History of the German flag

German flag: This is a brief history of the flag, it origins and why it was chosen to represent the country. 

History of the German Flag

The black, red and gold colours have long been part of the German flag – but like many European powers, Germany has not always been one country. The first emergence of a German flag came around the 14th century. Germany was not one country but was under the banner of the Holy Roman Empire. The flag set the foundations for a German flag, using a gold background with a black eagle – a symbol associated with the imperial presence.

This flag was used as an official representation of the Holy Roman Emperor until the Napoleonic Wars. The French army invaded many states in the Holy Roman Empire – effectively disintegrating it in the 19th century. A unified national German identity began to form after to resist the French occupiers, where the colours of black, red and gold served as a representation of German forces. This saw the first glimpse of the German flag as we know it.

The flag still did not represent Germany as a unified nation – where after the occupation, a German Confederation was created. The flag changed yet again to a red and black lined background with a gold oak branch at the front. The Confederation was then amalgamated into an empire in the late 19th century, creating a first unified Germany – and the flag change yet again to Prussian colours of black, white and red.

The 20th century saw even more change of the German flag. After World War I in 1918, the flag changed back to the modern German flag after the Empire’s defeat. It changed again in 1933 following the Nazi party’s rise to power – further changing in 1945 following their fall. Two flags emerged after the split of Germany into two that were similar to the modern. In 1989 the country was finally unified again – and the present-day flag was adopted for the German nation.

Where Can We See the German Flag Today?

The German flag is widely seen on products, events and national attire associated with Germany. Apart from serving as the official flag of Germany, you’ll be able to see it on their vastly exported products – mainly beer, pork and machinery. Germany still maintains many states with their own flags. But the present-day agrees the black, red and gold as a united flag.

German celebrations such as Oktoberfest see much flying of the flag – including the sporting teams with worldwide acclaim such as the German football association. Many Germans themselves prefer to take their identities with their states of residence. But that’s not to say you won’t see proud people fly their flags as a national symbol.

If you are interested in buying one of our International flags, you can always take a look at our online store.

We have a large range of affordable flags that are made with premium quality fabrics, suitable for any environment. We have a large range of heavy duty flags suitable for even the toughest environments.

All orders through our store will be delivered to your home, express postage is always an option, so you don’t have to wait long to get one of our International flags.

Affordable Flags