Hermann Ludwig Blankenburg (14 November 1876 in Thamsbrück – 15 May 1956 in Wesel) was a German composer of military marches. Blankenburg was the only son of three children of Johann Heinrich and Ernestine Friederike Koch Blankenburg. He was born with the middle name Louis but changed it to Ludwig later in life perhaps as a connection to Beethoven. Raised on a sheep farm in Thamsbrücke, he was expected to manage the farm someday. However, he showed a propensity for music starting with performing on the piccolo – a favorite instrument his entire life. His family agreed on his studying music as long as he promised to serve in the army for twelve years. Blankenburg taught himself to play various instruments including bassoon, tuba, and violin and he conducted his school orchestra at the age of ten. He served actively in the military for two years (1896–1898), playing tuba in the band of the 6th Field Artillery Regiment in Breslau. After that his only service was prior to and during the early years of World War I in reserve bands. He played tuba in the band of Field Artillery Regiment No. 43 in Wesel from 1913 until 1915, when he got a medical discharge. He remained in Wesel for the rest of his life. Blankenburg played in and conducted community bands as well as performing in the orchestras in Dortmund, Wuppertal, and Duisburg. He also worked as a bricklayer and a policeman for a short time. His personal life was full of turmoil. In 1917 he was arrested by the military police from his former regiment for "deserting his family". He had married Magdalena Weidmann in Germersheim in 1898. In 1920 he married Käthe Trauthoff and was then arrested for bigamy. Blankenburg's March Compositions In 1904, a march he had written years before was submitted to a Hawkes & Son march competition. Hawkes chose Blankenburg's march as the winner, from over 500 submitted, with the proviso the title be changed from "Deutschlands Fürsten" (Germany's Princes) to "Abschied der Gladiatoren" (The Gladiators' Farewell). The march became popular, and Hawkes (also Boosey & Hawkes) would publish several more of Blankenburg's compositions, including "Adlerflug", "Festjubel", "Territorial", and "Mein Regiment" (the latter said to be the composer's own favorite march). In the 1920s and 30s Blankenburg's marches attained European fame. Instead of accepting commissions, he composed marches when inspired. After World War II his