The
Flag of Germany - Description of the German Flag
As the
above picture of the German Flag indicates the overall
background is Red, black and gold
The description of
the German Flag is as follows:
Three equal
horizontal bands of black (top), red, and gold
According to
Ancient and Heraldic traditions much symbolism is associated
with colors. The colors on the German flag represent the
following:
Yellow - a
symbol of generosity
Red -
hardiness, bravery, strength & valour
Black -
Determination
They are derived
from the similar colours of the Imperial coat of arms of the
Holy Roman Empire
All Flag
pictures depict flags flying, from the viewer's point of view,
from left to right
The shape and flag ratio of the German flag is described as
3:5
The Meaning & History of the German Flag
German National
flags were banned by the Allies in Germany after the defeat of
Nazi Germany in World War II
On May 9,
1949 the black-red-gold flag was adopted as the federal flag for
the Federal Republic of West Germany flag
1990 - East Germany
was reunited with the Federal Republic
Flag
Terminology - Did you Know ?
The design and description
uses specific flag terminology based on Heraldic principles
Animal blazons should always appear
with the heads facing the flag - staff side
The Study of the Flags is called
Vexillology
Your interest in flags makes you a
Vexillologist!
Increase your knowledge - Play the
Flag Quiz
Flag History &
Evolution:
The idea of
flying a flag grew from the requirements of ancient warfare and
the battlefield
Shields were
painted with emblems to identify Friend or Foe
Warriors
needed to know where their leaders were - the custom of carrying
a pole was adopted
An emblem
such as a shield, animal or religious device was attached to the
pole for identification
The emblems
were also used for identity and to cover suits of armour - Coats
of Arms were born
These
emblems were the forerunners of modern flags
The Romans
were the first to use a cloth flag - they were square and
fastened to cross bars at the end of spears - the idea of
fastening a flag to the side of a pole soon followed
The strict
rules of Heraldry are still used when designing an emblem and
creating a modern flag
German
Flag Etiquette
German Flag etiquette is very strict and is is
essential that Flag protocols and rules are followed correctly
Basic
Flag
Etiquette applies to all nations, including German as follows:
Etiquette relating to the order of
precedence for the flag
National Flag of
German
State Flag of
German
Military Flag of
German (in order of creation date)
Other Flag of
German
The United Nations uses alphabetical order
when presenting a national flag including the German Flag. Their flag etiquette ensures
that no one country's flag has precedence over another country's
flag
The
National flag of
German should never be flown
above another national flag on the same staff as this would
suggest superiority, or conversely, inferiority of one flag, or
Nation, over another
The German flag should never be allowed to drag
along the ground
A tattered or faded flag of
German should be removed
and replaced with a new flag
Due care and
consideration must be taken to ensure that the German flag is
always
flown the correct way up
A Flag of German, when in such
condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem of display,
should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning in
private with all due care and respect
Terminology & Etiquette in German Flag display
Hoist - the
act or function of raising the German flag, as on a rope
Half Staff
or Half Mast - the German flag is hoisted to half of the potential
height of the flag pole to denote grief and mourning
Performed
by first raising the German flag to the top, then lowering the
German Flag halfway
Distress -
denoted by flying the German flag upside-down
Manner of
hoisting - The German flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered
ceremoniously
No
disrespect should be shown to the German flag
The German flag
should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a
manner as to permit the Flag to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in
any way
The German
flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it,
nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure,
design, picture, or drawing on the flag of any nature
The
German flag should be hoisted first and lowered last
International Flag relating to German
Flag usage forbids the
display of the flag of one nation above that of another nation
in time of peace
We hope that the presentation of facts
and information regarding German Flag Etiquette has
provided a useful resource
Germany
Location:
Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea
and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of
Denmark
German Land Size : 349,223 sq km
German Climate / Weather : temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and
summers; occasional warm mountain (foehn) wind
German Population :
82,424,609 (July 2004 est.)
Former Name(s) :
German Empire, German Republic, German Reich
German Capital
City: Berlin
German GDP: $2.271
trillion (2003 est.)
German Main Industries :
iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery, vehicles,
machine tools, electronics, food and beverages; shipbuilding;
textiles
Main Colors of the
German Flag : Red,
black and gold
The Celts and Ancient
German History
Bronze and Iron Age - The emergence
of the Celts across Europe
400BC - By this time the ancient
culture of the Celts had settled in many European countries
including Austria, Britain, France, Holland, Belgium,
Switzerland, Western Germany, Northern Spain, Turkey and Hungary
The Celts were people from various
tribes and were called Galli by the Romans and Galatai or Keltoi
by the Greeks. These terms all had one meaning in common -
barbarian
It is from the Greek, Keltoi, that
Celt is derived
Despite the name of Barbarian the
Celtic society was based almost entirely on pastoralism and the
raising of cattle or sheep
15 BC The Romans had begun to
extend their empire. Gallia (in English Gaul) is the Roman name
for the region of Europe occupied by the Celts. The word Gaul
commonly refers to a Celt inhabitant of that region in ancient
times
224 - 220 BC - Rome conquered the
Celts
390 BC - The Celts sacked Rome
280 BC - The Celts sacked many
Greek cities
390 BC - The Celts sacked Rome
9AD - The Battle of the Teutoburg
Forest. Arminius of the Cherusci led German tribes who ambushed
and wiped out three Roman Legions (The Roman legion was the
basic military unit of ancient Rome. It consisted of up to 8,000
infantry soldiers and several hundred cavalry)
50-100AD - The spread of
Christianity
476 AD The Roman Empire collapsed
Middle Ages - Various different
cultures, including Vandals, Burgundians, Alans and Suevi, emerged in the lands of the
German Celts during the history of
the Middle Ages and the kingdom of the Franks
The above information provides a
concise background to the Ancient civilisations of Germany
Concise German History & its Flag
As a Nation State, the united country of Germany did not exist
until 1871 and prior to this was made up of individual territories
800 - 900's
- The reign of Charlemagne and his descendents
870 -
Formation of the duchies of Franconia, Saxony, Bavaria and
Lorraine
919 - 1024
The Saxon dynasty rule Germany
1024-1255 -
The Salian dynasty
1096 - The
first Crusade
1138 -1254 -
The Hohenstaufen dynasty
1273 -
Rudolf of Hapsburg crowned king of Germany
1348-1352 -
The Plague ("black death")
1499 -
Switzerland broke away from the empire
1517 -
Luther initiated the Reformation
1546-1547 -
Emperor Charles V defeats the Protestant princes and allies
1555 - The
Peace of Augsburg (the princes henceforth determine the religion
of their territories)
1618 - 1648
The Thirty Years War ending with the Peace of Westphalia
1701 -
Frederick crowned the first king of Prussia
1740 - 1748
The War of Austrian Succession
1806 - The
Confederation of the Rhine was established by Napoleon
1806 -
Prussia declared war on France and was defeated by Napoleon
1813 - The
Prussians helped defeat Napoleon at Leipzig
1814-1815 -
The Congress of Vienna established the German Confederation of
39 independent German states
1815 -
Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo
1862 - Otto
von Bismarck was appointed the prime minister of Prussia
1870 -
Franco-Prussian War
1871 January
- Germany captures Paris
1871 18
January - Wilhelm I was crowned the first Kaiser of the German
Empire uniting the German states into one country
1914 28 June
- Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary and his wife were
assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina provoking WW1
August 1914
- Germany declared war on Russia and France. The United Kingdom
declared war on Germany
9 November
1918 Germany was declared a republic
11 November
1918 - The Treaty of Versailles ended World War I and the
Rhineland was placed under Allied occupation for 15 years
19 January
1919 - A national assembly meets in Weimar to write a new
German constitution - called the Weimar Republic
1923 - The
National Socialist German Workers Party (Nazis) attempt an
unsuccessful armed rebellion led by Adolf Hitler
1933 -
Hindenburg appointed Hitler as the chancellor and Nazi Germany
begin persecuting Jews
1934 -
Hitler declares himself der Fuhrer his Nazi German government is called
the Third Reich
10 April
1938 - Germany annexes Austria
16 March
1939 - Germany occupies Czechoslovakia
1 September
1939 - Germany invades Poland which starts World War II
1940 -
Germany captures Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium,
France and Luxembourg. The Allies including Russia, UK and USA
retaliate
30 April
1945 Hitler commits suicide
August 1945
The United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
7 May 1945 -
Germany surrenders
June 1945 -
Germany divided into four zones of military occupation (United
States, the United Kingdom, France, and the Soviet Union)
May 1949 -
The Allies approve a constitution for western Germany (Federal
Republic of Germany) and East Germany adopts a
Communist-prepared constitution
October 1949
- The German Democratic Republic was formed (East Germany)
5 May 1955 -
West Germany obtains independence
August 1961
- The Berlin Wall was built
9 November
1989 - The Berlin Wall was demolished and Communist East Germans
were able to travel to the West
3 October
1990 - East and West Germany was reunited
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The
German Flag and Nation
We hope that the presentation of facts
and information regarding the German Flag and Country has
provided a useful educational resource. To improve your
knowledge of Flags and Vexillology still further check out the
Flags and Nations Index and test your knowledge with our
interactive, multi-choice, picture-based Flag Trivia Quiz Game - it's fast and
it's fun! If you answer all questions correctly you will earn the
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