Flags of German states

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A map of Germany, showing all the State flags and coat of arms. Flag-map of Germany (subdivisions).svg
A map of Germany, showing all the State flags and coat of arms.

All German states have a Landesflagge ( flag of the state , sometimes known as a civil flag ), that may be used by anyone. Some states have another variant, often showing the state coat of arms, called the Dienstflagge (service flag or government flag , sometimes known as a state flag), normally for use by official government offices only. In addition to these flags, in a few states there are variants exclusively for the state senate, or for state-operated ships. In some cases, there are specific flags for high-ranking officials, mainly used as car flags. Frequently, the flags are used in vertical variants.

Contents

Current state flags

Since German reunification in 1990, there are 16 states and state flags. [1]

Civil flagState flagAdministrative divisionAdoptedDescriptionRef.
Flag of Baden-Wurttemberg.svg Flag of Baden-Wurttemberg (state, greater arms) 2020.svg
Flag of Baden-Wurttemberg (state, lesser arms).svg
Locator map Baden-Wurttemberg in Germany.svg Baden-Württemberg 1954–present Flag of Baden-Württemberg [1]
Flag of Bavaria (lozengy).svg

Flag of Bavaria (striped).svg
Locator map Bavaria in Germany.svg Bavaria 1949–present Flag of Bavaria
Flag of Berlin.svg
Locator map Berlin in Germany.svg Berlin 1954–present Flag of Berlin [1]
Flag of Brandenburg.svg
Locator map Brandenburg in Germany.svg Brandenburg 1991–present Flag of Brandenburg
Flag of Bremen.svg State flag of Bremen.svg
Flag of Bremen (middle arms).svg
Locator map Bremen in Germany.svg Bremen 1952–present Flag of Bremen
Flag of Hamburg.svg Flagge Hamburg.svg Locator map Hamburg in Germany.svg Hamburg Civil flag 1751–present; state flag introduced in 1897, confirmed in 1952 Flag of Hamburg [1]
Flag of Hesse.svg Flag of Hesse (state).svg Locator map Hesse in Germany.svg Hesse 1949–present Flag of Hesse
Flag of Lower Saxony.svg Flag of Lower Saxony.svg
Flag of Lower Saxony (state ensign).svg
Locator map Lower-Saxony in Germany.svg Lower Saxony 1951–present Flag of Lower Saxony [1]
Flag of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.svg Flag of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (state).svg Locator map Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in Germany.svg Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania 1991–present Flag of Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania
Flag of North Rhine-Westphalia.svg Flag of North Rhine-Westphalia (state).svg Locator map North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany.svg North Rhine-Westphalia 1953–present Flag of North Rhine-Westphalia
Flag of Rhineland-Palatinate.svg
Locator map Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany.svg Rhineland-Palatinate 1948–present Flag of Rhineland-Palatinate
Flag of Saarland.svg
Locator map Saarland in Germany.svg Saarland 1957–present Flag of Saarland
Flag of Saxony.svg Flag of Saxony (state).svg Locator map Saxony in Germany.svg Saxony 1991–present Flag of Saxony
Flag of Saxony-Anhalt (state).svg
Locator map Saxony-Anhalt in Germany.svg Saxony-Anhalt 1991–present Flag of Saxony-Anhalt
Flag of Schleswig-Holstein.svg Flag of Schleswig-Holstein (state).svg Locator map Schleswig-Holstein in Germany.svg Schleswig-Holstein 1948–present Flag of Schleswig-Holstein
Flag of Thuringia.svg Flag of Thuringia (state).svg Locator map Thuringia in Germany.svg Thuringia 1991–present Flag of Thuringia

Historical flags

FlagAdministrative divisionAdoptedDescription
Flagge Grossherzogtum Baden (1891-1918).svg Deutschland Lage von Baden.svg South Baden 1945–1952 Flag of Baden
Flag of Wurttemberg-Baden.svg Deutschland Lage von Wurttemberg-Baden.svg Württemberg-Baden
Flagge Konigreich Wurttemberg.svg Deutschland Lage von Wurttemberg-Hohenzollern.svg Württemberg-Hohenzollern

German Democratic Republic

FlagAdministrative divisionAdoptedDescription
Flag of East Berlin (1956-1990).svg District of Berlin in German Democratic Republic (-water).svg East Berlin 1956–1990 Flag of Berlin
Flag of Brandenburg (1945-1952).svg Brandenburg in German Democratic Republic 1949 - 1952.svg Brandenburg 1945–1952 Flag of Brandenburg
Flagge Grossherzogtumer Mecklenburg.svg Mecklenburg in German Democratic Republic 1949 - 1952.svg Mecklenburg Flag of Mecklenburg
Flagge Preussen - Provinz Sachsen.svg Sachsen-Anhalt in German Democratic Republic 1949 - 1952.svg Saxony-Anhalt Flag of Saxony-Anhalt

Greater German Reich

FlagAdministrative divisionAdoptedDescription
Gaufahne Sachsen 1933-1945.svg Saxony in the German Reich (1925).svg Gau Saxony 1933-1945
Dienstflagge Preussen 1933-35.svg Prussia in the German Reich (1925).svg Free State of Prussia Flag of Prussia
State Flag of Thuringia 1933.svg Thuringia in the German Reich (1925).svg Free State of Thuringia Flag of Thuringia

Weimar Republic/Nazi Germany

Constituent states

FlagAdministrative divisionAdoptedDescription
Flagge Herzogtum Anhalt.svg Anhalt in the German Reich (1925).svg Free State of Anhalt 1918–1945
Flagge Grossherzogtum Baden (1891-1918).svg Baden in the German Reich (1925).svg Republic of Baden Flag of Baden
Flagge Herzogtum Braunschweig.svg Brunswick in the German Reich (1925).svg Free State of Brunswick 1918–1946
Flagge Herzogtum Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha (1911-1920).svg Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in the German Reich (1871).svg Free State of Coburg 1918–1920
Flagge Grossherzogtum Hessen ohne Wappen.svg Hesse in the German Reich (1925).svg People's State of Hesse 1918–1945 Flag of Hesse
Flagge Furstentum Lippe.svg Lippe in the German Reich (1925).svg Free State of Lippe 1918–1947
Flag of the Free City of Lubeck.svg Lubeck in the German Reich (1925).svg Free City of Lübeck ?–1937
Flagge Grossherzogtumer Mecklenburg.svg Mecklenburg-Schwerin in the German Reich (1925).svg Free State of Mecklenburg-Schwerin 1918–1933 Flag of Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg-Strelitz in the German Reich (1925).svg Free State of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Civil flag of Oldenburg.svg Oldenburg in the German Reich (1925).svg Free State of Oldenburg 1918–1946
Flag of Prussia (1918-1933).svg Prussia in the German Reich (1925).svg Free State of Prussia 1918–1933 Flag of Prussia
Flag of Germany (3-2 aspect ratio).svg People's State of Reuss 1919–1920
Flagge Furstentum Schaumburg-Lippe.svg Schaumburg-Lippe in the German Reich (1925).svg Free State of Schaumburg-Lippe 1918–1946
Flagge Herzogtum Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha (1826-1911).svg Saxe-Altenburg in the German Reich (1871).svg Free State of Saxe-Altenburg 1918–1920
Saxe-Meiningen in the German Reich (1871).svg Free State of Saxe-Meiningen
Flagge Grossherzogtum Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach (1897-1920).svg Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach in the German Reich (1871).svg Free State of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
Flagge Furstentumer Schwarzburg.svg Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt in the German Reich (1871).svg Free State of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
Schwarzburg-Sondershausen in the German Reich (1871).svg Free State of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen
Flag of Germany (3-2 aspect ratio).svg Waldeck-Pyrmont in the German Reich (1925).svg Free State of Waldeck-Pyrmont 1918–1929
Flagge Konigreich Wurttemberg.svg Wurttemberg in the German Reich (1925).svg Free People's State of Württemberg 1918–1945

Provinces of Prussia

FlagAdministrative divisionAdoptedDescription
Flagge Preussen - Provinz Brandenburg.svg Weimar Republic - Prussia - Brandenburg (1925).svg Province of Brandenburg 1918–1945 Flag of Brandenburg
Civil flag of Prussia 1701-1935.svg Weimar Republic - Prussia - East Prussia (1925).svg East Prussia
Flagge Preussen - Provinz Hannover.svg Weimar Republic - Prussia - Hanover (1925).svg Province of Hanover
Flagge Preussen - Provinz Hessen-Nassau.svg Weimar Republic - Prussia - Hesse Nassau (1925).svg Province of Hesse-Nassau 1918–1944
Flagge Preussen - Provinz Hohenzollern.svg Weimar Republic - Prussia - Hohenzollern (1925).svg Province of Hohenzollern 1918–1945
Hessen KS flag.svg Location Nazi Germany - Kurhessen.png Province of Kurhessen 1944–1945
Flagge Preussen - Provinz Schlesien.svg Weimar Republic - Prussia - Lower Silesia (1925).svg Province of Lower Silesia and Province of Silesia 1919–1945 Flag of Silesia
Flagge Preussen - Provinz Nassau.svg Province of Nassau (1944).png Province of Nassau 1944–1945
Provinz Pommern flag.svg Weimar Republic - Prussia - Pomerania (1925).svg Province of Pomerania 1882–1945 Flag of Western Pomerania
Flagge Preussen - Grenzmark Posen-Westpreussen.svg Weimar Republic - Prussia - Posen West Prussia (1925).svg Posen-West Prussia 1922–1938
Flagge Preussen - Rheinland.svg Weimar Republic - Prussia - Rhine (1925).svg Rhine Province 1922–1945
Flagge Preussen - Provinz Sachsen.svg Weimar Republic - Prussia - Saxony (1925).svg Province of Saxony 1918–1945 Flag of Saxony-Anhalt
Flagge Preussen - Provinz Schleswig-Holstein.svg Weimar Republic - Prussia - Schleswig Holstein (1925).svg Province of Schleswig-Holstein Flag of Schleswig-Holstein
Flagge Preussen - Provinz Oberschlesien.svg Weimar Republic - Prussia - Upper Silesia (1925).svg Province of Upper Silesia 1919–1938
1941–1945
Flag of Upper Silesia
Flagge Preussen - Provinz Westfalen.svg Weimar Republic - Prussia - Westphalia (1925).svg Province of Westphalia 1918–1945

German Empire

Constituent states

Provinces of Prussia

FlagAdministrative divisionAdoptedDescription
Flag of Berlin 1861.svg Weimar Republic - Prussia - Berlin (1925).svg Berlin 1861–1912 Flag of Berlin
Provinz Pommern flag.svg Weimar Republic - Prussia - Pomerania (1925).svg Province of Pomerania 1882–1945 Flag of Western Pomerania
Flagge Preussen - Provinz Westpreussen.svg German Empire - Prussia - West Prussia (1878).svg West Prussia 1886–1920

Minority flags

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Slater, Stephen (2007). The world encyclopedia of flags & heraldry. London: Lorenz. pp. 147–149. ISBN   9780754817802.