List of German flags

This is a list of historic flags used by and in Germany. For more information about the current national flag, see Flag of Germany.

National flags

Date	Use	Description
1919–1933; since 1949	National and merchant flag (Bundes- und Handelsflagge)	A tricolour, made of three equal horizontal bands coloured black (top), red, and gold (bottom).
1950–	State flag and ensign (Bundesdienstflagge) and military flag (Kriegsflagge). This flag may only be used by federal government authorities.	The national flag with the Bundesschild (a variant of the coat of arms of Germany) in the centre. The flag was originally used 1921–1933 in the Weimar Republic. While identical in heraldic terms to the original Weimar era flag, the modern exact design is slightly simplified.
	National flag with coat of arms (Bundesflagge mit Bundeswappen). Unofficial version, the private use of which is not penalized.
1996–	Hanging national flag (Bannerflagge)
1996–	Hanging state flag

Presidential standard

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1921–1926; since 1950	Standard of the President of Germany	The standard depicts the elements of the coat of arms. A version of the standard that is identical in heraldic terms, but with a slightly different exact design, was used 1926–1933.

Military and state flags

Date	Use	Description
1956–	War ensign and naval jack (Seekriegsflagge und Gösch) of the German Navy	A swallowtail variant of the state flag
1957–	Standard of Inspector General of the Bundeswehr
1964–	Troop colour (Truppenfahne) of the Bundeswehr
1950–1994	Flag of Deutsche Bundespost
1950–1994	Flag of the Minister of Deutsche Bundespost
1950–1994	Flag of the President of Deutsche Bundespost	A swallowtail variant of the postal flag
1950–1994	Flag of the State Secretary of Deutsche Bundespost

Flags of German states

Main article: Flags of German states

Civil flags

Flag	Date	Use	Description
		Civil flag of Baden-Württemberg
		Civil flag of Bavaria (striped variant)
		Civil flag of Bavaria (lozengy variant)
		Civil flag of Berlin
		Civil flag of Brandenburg
		Civil flag of Bremen
		Civil flag of Bremen (with middle arms)
		Civil flag of Bremen (with flag arms)
		Civil flag of Hamburg
		Civil flag of Hesse
		Civil flag of Lower Saxony
		Civil flag of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
		Civil flag of North Rhine-Westphalia
		Civil flag of Rhineland-Palatinate
		Civil flag of Saarland
		Civil flag of Saxony
		Civil flag of Saxony-Anhalt
		Civil flag of Schleswig-Holstein
		Civil flag of Thuringia

State flags

Flag	Date	Use	Description
		State flag of Baden-Württemberg (lesser arms)
		State flag of Baden-Württemberg (greater arms)
		State flag of Bavaria (striped variant)
		State flag of Bavaria (lozengy variant)
	1954–2007	State flag of Berlin
		State flag of Brandenburg
		State flag of Bremen (with lesser arms)
		State flag of Bremen (with flag arms)
		State flag of Hamburg
		Admiralty flag of Hamburg (used by state ships)
		State flag of Hesse
		Flag of Lower Saxony (on land)
		State ensign of Lower Saxony (at sea)
		State flag of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
		State flag of North Rhine-Westphalia
		State flag of Rhineland-Palatinate
		Flag of Saarland
		State flag of Saxony
		State flag of Saxony-Anhalt
		State flag of Schleswig-Holstein
		State flag of Thuringia

Historical flags

German Confederation (1815–1866)

Date	Use	Description
1848–1865	Flag of the German Confederation, used in 1848 and again in 1863-1866	Also German Empire (1848/1849)
1848–1852	War ensign of the Reichsflotte
1848–1852	Marine jack of the Reichsflotte

North German Confederation (1866–1871)

Date	Use	Description
1867–1871	National and merchant flag (National- und Handelsflagge)	A tricolour, made of three equal horizontal bands coloured black (top), white, and red (bottom)
1867–1871	War flag (Kriegsflagge)
1867–1871	Marine jack (Kriegsschiffgösch)

German Empire (1871–1918)

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1871–1918	National and merchant flag (National- und Handelsflagge)
	1896–1918	Merchant flag variant with the Iron Cross (Eisernes Kreuz)
	1871–1892	Imperial Navy war ensign (Kriegsflagge)
	1892–1903	Reich war flag (Reichskriegsflagge)
	1903–1918 (1921)	Reich war flag
	1871–1903	Marine jack (Kriegsschiffgösch)
	1903–1918 (1921)	Marine jack

Imperial family standards

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1871	The King of Prussia's Standard
	1871–1888	German Emperor's Standard
	1888–1918	German Emperor's Standard
	1871–1901	Empress Augusta and Empress Frederick's Standard
	1888–1918	Empress Augusta Viktoria's Standard
	1871–1888	Standard of the Crown Prince
	1888–1918	Standard of the Crown Prince

Weimar Republic (1919–1933)

Date	Use	Description
1919–1933	National flag (Nationalflagge)
1921–1933	State flag (Dienstflagge zu Land)
1919–1933	Merchant flag (Handelsflagge)
1921–1933	Merchant flag variant with the Iron Cross (Eisernes Kreuz)
1921–1926	State ensign (Dienstflagge zur See)
1926–1933	State ensign (Dienstflagge zur See)
1919–1921 (de jure)	Reich war flag (Reichskriegsflagge)
1921–1933	Reich war flag
1921–1933	Marine jack (Kriegsgösch)
1921–1926	Standard of the President
1926–1933	Standard of the President
1919–1921	Flag of the President
1919–1921	Flag of Defence Minister
1921–1933	Flag of Defence Minister
1924–1933; since 1953	Flag of the Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold	The Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold was an unofficial republican paramilitary organization dominated by social democrats, liberals, and members of the Catholic Centre Party, to defend the Weimar Republic against National Socialists, communists, and monarchists. Refounded in 1953 as an association for political education.

Nazi Germany (1933–1945)

The flag with the hakenkreuz and white disc centered was used throughout (1920–45) as the NSDAP party flag (Parteiflagge).^[1] Between 1933 and 1935, it was used as the national flag (Nationalflagge) and merchant flag (Handelsflagge) - interchangeably with the black-white-red horizontal tricolour last used (up to 1918) by the German Empire. In 1935, the black-white-red horizontal tricolour was scrapped again, and the flag with the off-center swastika and disc was instituted as the only national flag (and was to remain as such until 1945). The flag with the centered disc only continued to be used as the Parteiflagge after 1935.

Flag	Date	Use	Description
Flags used 1933 – 1935
	1933–1935 1933–1935 1920–1945	National flag (Nationalflagge) Merchant flag (Handelsflagge) NSDAP Party flag (Parteiflagge)^[1]	A red field, with a white disc with a black swastika, or hakenkreuz, at a 45 degree angle. Disc and swastika are exactly in the centre.
	1933–1935	National flag (Nationalflagge) Merchant flag (Handelsflagge)	Black, white, and red horizontal tricolour. Used in conjunction with the Parteiflagge.
	1933–1935	Merchant flag variant with the Iron Cross (Eisernes Kreuz)
	1933–1935	Reich war flag (Reichskriegsflagge) and marine jack
	1933	Reich service flag (Reichsdienstflagge) of the Wehrmacht
	1933–1935	Reich service flag
	1933–1935 (de facto up to 1934)	Standard of the President
	1933–1935	Flag of the Minister of Defence
Flags used 1935 – 1945
	1935–1945 1935–1945	National flag^[1] Marine jack (Gösch)	A red field, with a white disc with a black swastika, or hakenkreuz, at a 45 degree angle. Disk and swastika are slightly off-centre.
	1920-1945	NSDAP Party flag (Parteiflagge)^[1]	A red field, with a white disc with a black swastika, or hakenkreuz, at a 45 degree angle. Disk and swastika are exactly in the centre.
	1933–1945	Banner (Bannerflagge) of Germany	Banners were of various lengths, which were hung vertically on public buildings.
	1935–1945	Merchant flag variant with the Iron Cross
	1935–1938	Kriegsmarine, Heer, Luftwaffe
	1938–1945	Kriegsmarine, Heer, Luftwaffe
	1935–1945	Reich service flag
	1935–1945	Standard of Adolf Hitler
	1935–1938	Flag of the Wehrmacht Commander in Chief (replaced the Minister of Defence)
	1935–1945	Flag of the Schutzstaffel (SS)
	1936–1945	Flag of the Ordnungspolizei (OrPo) ("Order Police", the national regular police organization of Nazi Germany)

Allied Control Council (1945–1949)

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1946–1950	"C-Pennant" (C-Doppelstander) (provisional civil ensign)	Used during the Occupation Period to identify German ships according to international law.

East Germany (1949–1990)

Date	Use	Description
1949–1959	State flag (Staatsflagge)
1959–1990	State flag (Staatsflagge) 1959–1990 Merchant flag (Handelsflagge) 1973–1990	Tricolour of black, red, and yellow (same as West German colours), but bears the coat of arms of East Germany, consisting of a compass and a hammer encircled with rye
1959–1973	Merchant flag (Handelsflagge)
1963–1990	Hanging state flag (Bannerflagge)
1955–1973	Flag of East German Post
1975–1990	Flag of East German Post
1955–1990	Standard of the President
1960–1990	Standard of President of State Council
1960–1990	Flag of the National People's Army (Nationale Volksarmee or NVA)
1960–1990	Regimental colours (Truppenfahne) of Nationale Volksarmee
1960–1990	Naval ensign (Seekriegsflagge)
1962–1990	Flag of boats of border troops
1989–1990	Defaced state flag	Used by supporters of German reunification in East Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Historic flag proposals

Flag	Date	Description
	1817	German unification flag at Wartburg Festival
	1832	German unification flag at Hambach Festival
	1919	Proposal for the flag for Germany by Ottfried Neubecker
	1944	Proposal for the flag of Germany after 1944 military coup d'état by Josef Wirmer
	1948	Proposal for the flag for West Germany, based on Josef Wirmer's 1944 design, created by his brother, Ernst
	1948	Proposal for the flag for West Germany by Paul Wentzcke, based on 1848 republican designs

Notes

1 2 3 4 (German) Herzfeld, Andreas (June 2001). "Einige unbekannte Flaggenänderungen 1933–1945". Der Flaggenkurier (in German). Hennigsdorf: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Flaggenkunde (13): 17–23.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Flags of Germany.

Historical flags (Germany) at Flags of the World

Flags of Germany

Nation	Flag of Germany

States	Baden-Württemberg Bavaria Berlin Brandenburg Bremen Hamburg Hesse Lower Saxony Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania North Rhine-Westphalia Rhineland-Palatinate Saarland Saxony Saxony-Anhalt Schleswig-Holstein Thuringia

Historical	Elsass Baden Prussia East Germany

Lists of flags

Lists of flags

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