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The origins of the German black, white and red flag

 

The colours black, white and red are often mistakenly associated with the German Empire initially, which was founded on 18 January 1871. In fact, however, they date back to the North German Confederation, which was founded on 1 July 1867. This explains the origin of the colours quite well. More on this below. One very often hears or reads theories about the origin of the combination of the colours black, white and red, but these are completely unfounded:

• The colour combination is said to have arisen from the merging of the colours of Prussia with those of the old Electorate of Brandenburg.

• Each of the colours – black, white and red – is said to have its own meaning: black stands for the dark past, white for the bright future, and red for the blood of those who fell in the struggle for national unity.

However, the colours black, white and red are in fact the colours of the flag of the North German Confederation. This colour combination was created in 1867 by combining the colours of Prussia (black and white) with those of the Hanseatic cities of Hamburg, Bremen and Lübeck (red and white).

Flagge Fahne flag Königreich Kingdom Preußen Preussen Prussia Handelsflagge merchant flag
National and merchant flag of Prussia in 1867,
Source, by: Flags of the World, Flaggen aller Seefahrenden Nationen, Deutsche Wappen Rolle

Flagge Fahne flag Hamburg
Flag of Hamburg in 1867,
Source, by: Flags of the World

Flagge Fahne flag Bremen Staatsflagge state flag
Flag of Bremen in 1867,
Source, by: Flags of the World

Flagge Fahne flag Lübeck
Flag of Lübeck in 1867,
Source, by: World Statesmen

This flag was not intended as a national flag for the North German Confederation, as the Confederation did not represent a nation but remained an alliance of states. The black, white and red flag was intended for the North German Confederation’s merchant navy; originally, it was even intended for the navy as well. However, as only Prussia and the Hanseatic cities possessed a significant number of merchant or naval vessels, this explains why the colours black, white and red were sufficient to represent the North German Confederation at sea.

Flagge Fahne flag Norddeutscher Bund North German Confederation Handelsflagge merchant flag
Federal and merchant flag of the North German Confederation,
ratio = 2:3,
Source, by: Flags of the World

Flagge Fahne flag Norddeutscher Bund North German Confederation Marineflagge Kriegsflagge naval war flag
War flag of the North German Confederation,
ratio = 3:5,
Click here for more information!

Flagge Fahne flag Deutscher Bund German Confederation Gösch naval jack
Naval jack of the North German Confederation,
ratio = 2:3,
Source, by: Flags of the World

The naval ensign and the pennant of warships both bear an Iron Cross. The Iron Cross is a military decoration dating back to the Wars of Liberation. Since its establishment in 1813, it has been awarded from the outset without regard to rank or social class, making it a kind of ‘people’s order’ which, particularly in the period following the German War of Liberation (1813–1814), inspired the idea of national resistance against foreign domination and for a free and indivisible nation. The design of the order was modelled on the 18th-century flag of Prussia, which in turn was modelled on the 15th-century cross of the Teutonic Order. The Iron Cross was re-established in 1870 in the context of the military conflict between the North German Confederation and the French Empire (the Franco-Prussian War). With the founding of the German Empire on 18 January 1871, the colours and flags of the German Empire were adopted.

Source: Volker Preuß, Jürgen Kaltschmitt

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