^{This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website}

Germany

Bundesrepublik Deutschland

by Mark Sensen

Historic use of the German flag
Colours in German flag
Names of German flag
State flag
Naval ensign and jack
President

See also:

Historic Use of German Flag

The black-red-yellow tricolour flag has been used at least three times in the history of Germany. It was adopted in 1848, and abolished in 1852; readopted as the flag of the Weimar Republic on 1919-08-11, and abolished and replaced by the Third Reich flag on 1933-03-12. It was finally readopted as the modern German flag on 1949-05-08. Until 1959 it was used by the German Democratic Republic, but had added to it a coat of arms from 1959 to 1989, when the Germanies were reunited.
Mark Sensen

Today the black-red-yellow tricolour is used as the national flag and the merchant ensign. The state flag and ensign are the same, but with the shield not really centred but placed toward the hoist. The naval ensign and jack are the same, but swallow-tailed.
Pacal Vagnat, 1996-09-04

Colours in German flag

The German flag consists of the colors of the coat of arms (shield) of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation (a.k.a. the First Reich) --a black eagle, with red beak and claws, on a gold field.

The red, at least, doesn't mean anything; it's usual to paint the claws red, unless the beast itself is red or on a red field. The Belgian tricolor has a similar origin: the dukes of Brabant bore a gold lion with red claws and tongue on a black field.

Anton Sherwood, 19-OCT-1995

The black-red-gold was not taken from the coat of arms of the Holy Roman Empire of German Nation. That's only a rumour, but admittedly it seems to be logical.

We have only to go back to 1813, into the time of the Liberation War against Napoleon. It was not only a war for independence, but also for German unification, after the breakdown of the Roman Empire in 1806. During the war there was a free corps called "Luetzowsche Jaeger" (Luetzow's riflemen), which soldiers - especially students - became pioneers of the national movement. They wore - by chance - black tunics with red facings. From these colours the first flag of the student movement after the war was inspired: Gules, a fess Sable, an Oak Leaf Or. Shortly afterwards the gold was given an equal rank, to make the flag similar to the French tricolore, a symbol of the revolution and of a new begin. Similar to the tricolore, the flag was then called "Dreifarb" (triple-coloured). But black-red-gold should not only stay as colours of a student movement; it should become the German national colours. Therefore it was necessary to find a good reason for black-red-gold. A clever student from Jena declared, that these were the old imperial colours. All fellows agreed, because by this way the colours were given an acceptable historical background. And if you want, you can make a relation between this flag and the old imperial coat of arms. But this relation is only a happy accident.

(According to: Hans Hattenhauer: "Deutsche Nationalsymbole", Munich 1984)

Carsten Linke, 24-MAY-1996

Names of German flag

The official name of the German flag is "Bundesflagge" (federal flag). However, this name is mainly used by authorities or in very official announcements. But even the name given on the FOTW page about names of flags, "Schwarz-Rot-Gold" (black-red-gold), is not very usual; it's more a poetic term. Most Germans simply call the flag "Deutschlandfahne" (Germany flag). Not very imaginative, is it?

Note, that the bottom colour is gold, not yellow! During the time of the first republic (1919-1933) especially monarchists used "Black-red-yellow" as a spiteful nickname for the new flag, or disdainfully called the gold "mustard yellow".

Carsten Linke, 2-MAY-1996

I have seen colours similar to the yellow on the German flag described as "Old Gold" - notably when describing the team colours of sports teams.
James Dignan, 6-MAY-1996

I read that the "gold" on the German flag, when in a real flag and not on paper, is "chrome yellow".
Pascal Vagnat, 6-MAY-1996

State flag

by Carsten Linke, 14-JUN-1996

Accoring to [Smi] (1980) this design is the state flag, and also the state ensign and war flag (alltought the simple tricolour could be used as the state flag, too).

Naval ensign and jack

by Carsten Linke, 14-JUN-1996

According to the BROCKHAUS ENZYKLOPAEDIE, dated 1968 but which still show many valid flags German naval jack is black-red-gold swallow-tailed with the arms [i.e. the same as the naval ensign].

Pascal Vagnat, 2-MAY-1996

President

by Carsten Linke, 24-JUN-1996

The President of the Federal Republic of Germany (currently Prof. Dr. Roman Herzog) uses a gold (chrome yellow?) flag with red border and a variation of the black German eagle.

Carsten Linke, 24-JUN-1996