![\"Banner](\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File%3ABanner_of_the_Holy_Roman_Emperor_with_haloes_(1400-1806).svg\")
<\/a>By David Liuzzo, eagle by N3MO (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div> <\/p>\n By User:B1mbo and User:Madden (Recoloured Image:Flag of Germany (2-3).svg) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div>The German Empire (das Deutsches Reich)<\/em> began when the German nation state unified in 1871, and ended when the German Emperor (Kaiser)<\/em> Wilhelm II, also then King of Prussia, abdicated in 1918. The black and white colours were chosen for the flag because they were the colours of Prussia.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Photo by fdecomite on flickr.com under a CC license (CC BY 2.0)<\/p><\/div>\n The German flag as we know it today first came about in 1919 during the Weimar Republic, after Germany\u2019s defeat in World War I. The black, red and gold colours used by the Holy Roman Empire are back, intended to symbolise a united, democratic Germany. The colours themselves (Schwarz-Rot-Gold<\/strong>) were mocked by far-right groups for the gold\u2019s slightly \u2018off\u2019 colour. They called the flag \u2018Schwarz-Rot-Senf\u2019<\/strong> (\u2018Black-Red-Mustard\u2019) or \u2018Schwarz-Rot-Schei\u00dfe\u2019<\/strong> (\u2018Black-Red-Shit\u2019).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n By Fornax (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div>When the Nazi (Na<\/strong>tional Sozi<\/strong>alist<\/em>) Party seized power in 1933, they made their Party flag the national flag of Germany. This featured a red background, a white circle, and a black Swastika (Hakenkreuz)<\/em> in the middle. The red colour symbolised the socialist, the white symbolised the nationalist, and the Hakenkreuz<\/em> the victory of the Aryan peoples.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n East German flag (1959). By Flaggenentwurf: unbekannt diese Datei: Jwnabd [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div>Following World War 2, Germany\u2019s national flag went back to the tricolour Bundesflagge<\/em>. When the country officially divided in 1949, East Germany (Deutsche Demokratische Republik <\/strong>or DDR<\/strong>) and West Germany (Bundesrepublik Deutschland <\/strong>or BRD)<\/strong> used the same flag, but a coat of arms was added to the East German flag in 1959. This was seen by West Germany as a deliberate attempt to further divide the two nations, and as such they nicknamed the East German flag die<\/em> Spalterflagge<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 \u2018the divider flag\u2019<\/strong>. <\/em>When the country officially re-united in 1990, the flag went back to the original, tricolour flag.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As well as the national flag, each German state has its own flag, which you\u2019ll see when you visit these states. Here are a couple of them:<\/p>\n Bavaria:<\/strong><\/p>\n By diese Datei: Jwnabd via Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div>\n Berlin:<\/strong><\/p>\n By Flaggenentwurf: unbekannt diese Datei: Jwnabd [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div>\n Hamburg:<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nKnown in German as the Heiliges R\u00f6misches Reich,<\/strong> this pre-Germany state used a banner (not an official flag) featuring a black eagle with a red beak and red claws, on a yellow background. Its colours influenced the German flag as we know it today.<\/p>\nThe German Empire 1871-1918<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/a>Die Bundesflagge \u2013 The German national flag 1919-1933 (and 1949-present day)
\n<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/a>Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP or Nazi Party) flag<\/span> 1933-1945<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/a>A divided Germany (1949 \u2013 1989)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/a>German state flags<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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