DIE GEDANKEN SIND FREI - THOUGHTS ARE FREE

What you get here is a mix of German and English, since 'Die Gedanken sind frei' are reference to a old German Folksong.

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Created with Google Gemini

Created with Nightcafe model HiDream I1 Fast

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I had a conversation with Microsoft Copilot about this, and got some valuable insights:

My input
There is a Wikipedia article about this, it is a German song that I learned in School, but it originates in the early 19th century. There are several versions of the text.

Exactly — Die Gedanken sind frei is one of those deceptively simple folk songs with a surprisingly deep and layered history.

It’s a German Volkslied about the freedom of thought, with roots that likely stretch back to the late 18th century. The earliest known printed versions appeared on fliegende Blätter (song sheets) between about 1780 and 1800. The melody most people know today emerged around 1810, and in 1842 August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben included a polished version in his Schlesische Volkslieder collection.

The song’s core idea — that no one can bind or capture your thoughts — actually echoes medieval poetry. For example, the 13th‑century poet Freidank wrote lines meaning “No one can find the bonds that bind my thoughts”, and Walther von der Vogelweide also expressed that thoughts are free.

Over time, the lyrics have appeared in multiple versions:

- Around 1800 — a shorter, four‑stanza form.
- 1842 Hoffmann von Fallersleben version — the most widely sung today.
- Later 19th‑century variants — sometimes adding a fifth stanza or altering imagery.

It’s been used in many political contexts — from the 1848 revolutions to anti‑Nazi resistance — and remains a cultural shorthand for defiance against censorship or oppression.

Links attached were: Wikipedia - Gedankennahrung.de - Liederkiste.com
also a link to a YouTube video with text:

Now it really gets interesting
I asked Microsoft Co-Pilot to render a image with my prompt, to which I got the reply that he cannot do that because there are scenes of violence depicted.
(Apparently Nightcafe and Gemini didn't have such qualms)
He suggested however that he could render a image that retains the idea, but has no 'violence', so I then asked if he could do so, and this was the result:

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On a follow up, the Copilot gave me more info - this time in German:

Yes — that Gedankennahrung article is a deep dive into “Die Gedanken sind frei” that goes well beyond the Wikipedia summary.

Here’s the essence of what it covers:

- Ursprung & Entwicklung
- Text erstmals um 1780 auf Flugblättern veröffentlicht, anonym, um Verfolgung zu vermeiden.
- Die heute bekannte Melodie entstand um 1810 und wurde 1842 von Hoffmann von Fallersleben in seine Schlesischen Volkslieder aufgenommen.

- Inhalt & Botschaft
- Fünf Strophen, die verschiedene Facetten der Gedankenfreiheit betonen: Grenzenlosigkeit, Unbesiegbarkeit, Unergründlichkeit, Widerstandskraft und Hoffnung.

- Philosophische Wurzeln
- Antike: Cicero („Liberae sunt nostrae cogitationes“).
- Mittelalter: Walther von der Vogelweide, Freidank (Bescheidenheit, 1229).

- Historische Bedeutung
- NS-Zeit: Sophie Scholl spielte es 1942 ihrem inhaftierten Vater vor.
- Berlin-Blockade 1948: Symbol des Widerstands.
- DDR & 1989: Gesungen bei Demonstrationen der Friedlichen Revolution.

- Musikalische Adaptionen
- Pete Seeger (engl. Thoughts Are Free), Nena, Rock- und Punkversionen, moderne Elektro-Arrangements.

- Politische & gesellschaftliche Relevanz
- Weltweit in Freiheitsbewegungen genutzt, auch heute bei Protesten gegen Überwachung und Einschränkung der Meinungsfreiheit.

- Popkultur & Bildung
- Verwendet in Filmen, Serien, Musikunterricht und politischer Bildung als Symbol für Demokratie und Menschenrechte.

And now, back to a earlier rendering on Nightcafe


this one was done on Nightcafe Flux

and finally, a couple of tries that didn't quite work out
^{seems to me that what we are dealing with here is a escape artist!}
My description under all of them was this:
Die Gedanken sind frei ---- ja, aber, sollte man aussprechen was man denkt kann man heutzutage angeklagt und eingesperrt werden. Denn die 'demokratischen Werte' müssen verteidigt werden. Das Lied habe ich in der Schule gelernt und gesungen:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die_Gedanken_sind_frei

Finally, the prompt I had used was initially this:

Germanic script font on top 'DIE GEDANKEN SIND FREI' - show a person tied to a chair with ropes and cuffs, the mouth taped shot, eyes wide open in terror

I then engaged the Revised Prompt after my first try, and this was what I used afterwards on the other platforms:

The phrase "DIE GEDANKEN SIND FREI" is emblazoned in a bold, ornate Germanic script font, positioned at the top of the image frame. Below, a person is depicted tied to a wooden chair with thick ropes tightly binding their torso and limbs, and metal cuffs securing their wrists to the chair arms. Their mouth is covered with a wide strip of dark tape, pulled taut. The person's eyes are wide open, pupils dilated, staring directly forward with an expression of intense terror and fear. The lighting is dim and dramatic, casting deep shadows on the person's face and the surrounding area, emphasizing their distress. The background is dark and indistinct, suggesting an isolated and confined space.

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How to translate a website with Google - YouTube video
Einfach URL der Webseite eingeben - simply enter the URL of the Webseite:
Google Translate - Übersetzer - Websites

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^{PRINTS OF MY ARTWORK AVAILABLE HERE:}


Bonus Special: INSANE ASYLUM FREAK SHOW

MY INTRODUCTION - ABOUT MY WORK

should you not be on the blockchain, or have no upvote power, or this post is already older than 7 days, you can always just buy me a coffee.

Final Words of wisdom and a pet concern of mine, especially about art diplomas:
I had in years past come across quite a few 'fake diplomas' that pretend to be academic credentials. Next to 'Pay to Play Galleries' they are the scourge to be avoided. The summary of a paper about this spells it out
DEGREE MILLS - THE BILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY
^{If you google the title you will find where this book is available, but also there are many videos on this subject.}