Flag of the German Empire

Reichsflagge
UseState flag, civil and state ensign
Proportion2:3 (3:5 in 1933–1935)
Adopted
  • 1867 (1867) (first 2:3 ratio)
  • 1933 (1933) (second 3:5 ratio)
Relinquished
  • 1919 (1919) (first 2:3 ratio)
  • 1935 (1935) (second 3:5 ratio)
DesignA horizontal tricolour of black, white, and red

The black-white-red flag (Schwarz-Weiß-Rot), also known as the flag of the German Empire, the Imperial Flag (Kaiserflagge) or the Empire Flag (Reichsflagge), is a combination of the flag of Prussia and the flags of the Holy Roman Empire and the Hanseatic League. Starting as the national flag of the North German Confederation, it would go on to be commonly used officially and unofficially under the nation-state of the German Reich, which existed from 1871 to 1945. However, it was only officially adopted as the national flag of the German Empire in 1892, during the reign of Wilhelm II. After 1918, it was used as a political symbol by various organisations.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.