The German flag: a symbol of unity and diversity
What is the significance of the colours black, red and gold and why did Germany used to have two flags? Facts about the history and symbolism of Germany’s national flag.
The German flag, in the colours black, red and gold, symbolises unity and freedom of the people. In Germany, the flag is colloquially known as the “Deutschlandfahne” - the Germany flag. Germany’s national flag changed several times due to political upheavals in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Black, red and gold: what is the significance of the German flag’s three colours?
The flag is a tricolour with three equally sized horizontal stripes. The colours have their roots in the early nineteenth century, when Germany was made up of many small states, most of which were ruled by the French Emperor Napoleon: during the Wars of Liberation that started in 1813, many students fought in the German units. They had no money for uniforms so they dyed their clothes black and wore them with gold buttons and red facings on the sleeves. The victory flag they waved resembled their uniforms. This flag is presumed to be the precursor to the German flag. Ever since, the colours have symbolised unity and freedom of the people.
Out of the blackness (black) of servitude through bloody (red) battles into the golden (gold) light of freedom.
Why did Germany have two flags?
Germany had two different flags during the period 1949 to 1990: the Federal Republic of Germany in West Germany used the black, red and gold tricolour as its federal flag. Meanwhile, the GDR in East Germany used a different flag: though sporting the same colours, it additionally featured the GDR’s state symbol of a hammer and compass in a wreath of corn. Following reunification, the black, red and gold tricolour was defined as the sole national flag. It therefore also symbolises the regained unity of the country in the form of the Federal Republic of Germany.
What did the German flag look like before the Second World War?
Germany’s various flags with their different colours and symbols reflect the various political upheavals and the transition from a monarchy to a democratic state. They range from the black, white and red flag with the imperial eagle during the German Empire (1866–1918) to the current national flag, which already featured the same colours as today - black, red and gold - during the first German republic, the Weimar Republic (1919–1933).
The fall of the Wall and German unity
How Germany overcame its division and is critically addressing its past.
Why is there a bird on the German flag?
The federal eagle is one of Germany’s oldest symbols and has been used as the imperial coat of arms - a black eagle on a golden background - since around 1200. The eagle is also the animal featured on the coat of arms in the Federal Republic of Germany and can be seen on official documents and government buildings, among other things. Though the eagle does not appear on the national flag, it is often used symbolically in conjunction with the flag. The black, red and gold flag featuring the federal eagle is not the same as the national flag - instead, it is the official flag used by Germany’s federal authorities. It is only allowed to be used by these authorities.
