 | |
| Landesflagge (state flag) | |
| Use | Civil flag andensign   |
|---|---|
| Proportion | 3:5 |
| Adopted | 26 May 1954 |
| Design | A tricolor of red-white-red, defaced with an emblem. |
Thestate flag ofBerlin, Germany has three stripes of red-white-red, the two outer stripes each occupying a fifth of its height, the middle the remaining three-fifths. It isemblazoned with abear on thecivil flag, while it bears thecoat of arms of Berlin on the state flag.
The civil flag ofWest Berlin was adopted on 26 May 1954. Designed byOttfried Neubecker, it came in second in the1952 contest, the winner having been rejected by theSenate. Thebear is placed slightly off-center toward the left.
A bear could be found onseals,coins, and signet rings from as early as the late 12th century (but not as aheraldic charge before 1709), presumably due to acanting association with the city's name.[1]
The state flag replaces the bear with the fullcoat of arms, with the bear inside theescutcheon. Being the state flag for West Berlin, it became the flag of the entire city after thereunification of Germany in 1990.[2] Prior to that, it had also been thenaval ensign, as no other existing flag could be used. The proportions of the flag are 3:5.[3] However, it was only used until 2007 when theAbgeordnetenhaus passed a bill to abolish the state flag. Since then, Berlin has had only one official flag.
Between 1618 and 1861 abicolor of black over white was used as both a civil and state flag, under Brandenburg and successive Prussian rules.
Between 1861 and 1912, a horizontal triband ("tricolor") of black, red, and white was used in the proportions of 2:3. It was designed by Ernst Fidicin based on the colors ofBrandenburg following the coronation ofWilhelm I on 19 December 1861.
Between 1913 and 1954, the civil flag was similar to the current one, except the design of the bear was different. Until 1935, the emblem itself was not established.
From 1955 on,East Berlin had the addition of two white stripes taking the outside halves of the upper and lower red stripes, and a slightly different design for the bear inside an escutcheon, topped with a crown.[4] The East Berlin flag was therefore a slightly modified version of the old state flag, with the civil flag being deliberately avoided in East Berlin—and conversely, adopted as official in West Berlin—due to the bear in the civil flag being off-center to the left and facing left, strongly suggesting an orientation toward the West. The West Berlin flag was adopted for all of Berlin after 1990.
Flag of Berlin, 1618–1861
Flag of Berlin, 1861–1912Flag of Berlin, 1913–1934 (Civil Flag, 1913–1954).svg)
State Flag of Berlin 1934–1954.svg)
Flag of East Berlin, 1954–1990Flag of West Berlin, 1954–1990.svg)
State Flag of Berlin, 1990–2007 (State Flag of West Berlin, 1954–1990)
Standard of members of the Berlin Senate, 1990–2007 (Standard of members of the West Berlin Senate, 1954–1990)The senator for the Interior and Sports has designated several official flag days.[5] On these days, the Berlin flag must be flown on all public buildings. They include:
| Date | Name | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 27 January | Commemoration Day for the Victims of National Socialism | Anniversary of the liberation ofAuschwitz concentration camp (1945) |
| 8 March | International Women's' Day | International Women's' Day is a public holiday in Berlin since 2018 |
| 18 March | Anniversary of the 18 March 1848 | Anniversary of Uprisings during theGerman Revolution (1848) |
| 1 May | Labour Day | Established for German labours to demonstrate for the promotion of workers' rights |
| 8 May | Commemoration Day for theLiberation from National Socialism | Anniversary of theVictory in Europe Day 1945. |
| 9 May | Europe Day | Anniversary of theSchuman Declaration (1950) |
| 23 May | Constitution Day | Anniversary of theGerman Basic Law (1949) |
| 17 June | Anniversary of 17 June 1953 | Anniversary of theUprising of 1953 in East Berlin and East Germany |
| 20 June | Commemoration Day for the Victims of Deportation | Introduced in 2015 by the German Federal Government (World Refugee Day) |
| 20 July | Anniversary of20 July 1944 | Anniversary of the plot aroundClaus von Stauffenberg who tried to assassinateAdolf Hitler unsuccessfully (1944) |
| 3 October | Day of German Unity | Anniversary ofGerman reunification (1990) |
| 9 November | Commemoration Day for theNovember Revolution and Declaration of the Republic (1918),November pogroms (1938) and theFall of the Wall (1989) | |
| The Second Sunday before Advent | People's Mourning Day | In memory of all killed during wartime |
On the Commemoration Day for the Victims of National Socialism and People's Mourning Day, flags must be flown athalf-mast. In addition, they are to be flown on days of the election of thefederal president, to theEuropean Parliament, theBundestag, theAbgeordnetenhaus andborough assemblies.
All 12 boroughs have a flag.
Berlin topics | |
|---|---|
| Administration | |
| Culture | |
| Society | |
| Other topics | |
.svg)