countless lives with ruthless indifference,” Noise, the project’s creator, stated. He thanked Schopp’s descendants for allowing him to work with original family documents and emphasized the importance of preserving these accounts as both remembrance and warning.
