Described as religious song by Schumann, the motet Verzweifle nicht was first performed with organ on July 4, 1850, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary St. Pauli, the choral society at the University of Leipzig. A version with orchestral accompaniment was premiered in 1853. In a letter to Schumann, Herrmann Langer, the conductor of both premieres, called the motet one of the most stimulating and insporing creations in male-voice literature.