Germany is facing calls to remove the word “fatherland” from its national anthem — but not because of any perceived nationalist overtones or links to the Nazi era.

Instead feminists are calling for the word to be removed because they say it is sexist.

In a letter to staff leaked to the German press, the government’s equal opportunities commissioner called for the anthem to be made gender neutral.

"Why don't we make our national anthem gender sensitive?” Kristin Rose-Möhring wrote in the leaked letter. “It wouldn't hurt, would it?”

She suggested the word “fatherland” be replaced with “homeland”, and also called for the word “brotherly” to be changed to “courageous”.