Flag of Germany

The flag of Germany was approved on May 23, 1949 and consists of three equal-sized stripes of black, red and yellow, arranged in the appropriate sequence.

Meaning of the colors of the German flag

Black, red and gold symbolize freedom and unity. According to tradition, the colors are derived from the uniforms of the resistance fighters against Napoleon. The soldiers who fought against Napoleon in the wars of liberation wore black jackets with gold buttons and red velvet lapels (a lapel on the chest is an element of the chest). 

• The black color symbolized slavery; 
• red reflected bloody battles; 
• yellow - the golden light of freedom for which soldiers fought bravely. 

History of the German flag

In 1815, a brotherhood called the Urburschenschaft was founded in the city of Jena. Its goal was to unite students from different universities into one single brotherhood. The Urburschenschaft used a flag borrowed from the Lutzow Free Corps, as they wore black uniforms with gold and red accessories.

The tricolor was first used at a festival in Hamburg in 1832. The event was intended to unite the German states. Many participants of the festival had a flag that contained black, red, and gold colors, but their sequence was not yet fixed at that time. Most flags had a golden top stripe and a black bottom stripe. It was the politician Johann Philipp Abresch who made the first black, red, and gold flag in the order we know today. His flag also bore the inscription "The Renaissance of Germany." Today, the first German flag is on display in Hamburg Castle.

In 1848, the Bundestag of the German Confederation defined the colors of the Confederation as black, red, and gold, in reference to the German past. However, this color combination was not retained, and the North German Confederation adopted the colors black, white, and red, symbolizing Prussia and the Hanseatic cities. Due to the popularity of the black, red, and gold flag in Austria, this color combination was often used by politicians who wanted to unite Austria with the German Reich. With the founding of the Weimar Republic in 1919, the black, red, and gold combination became the main color of the German flag again.

When the National Socialists came to power in 1933, they abolished the black, red, and gold flag. Instead, they reintroduced the black, white, and red flag. Since 1935, they have used the swastika flag exclusively.

After World War II, the question arose as to what the flags of the two newly formed German states should look like. Black, red, and gold were chosen by the German Democratic Republic (GDR) and the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG). However, the flag of the GDR featured the coat of arms of East Germany, which consisted of a compass, hammer, and an ear of rye in the form of a wreath. The black, red, and gold tricolor of Germany became the official German flag after reunification in October 1990. The unity flag was symbolically installed on the Republic Square in Berlin. It measures six by ten meters and is the largest official flag in Germany.

How do Germans feel about their flag?

German citizens have long been reluctant to use their flag. The black, red and gold colors were extremely closely associated with dark events in German history. The Germans fought for their flag for a long time. After the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989, black, red, and gold came to symbolize the country's national unity. Even when they won the first three World Cups in 1954, 1974, and 1990, they still rarely displayed their colors. It was only after a "summer fairy tale" in their own country that the situation began to change. It was the 2006 FIFA World Cup, where the motto of the event was "The world is visiting friends." The success of the German team caused unexpected euphoria among citizens and helped to change the image of the "ugly German" internationally. Some political experts reacted with concern to the new attitude of the population towards their national symbols and warned of signs of a new nationalism.