Flag of the German Empire

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 organizations.

Colors

White-Red

The colors white and red are widely used in heraldry. They are particularly prevalent in the coats of arms and flags of the Hanseatic cities, for example, in the coats of arms of Hamburg, Bremen, Lübeck, Rostock, Stralsund, Greifswald, Wismar, Brunswick, and Halberstadt. The Saxon Steed, which carries significant symbolic meaning in Northern Germany and still forms the coats of arms of Lower Saxony and Westphalia, also consists of a white horse on a red shield. Similarly, the Holstein nettle leaf and the coat of arms of Brandenburg are dominated by red and white, and the states of Berlin, Thuringia, and Hesse also use red and white as their state colors.

The colors white and red were also used in the badges and flags of the Holy Roman Empire. The original imperial flag, which first appeared in the 12th century, showed a silver cross on a red field. Around 1350, it was replaced by the royal or imperial eagle banner.