Uncle Teddy

The origin of the march “Uncle Teddy” goes back to the period, when Julius Fucík, who was already a popular military bandmaster then, transferred from Infantry Regiment 86, which was then stationed in the small garrison of Szabadka in Southern Hungary, to Infantry Regiment 92 in Terezín. His tour of duty in Hungary ended on January 30, 1910, while his new assignment became effective on May 01, 1910. The march was completed in Szabadka on April 09,1910 under the title of “Uncle Tom”. It must not be underlined that this goes back to Harriet Beecher Stowe’s famous novel. It refers, however, to the American president Theodore Roosevelt (1859-1919), when it was eventually published as “Uncle Teddy”. It cannot be traced down anymore, if this change of title was the composer’s idea or a clever move by his publisher.