Flag of Germany: meanings and history

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A flag of GermanyIt is one of the country's national symbols. It consists of three horizontal bands in black, red and gold and represents democracy, unity and freedom in Germany.

The German tricolor took the uniform of volunteer soldiers, who fought in Prussia's war against France in 1813, as inspiration for its colors. It was flown for the first time in 1832 and underwent some modifications in the course of the country's history, until it was made official again in 1990, after the reunification of Germany.

Currently, in addition to the civil tricolor flag, Germany also has a federal flag, which displays the coat of arms centered on the bands. This flag can only be used by authorities and on federal government buildings.

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Topics of this article

  • 1 - Summary about the flag of Germany
  • 2 - Meaning of the flag of Germany
    • → Meaning of the colors of the flag of Germany
  • 3 - Variations of the flag of Germany
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  • 4 - History of the flag of Germany
  • 5 - Main characteristics of Germany
  • 6 - Curiosities about the flag of Germany

Abstract about flag of Germany

  • The flag of Germany is one of the country's national symbols.

  • It represents Germany's democracy, unity and freedom.

  • It consists of three bands arranged horizontally, each with a different color.

  • As established in Article 22 of the Basic Law of Germany, the colors displayed on the flag are black, red and gold.

  • The colors of the flag of Germany come from the uniforms used by volunteer soldiers during the conflicts between Prussia and France, which began in 1813.

  • The German flag's color scheme represents unity and freedom, as they were used at key moments in the fight for democracy and the country's unification in the 19th century.

  • The federal flag of Germany is a variation of the flag used only by federal government officials. It presents, in its center, an eagle, which corresponds to the coat of arms of the country.

  • Germany has had several flags throughout its history, with changes in the symbols represented and in the color scheme.

  • The country's reunification, completed in 1990, reintroduced the black, red and gold colors as Germany's official flag.

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Germany flag meaning

The flag of the Federal Republic of Germany It is one of ssymbols ncountry's national. Rectangular in shape, the flag of Germany is made up of three horizontal stripes, with the same dimensions, each containing a color, which are arranged in that respective order from top to bottom. low:

  • Black;

  • Red;

  • Golden.

Hoisted for the first time in 1832, during the Hambach Festival, an event that became an important milestone in the history of that country, the flag stands for union, democracy and the freedom of Germany.

It should be noted that the tricolor flag, which corresponds to the national flag, is the civil flag used in Germany. As we will see further ahead, there is still a federal flag that is hoisted only by bodies and authorities of the federation.

Meaning of the colors of the flag of Germany

The colors of the German flag are determined in Article 22 of the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany, which dictates that the national flag presents the colors black, red and gold, in this same order.

The adoption and symbology of the colors present in the country's flag they aredirectly linked to its historical past, dating back to the time when Germany was part of the Kingdom of Prussia.

Flag of Germany, composed of black, red and gold colors.
The flag of Germany is a tricolor consisting of black, red and gold.

In the year 1813, Prussia went to war with the Empire of France, led by Napoleon Bonaparte. The conflict is called War of the Sixth Coalition (or Liberation Wars, as it is known today in Germany).

Thousands of soldiers fought in defense of Prussia, including a group of volunteers, called "Lützow Volunteers", who was composed of university students who wore black uniforms with their insignia in red and buttons golden. The colors were adopted again at the end of the wars by student fraternities, although their flag featured vertical stripes.

In the year 1832, the German tricolor flag, similar to the flag we know today, was hoisted on a tower of the Castle of Hambach during the Hambach Festival, in a movement that claimed the unity of a State of Germany and the democracy. |1| For this reason, it is interpreted that the colors of the flag of Germany represent the freedom and unity of the country.

Variations of the Flag of Germany

the flag of germany has at least two variations:

  • Civil flag of Germany: it is made up of black, red and gold belts, is used in public ceremonies and international events and is hoisted in some public buildings in the country.

  • Federal flag of Germany: It has the same color scheme and layout as the civil flag, but in its center is the country's coat of arms, which represents the Federal Republic of Germany, the eagle. This flag can only be hoisted in public government buildings, being used strictly by federal government authorities.

Federal flag of Germany.
Federal flag of Germany.

History of the flag of Germany

The flag of Germany has undergone several modifications throughout its history, from the color scheme to its composition, following the different political moments experienced in the country. It was in the year 1832 that the first version of the German flag was flown, which happened during the Hambach Festival, which was fighting for democracy and the unity of the country.

The symbology of the colors was maintained during the Revolutions of 1848, becoming, in the same period, the official colors of the German Confederation. They remained as one of the symbols of the Germanic people until 1866, returning only in 1919, with the Weimar Republic, which marked the transition from an imperial government to the installation of the republican system in Germany.

However, prior to the resumption of the colors black, red and gold as the country's official colors, the unification of Germany and the institution of the German Empire, which date from 1871, led to a modification at the color scheme, switching from the traditional gold to white.

Thus, the German flag of the period consisted of three horizontal stripes arranged in black, white and red. The change was officially introduced as an Imperial Order in the year 1892.

During the nazi regime, which rose in 1933 and ended in 1945, the imperial tricolor flag was retaken and a new pavilion was used, which was that of the Nazi Party, with the centralized swastika.

Four years after the end of Second World War, Germany was divided into East Germany (or German Democratic Republic) and West Germany (or Federal Republic of Germany), in the period of world history known as Cold War.

Both territories reimplemented the black, red and gold colors in their flags, but the German Democratic Republic included, in 1959, a coat of arms formed by a compass, a hammer and ears of rye, which symbolized the working class and the farmers.

Flag of the German Democratic Republic, East Germany against the background of the Cold War.
Flag of the German Democratic Republic, East Germany against the background of the Cold War.

A fall of the berlin wall in 1989 marked the beginning of the reunification of germany, which was completed in 1990. It was determined, in the Reunification Treaty, signed on August 31, 1990, to readoption of the black, red, tricolor flag It is golden like the official flag of Germany, thus becoming one of the symbols of national unity.

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Main characteristics of Germany

Germany is a country located in the region of Europe West, with capital in the city of Berlin.

German territory is bathed by the Atlantic Ocean to the north, in the Baltic Sea region, presenting, therefore, temperate climate oceanic,with winters cold and summers fresh, in addition to rains abundant throughout the year. It is marked by arelief diverse, with flat land on the coast and plateaus and mountainous terrain to the south.

Landscape in the city of Berlin, capital of Germany.
Landscape in the city of Berlin, capital of Germany.

A population German is from 83,900,000 inhabitants, which puts the country in second place among the most populous countries on the European continent. Germany also stands out as a highly developed country, with an HDI of 0.942, whose economy is among the main ones not only in the continent, but also in the world.

It has a broad industrial sector, led by several sectors, such as the chemical sector, the automobile sector and the economic sector. O tourism also plays an important role in Germany's economy, as the country is the fifth most visited country in Europe.

Facts about the flag of Germany

  • The flag raised in 1832 can be seen in a museum in the city of Neustadt, on the Wine Road (Neustadt an der Weinstraße), in southwest Germany.

  • Not all official buildings display the national flag of Germany on a daily basis. The exceptions are the highest ranking authorities in Berlin and Bonn, the central office of the country's Central Bank and the Armed Forces.

  • There are dates when the flag of Germany must be displayed. Among them are the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust (January 27, when they must be flown at half-mast), the of Labor (May 1), German Unification Day (October 3) and election days for the European Parliament and the German Parliament German. In all, there are 10 dates established by the official protocol.

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|1| RABITZ, Caroline. Hambach Castle. DW, 13 Oct. 2010. Available here.

By Paloma Guitarrara
Geography Teacher

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