Facts About the German Flag
The flag of the Federal Republic of Germany has changed through the centuries, just like the European nation itself. Today's German flag consists of three equal-size horizontal stripes of the colors black, red and gold (from top to bottom). It has been in current use since 1949 -- shortly after the end of World War II -- and was first introduced back in 1849.
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Past Use
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The present-day German tricolor was first used by the nation as far back as 1849, but only briefly. It was reintroduced as the national flag in 1919, at the birth of the Weimar Republic. This was the German government at the end of The Great War -- later known as World War I. This second adoption of the current flag lasted until March, 1933, at which point it was replaced by the swastika flag of Adolf Hitler's dreaded Third Reich.
Flag of the Reich
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After Adolf Hitler and his National Socialist German Workers Party, or Nazis, came to power, they raised a new flag. From 1935 until the 1945 German defeat in World War II, the flag of The Third Reich consisted of a red background with a white circle in the center upon which appeared the Nazi swastika. Although the swastika symbol has been used in many cultures for varying purposes, it will always be associated with German Nazism.
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Two Nations
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The Allied victory in World War II split Germany into two countries, the democratic West Germany -- known as the Federal Republic of Germany -- and the Soviet-controlled East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic. Both nations reverted once again to the black, red and gold tricolor, but in 1959 the East German flag added a symbol configuration that included a compass and a hammer in a circular wreath of rye. This represented the three classes of new East Germans: workers, intelligentsia and farmers. It would be the nation's official flag until reunification.
Present Day
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Following reunification of the two nations in October, 1990, the black, red and gold tricolor was once again chosen to represent the German people. There are several meanings as to the color choice. One explanation is that they represent the colors on the uniforms of German volunteers who fought against France in the Napoleonic wars of the early 19th century: black coats, red braids and gold buttons. Another theory is that each color symbolized a desired trait of the people: black for determination, red for courage and gold (or yellow) for generosity.
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References
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