Raff entered the completed symphony in a competition organized in Vienna, sponsored by Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde and judged by Ferdinand Hiller, Carl Reinecke, Robert Volkmann and Vinzenz Lachner.

[1] The symphony was premiered in February 1863 in Vienna at the Musikverein, conducted by Joseph Hellmesberger Sr.[1] It is dedicated to Charles Alexander, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach and was published in 1864 in Leipzig by J. Schuberth & Co.

The symphony is structured in five movements: Raff uses extensively a melody composed in 1825 by Gustav Reichardt for Ernst Moritz Arndt's poem Was ist des Deutschen Vaterland?.

She further adds: "The fifth movement begins with a lament on the destiny of greater Germany and then proceeds to develop prophetic visions of future unity and majesty."

Joachim Raff's note about the symphony states "Here the composer felt himself permitted the use of a motive not original with him ... as a symbol.