Germany flag meaning of colors. What do the flag and coat of arms of Germany mean? Meaning of the German flag

The modern flag of Germany, the photo of which is located below, was officially approved on March 9, 1948. It is a rectangular canvas, which consists of three horizontal stripes. The lower one is golden in color (as is commonly believed, even despite the fact that it is, in fact, yellow), the middle one is red, and the upper one is black. The width of this German state symbol is related to the length as three to five. Throughout German history, it has been canceled several times. At first this was done by adherents of the empire, and then by the fascists. Despite everything, the country's national symbol was invariably revived.

First uses of the modern flag

The first historical mention of the use of this color combination dates back to the nineteenth century. Then this was done by representatives of the national student freedom movement. They motivated their choice by the fact that this coloring was used back in the days of the ancient empire. This happened in 1818. The next time this version of the country's symbol was used was for the Hambach Festival, held in 1832. More than forty thousand Germans took part in it, most of whom were students and professors who defended their patriotic and democratic views.

Among other things, the same flag of Germany was used during the revolution that took place in the country in March 1848. In connection with these events, parliament even awarded it the status of a state banner. At the same time, the revolution failed. Immediately after this, the decision regarding the flag was reversed. In 1863, under this banner, a conference of German princes was held in Frankfurt. It should be noted that similar colors were previously worn by the uniforms of German student volunteers who united to fight Napoleonic expansion in Europe.

Otto von Bismarck's version of the flag

During his tenure as chancellor of the country, the legendary Otto von Bismarck introduced a flag that consisted of horizontal stripes of black, white and red. Initially, it served as the banner of the German merchant and naval fleet. In 1892, the newly formed German Empire adopted this symbol. It was used until the advent of the Weimar Republic. Only in her time were the colors of the German flag such as gold, red and black officially recognized and even included in the national constitution.

Fate of black, white and red symbol

At that time, there were many adherents of the national banner proposed by Otto von Bismarck. In order to prevent a tense situation in society, the Weimar government made certain concessions. More specifically, the black-white-red banner was recognized as a trade symbol. At the same time, state colors were still applied in the upper part. Such a compromise is evidence that the German flag remained the subject of heated discussions. They continued for a very long time, and even led to the resignation of the government in 1926.

German flag before and after the war

In 1935, the country's Workers' National Democratic Party imposed a new symbol - its own party flag with a swastika. It received the status of a national banner in connection with the adoption of the relevant law. After the defeat of the Nazis in World War II, it was decided to use the 1848 style flag in the future. One of the government representatives then said that this symbol means personal freedom, which in the future will become the basis of a completely new state.

Banner of the GDR

The second article of the Constitution of the German Democratic Republic, approved on October 7, 1949, stated the country's involvement in the golden-red-black colors. This testified to her commitment to the unity of the nation, even despite being under socialist ideas. Ten years after this, the symbol of the GDR was additionally marked with a coat of arms, which consisted of a compass, a hammer and a wreath of ears. An interesting fact is that both teams competed as a single team at the Olympic Games until 1968. At the same time, the athletes used the golden-red-black flag of Germany, on which five rings were applied.

In 1989, a peaceful revolution took place in the country. During it, many Germans living in the eastern part of the capital demanded the reunification of the two countries. Demonstrating their desire, they carved the coat of arms everywhere, which was placed on the flag. On August 31, 1990, they achieved their goal, and the state united. Automatically, Article 22 of the German Constitution extended to new lands. Just over a month later, on October 3, 1990, the German flag with stripes of gold, red and black was planted in front of the parliament building (Reichstag).

Flag in local legislation

The Government Decree on German Flags, dated November 13, 1996, regulates and defines the use of the national flag. As for its uniform use for buildings of state and official significance, it is provided for by order of the federal government, the new edition of which was adopted in 2005. It should be noted that every German has the right to use the national flag. At the same time, private citizens are prohibited from wearing official symbols of federal departments.

Symbolism of the German flag

It is impossible not to mention what the German flag means. As noted above, the canvas consists of three stripes, golden (yellow), red and black. The lowest of them is associated by the Germans with the future of the country, the middle means the modern political system, and the top symbolizes the internal political position of the state.

However, there is another version regarding the symbolism embedded in the German flag. The meaning of flowers was even stated in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany. Based on it, they mean cohesion, unity and freedom of the entire German people.

Coat of arms of Germany

The coat of arms of modern Germany is the image of an eagle (“Reichsadler”). Its history goes back many centuries and goes back to the early eras of human development and culture. The ancient Germans and Greeks associated this bird with vitality and the sun, so it was highly revered. The eagle became one of the elements of national symbols approximately during the reign of Charlemagne. In 1200, his image on a golden background was recognized as the state coat of arms. In the fifteenth century, the imperialists began to use an eagle with two heads. It was only at the end of the nineteenth century that the Weimar Emperor abandoned this symbol. Demonstrating its inextricable connection with democratic traditions, the government of the Federal Republic of Germany also began to use the image of this bird on its coat of arms. In 1926, the final design for the national symbol was drawn up by Tobias Schwab.

The national emblem, like the flag of Germany, now enjoys great authority among the Germans. In this regard, the image of an eagle can be found here on the service banners of various federal departments and the presidential standard. Moreover, it is used in official seals, coins, stamps, as well as on all kinds of departmental forms.

Flag and coat of arms of Germany: history of origin and meaning of symbols

The coat of arms of Germany is the official symbol of the country. It, like any other sign, has its own history and characteristics. Speaking about such a majestic and powerful country as Germany, one cannot help but talk about its coat of arms and flag.

History of origin

The coat of arms of Germany, the photo of which you can see above, presents a black eagle depicted on a golden background, with red paws. This bird is a symbol of the sun. It also signifies vitality and courage. Even during the reign of Charlemagne, this symbol was recognized as the coat of arms of the Holy Roman Empire. However, it did not remain so for long, since from the 15th century the image was replaced by a double-headed eagle with one crown.

A little later, this coat of arms began to belong to Austria-Hungary. And only in 1848 did he begin to relate to Germany. Then the double-headed eagle became the coat of arms of the Reich. This is how it became established as a national symbol. The Nazis, by the way, also used the image of this mighty bird, only there was also a swastika in its talons. Not much has changed since then. The crown, which was a symbol of the monarchy, was removed. Post-war Germany also adopted the eagle as a state symbol.

Varieties

The coat of arms of Germany is not an ordinary eagle. His image was made according to a special sketch, the author of which was Tobias Schwab. The modern coat of arms of Germany was created back in 1926. But it received official status in 1950 - after the approval of the corresponding order by Theodor Heuss, who was at that time the president of the federal republic. His description was exactly the same as the text telling about the coat of arms of the Weimar Republic. It should be noted that the same coat of arms of Germany is depicted on flags, state seals, postage stamps and coins.

History of the German flag

Everyone knows what the German flag looks like. These are three stripes in a row - black, scarlet and gold (colors listed from top to bottom). It was adopted on May 8, 1949. The decision was made by the Parliamentary Council, which met in Bonn. The next day, on the territory of the republic, for the first time in the last 16 years, a black-red-gold flag was raised over the building where all nationally important meetings were held. After quite a long time, in 1996, it was decided that the federal tricolor could be used vertically. Thus, there was a black stripe on the left, a scarlet stripe in the middle, and a gold stripe on the right.

Meaning of the tricolor

The flag and coat of arms of Germany have their own interpretation. And if some people have heard something about the meaning of the German eagle, few people know about the tricolor. The color black represents the dark past of the German Empire. After all, Germany was not always such a successful and prosperous country. Red denotes the internal political position of the state (which reigned at that time). And finally, the golden color is a symbol of the rich future of the country. By the way, even before the approval of just such a flag, one could observe the Germans’ love for this combination. Back in the days when the liberation wars against Napoleon were going on, the German army was dressed in a black uniform, complemented by red sleeves and brass buttons that looked like gold.

Another interesting point dates back to the day when the tercentenary of the Reformation was celebrated. It was at Wartburg Castle. The solemn event was attended by a huge number of students who advocated the reunification of Germany. And their banner was made up of thin red stripes along the edges and one large, black one, which was visible in the center. In the very middle there was an oak branch framed with a golden fringe. This flag is considered to be the predecessor of the modern German tricolor.

What do the colors of the German flag mean?

The national flag of Germany consists of black, red and yellow horizontal stripes. The black color on the flag is considered as a symbol of the past, the former German Empire. The red color symbolizes the current internal political situation in Germany. The yellow stripe of the flag represents the future of this country. At the same time, there is another point of view on the symbolic meaning of the colors of the German flag. Some West German authors interpret the black, red and yellow flag of Germany as a symbol of cohesion and freedom. The flag was adopted in 1949.

Atan Magiev

I don’t remember exactly, but something like this... From the dark past (black color), through blood (meaning wars, revolutions, etc.) to the golden future (golden color), I don’t know how correct it is, since the teacher also said German in 6th grade))))

The history of the three colors of the German flag

Kuzmi4

The history of the national black-red-gold colors of Germany began in the 19th century. During the fight against Napoleon, German student volunteers formed the so-called “Freedom Corps” (1813) under the command of von Lutzow. The uniform of the corps was student black frock coats with sewn red shoulder straps and brass buttons. Then the same colors were adopted by student associations in Germany. In 1815, students founded the Burschenschaft union, which aimed at the unification of Germany. In 1816, the women of the city of Jena presented the union with a banner: a red banner with a horizontal black stripe in the middle and an image of a golden oak branch. By 1816, the All-German Student Association was already using a black, red and gold flag. At the Hambach festival in May 1832, a three-stripe national flag was used with the inscription: "Deutschlands Wiedergeburt" (German Renaissance) on the middle red stripe.

The black-red-gold flag was a symbol of the revolution of 1848-1849; during the working hours of the National Assembly (Bundestag) in Frankfurt am Main on July 31, 1848, the flag was first raised as a symbol of a united Germany. It soon became the naval (from 31 June) and merchant flag of the German Confederation (1848-1852). The German Confederation was not a full-fledged state, and did not last long. The unification of Germany took place under the black, white and red colors of Otto von Bismarck. But the black-red-gold flag has already begun to be associated with the concept of German nationality. For example, in 1863 this flag was used during the Conference of German Princes in Frankfurt. The black-red-gold (namely “gold”, not “yellow”) flag was abolished first by supporters of the empire, and then by the fascists; but was reborn again. The last time the German flag was officially revived was after the Second World War.

In 1949, the Parliamentary Council of the Federal Republic of Germany took it for granted that the traditional colors of black, red and gold should be re-adopted as a symbol of freedom and unity. Article 22 of the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany states: “The colors of the German national flag are black, red and gold.” And even in the socialist GDR they did not consider it possible to deviate from the historical colors, but only added the coat of arms in the center. The flag of the Federal Republic of Germany did not have any images. After the unification of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic, it was the three-page cloth without emblems that became the state flag of the united Germany. The history of the national black-red-gold colors of Germany began in the 19th century.

Origin of the modern flag of Germany

The history of the national black-red-gold colors of Germany began in the 19th century. During the fight against Napoleon, German student volunteers formed the so-called. Freedom Corps (1813) under the command of von Lutzow. The uniform of the corps was student black frock coats with sewn red shoulder straps and brass buttons. Then the same colors were adopted by student associations in Germany. In 1815, students founded the Burschenschaft union, whose goal was the unification of Germany. In 1816, the women of the city of Jena presented the union with a banner: a red banner with a horizontal black stripe in the middle and an image of a golden oak branch. By 1816, the All-German Student Association was already using a black-red-gold flag.

At the Hambach festival in May 1832, a three-stripe national flag was used with the inscription: Deutschlands Wiedergeburt (German Revival; German) on the middle red stripe.

The German Confederation was not a full-fledged state, and did not last long. The unification of Germany took place under the black, white and red colors of Otto von Bismarck. But the black-red-gold flag has already begun to be associated with the concept of German nationality. For example, in 1863 this flag was used during the Conference of German Princes in Frankfurt.

The black-red-gold (namely gold, not yellow; this is how this color is usually called on the German flag) flag was abolished first by supporters of the empire, and then by the fascists; but was reborn again. The last time the German flag was officially revived was after the Second World War. And even in the socialist GDR they did not consider it possible to deviate from the historical colors, but only added the coat of arms in the center. The flag of the Federal Republic of Germany did not have any images. After the unification of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic, it was the three-page cloth without emblems that became the state flag of the united Germany.

Here is the German flag:

As you can see, it consists of the following colors:

Meaning accordingly:

Color of the former empire

The color of modern politics

The color of the future of a given country.

This is what I found on the Internet.

National flag of Germany It is a panel in the form of a rectangle, the dimensions of which have a ratio of 3:5. Three horizontal stripes: top black, central red and bottom yellow - have the same width and the same length.

Black and gold colors were used in the Middle Ages on coats of arms, where black the color was a symbol of courage, strength and the great past of the German people. Later, red color was added to these colors.

Black the color on the German flag today is associated with the past of the German Empire, red is a symbol of the internal political situation of the state, and yellow- a symbol of the bright future of the country. The people interpret the colors of their flag as the unity, cohesion and freedom of the German nation.

The flag of the Federal Republic of Germany, in its current form, was adopted on May 23, 1949. This is a rectangular panel with stripes of black, red and gold. The sequence of colors is contained in the phrase - From the darkness of slavery through a bloody battle to the golden light of freedom.

The modern German flag has three equally proportional colors - black, red and yellow.

These colors were chosen for a reason; each of them, in turn, carries a certain meaning.

Black color is a symbol of the past of the German Empire.

Red color is a symbol of the current state policy;

Yellow is a symbol of Germany's bright future.

The flag of Germany consists of three equal colors: black, red and gold. Black means (reminds) the years of reaction, red is the blood of German patriots, gold means the color of freedom of the sun. This flag was approved in 1949.

The flag of Germany is made in the frame of a rectangle with three colored horizontal stripes. The colors are arranged like this: black on top, then red and yellow. This arrangement speaks of a movement from darkness to light. Black represents the country's past - slavery and bloody battles. Red means a calm present has been achieved. Yellow symbolizes a bright future.

And black is one of the colors of Prussia, the state that united Germany in the 19th century.

What is the significance of the colors of the German flag and where did they come from?

It all started during the war of liberation against Napoleon’s troops in 1813.

The Prussian army included the Volunteer Corps of Baron Adolf von Lützow. The volunteers were not provided with uniforms; everyone came to fight in their own clothes. For uniformity, it was decided to repaint civilian clothing with permanent black paint and make it look like a military uniform. Cheap red fabric was sewn onto the cuffs and lapels and the buttons were replaced with golden bronze ones. The badges of the lancers were also red and black.

The black, red and gold colors symbolized the movement from the darkness of slavery through the bloody battle to the golden light of freedom.

The colors on the flag of modern Germany owe their appearance to the historical flags of Germany, which in ancient times featured black eagles with red and gold details. Gold, a symbol of wealth, has always been used by the imperial houses of Europe to emphasize their wealth and nobility, since the gold color also symbolized divinity. Black color is a symbol of strength, so animals, an eagle or a lion, were painted with it. Claws were painted red, and it symbolized the blood of enemies. So the symbolism of the German flag is quite aggressive. Although the Germans themselves try not to think about it and consider that this flag is a symbol of the unity of the nation or a symbol of three times of development - past, future and present.

The three colors on the German flag occupy the same amount of area each, and have their own meaning. At the same time, there are many interpretations and explanations. The modern interpretation says that each color symbolizes a particular period, black - the past. Red is the present and yellow is the bright future of Sirana.

Moreover, each of the colors has its own meaning, which came to us from the past, and there may be slight differences in interpretations.

Well, the black color on the flag is not only present in Germany. Belgium can also boast of having a dark color...

Seriously, the German flag is a rectangle divided into 3 equal horizontal parts: black, red and yellow (from top to bottom).

Black means what was; red is what is, and yellow is a bright future!

There are several interpretations, the most popular is the one that correlates each stripe of the German flag with a specific time - past (black), present (red) and future (yellow, respectively). Goebbels' famous words sound like this:

But this is rather an interpretation that was born later than the very beginning of the history of the emergence of the German flag began.

If you delve into history a little more, you can find the following explanation: the colors of the German flag are directly related to the colors of the uniform of the Volunteer Corps, which fought against Napoleon on the territory of German lands (early 19th century). It is known that the Germans are very practical people. The main color of the uniform was black (since black fabric does not get dirty so much, and black paint was the cheapest), the cuff was red (red fabric was also not very expensive), and the buttons on the uniform were made of a fairly simple alloy - golden bronze .

It is also worth noting that black, red and yellow are the same set of colors that were present in the coat of arms of the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation:

Flag of Germany. Colors, history, meaning of the German flag

The modern flag of Germany was officially adopted on March 9, 1948. It is a rectangular canvas, which consists of three horizontal stripes. The lower one is golden in color (as is commonly believed, even despite the fact that it is, in fact, yellow), the middle one is red, and the upper one is black. The width of this German state symbol is related to the length as three to five. Throughout German history, it has been canceled several times. At first this was done by adherents of the empire, and then by the fascists. Despite everything, the country's national symbol was invariably revived.

First uses of the modern flag

The fate of the black-white-red symbol At that time, there were many adherents of the national banner proposed by Otto von Bismarck. In order to prevent a tense situation in society, the Weimar government made certain concessions. More specifically, the black-white-red banner was recognized as a trade symbol. At the same time, state colors were still applied in the upper part. Such a compromise is evidence that the German flag remained the subject of heated discussions. They continued for a very long time, and even led to the resignation of the government in 1926.

German flag before and after the war

Flag in local legislation

Symbolism of the German flag

Coat of arms of Germany

Evgeny Titorchuk

At all times, the flag has played an important role in the life of society in every country. It is a symbol of the state and determines its individuality. In every country, the flag is a source of pride and patriotism. At the moment there are 295 independent states. Each of them has its own unique symbols - the state flag, coat of arms and anthem.

So what is the national flag?

The national flag is a cloth (the shape of which can be different) of one or more colors, the sides of which are related in a certain way.

The German national flag is the official state symbol of the Federal Republic of Germany. The German flag today is represented by a horizontal tricolor with black, red and gold stripes.

History of the German tricolor: from its origins to the First World War

Germany's national colors have changed frequently over time. Gold, red, white, black - at different periods these colors were national. Even in the Middle Ages, German heraldry used these colors, since the same colors were on the flag of the Holy German Empire. The German flag as we know it has been a symbol of the German Confederation since 1848, when it became associated with democracy. However, when the union collapsed, the authorities decided to abandon the use of a flag of this format. When the Prussian king unified Germany and became emperor in 1871, the banner of the German Empire consisted of black, white and red stripes. This tricolor, called the "Imperial Colours", served as a symbol of the country until the collapse of the Second Reich in World War I.

From the Weimar Republic to the Third Reich

The newly formed Weimar Republic (the adopted historical name of Germany from 1919-1933) in 1919 adopted a banner with black, red and gold stripes (the color scheme is known as republican colors). However, as a result of the collapse of the Weimar Republic in 1933, the Nazi Party was elected to the leadership, and the German flag returned to its previous appearance - black, white and red. Also, to represent the state at this time, the flag of the official Nazi party was used - a red cloth with a white circle, inside of which a black swastika was depicted. When the Nazi Party completely seized control of Germany, it was decided to abandon the tricolor in favor of a flag with a swastika. This flag was used to represent Germany until the very end of World War II. After the defeat of the Third Reich, Germany was prohibited from using any German national flags.

Throughout the period of German division, a time spanning the years from 1949 to 1989, East Germany and West Germany used different flags. It was only after the fall of the Berlin Wall, which occurred in 1989, that black, red and gold officially became the colors of the German flag.

Symbolism of the colors of the German flag

The color palette of the German national flag is somewhat reminiscent of the colors used by the Roman Empire, which were simply black and gold. Germans associate the colors of the modern flag with freedom and unity, as they were used in the first attempt to unify the German Republic. In the Weimar Republic, after World War I, black represented the centrist political party, red the republican, and gold the democratic. It was they who formed the coalition to prevent military extremists from rising to power.

Currently, there are several opinions about what the German flag means. Supporters of the first version believe that the black color on the country’s flag is a symbol of Germany’s past, the red color is a symbol of the country’s current internal political situation, and the gold color is the personification of the future. Adherents of the second point of view argue that the tricolor symbolizes the cohesion and freedom of the state. The third opinion says that black represents difficult years, red represents blood and struggle, and gold represents a favorable future, freedom and independence. This is evidenced by the words of the call to fight for liberation from the French invaders in 1813-1814 - “From the blackness of slavery through bloody battles to the golden light of freedom.”