A national flag is not only a symbol of a country but also reflects cultural identity, history and national pride. German flag is a combination of three distinctive colors that create a unique mark while reflecting the ups and downs in the country's history. If you want to explore more deeply about German culture, let's SHD Academy Find out the origin, meaning and interesting stories behind this tricolor flag in the following article!

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General information about the German flag

What is the German flag?

The German flag is rectangular, with dimensions in the ratio of 3:5 in height and width. The German flag consists of three horizontal bands of equal area, arranged from top to bottom in the order of black - red - yellow. Because of its three distinctive colors, the German flag is also known as the "tricolor flag". This design was officially recognized in 1919, under the Weimar Republic and is still maintained today.

Meaning of the German flag 

The German flag with three colors black - red - yellow, spread in three horizontal stripes has undergone many changes throughout the history of this country. According to documents, the tricolor flag first appeared in the early 19th century and became prominent during the 1848 revolutions in the German Confederation. Before that, in the Middle Ages, the three colors on the German flag symbolized the journey to regain freedom from the darkness (black) of slavery through bloody battles (red) towards the golden light (yellow) of freedom. 

Since the Weimar Republic, the meaning of the three colors of the German flag has changed, symbolizing a new country of unity, freedom and democracy. Accordingly, black symbolizes unity, red represents patriotism and yellow represents prosperity. Although each color has its own meaning, when combined together, they convey a profound message: "Not only representing the unity of the country but also the individual freedom of the German people." 

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Colors and history of the German flag through the ages

Before becoming the official national flag, the German flag changed many different versions through important historical periods, reflecting the profound political, social and cultural changes of this country.

In each regime and each period, the German flag is associated with a different historical meaning. Below is the history of the formation of the German flag through the historical periods of this country.

Medieval period

During the Middle Ages, Germany was in a turbulent period of history associated with the strong desire for freedom of the people. During this period, the Holy Roman Emperor's standard was designed with the black eagle symbol placed in the center. The yellow color symbolized prosperity and wealth, the black color represented the power and domination of the empire. By the beginning of the 14th century, the flag was supplemented with red on the eagle's beak and talons, creating a more majestic image.

However, by the early 15th century, the flag continued to change with the double-headed eagle symbol, symbolizing the expanding power of the empire. It was from this period that the three colors black - red - gold are said to have formed, becoming the inspiration for the modern German flag.

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Napoleonic period

In 1806, the fall of the Holy Roman Empire ushered in the era of the War of National Liberation against Napoleon. At that time, the main German force was the Lützow Free Corps, which consisted largely of students from universities and academies across Germany.

Because their numbers were not large enough and they were not professionally trained, they did not use a fixed flag but instead chose black uniforms with red and gold buttons to show unity in their ranks. These three colors had profound meanings: black symbolized bondage, red represented bloody wars and yellow symbolized the light of freedom. 

German Republican period (Weimar Republic)

After the defeat in World War I, the constitution of the Weimar Republic (German Republic) was established on August 14, 1919 and restored the national flag as the black-red-yellow tricolor flag. 

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Nazi period

On January 30, 1933, the Nazi regime was established in Germany and taken power by Hitler. Under the rule of Adolf Hitler, the Nazis committed many atrocities, and also abolished the black-red-yellow flag and replaced it with two legal national flags: the black-white-red flag and the Nazi Party's cross flag. These two German flags are called the Nazi flag and often appear in Hitler's speeches. 

After Adolf Hitler was promoted to prime minister, he The new German flag featured a red background, a white circle in the center, and a black swastika. The swastika is an ancient symbol of Indian origin, but under Nazi Germany it was used to represent Aryanism and the idea of racial superiority.

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The period of division of East Germany and West Germany

After World War II and the collapse of the Nazi regime, Germany was divided into West Germany (the Federal Republic of Germany) and East Germany (the German Democratic Republic), each under the control of the Allies.

At that time, in West Germany, the black-red-gold tricolor flag was restored and officially used from 1949 to 1989. Meanwhile, East Germany, under the control of the Soviet Union, also used the black-red-gold tricolor flag in the early period from 1949 to 1959. However, in 1959, the East German government decided to modify the national flag by adding the national emblem to the flag. This symbol consists of a hammer and sickle, surrounded by barley, symbolizing the working class, intellectuals and peasants.

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Unification period to present

After decades of division, Germany was officially reunified in 1990, following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. The German government decided to use the black-red-gold tricolor flag with three equal horizontal bands as the official national flag. Until now, it is still the sacred symbol of Germany, representing the spirit of solidarity, unity and freedom of the nation after historical upheavals.

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Interesting facts about the German flag

The three colors black – red – yellow on the German flag have become an indispensable part of the cultural identity of this country. Not only that, the German flag also has many other interesting things such as:

• In the 19th century, the German flag was seen as a symbol of the movement against the Conservative Order in Europe.
• The colors of today's German flag are said to be inspired by the banners of the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.
• In addition to the familiar three-stripe horizontal version of the national flag, in 1996 many government buildings in Germany also used vertical flags for civil and administrative purposes.
• The German flag is a symbol of the country's unity, independence and democracy.
• The German and Belgian flags are similar in color, black, red, and yellow, which can easily cause confusion. You can distinguish between the two flags based on the arrangement of the colored stripes. The German flag has three horizontal stripes of black, red, and yellow, while the Belgian flag has three vertical stripes of black, yellow, and red.

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Some frequently asked questions about the German flag

Why are the Belgian and German flags similar?

In fact, the German flag and the Belgian flag have similar colors, both using three colors black, red and yellow to represent national freedom and national unity. However, the flags of these two countries are different in the arrangement of the color bands. 

The German flag consists of three horizontal bands and is arranged from top to bottom in the order black – red – yellow. Meanwhile, the Belgian flag is 3 columns of black – yellow – red, arranged vertically from right to left. 

Although both countries adopted these three colors in the context of revolutions and independence movements, there is no direct historical or origin link between them.

What is the Nazi flag?

The Nazi flag is the symbol of the German fascist regime under the leadership of Adolf Hitler from 1933 to 1945. This flag has a red background with a swastika symbol of the Aryans (the race that Adolf Hitler considered superior and had supreme power). black in the center, inside a white circle. 

During the Nazi era, the flag represented the ideology of Aryan racial superiority – an ideology Hitler used to justify his policies of racial discrimination and territorial expansion. Today, the flag is considered one of the most brutal symbols in history, associated with war, genocide and totalitarian rule.

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As can be seen, the German flag has gone through many changes in history and today has become a symbol of freedom, unity and national independence. Hopefully the above information will help you understand more about the German flag as well as the culture of this country. If you are interested in the program vocational training in Germany and need detailed advice on German vocational study itinerary then do not hesitate to contact us immediately SHD Academy Call hotline 0336 760 276 for detailed advice and support!