German-psudo // Stylized Ensign / Novelty - Souvenir
This flag combined traditional elements of Imperial German Ensigns into a flag
designed to sell to the mass-market, where a replica of an Imperial Ensign would be inappropriate or even illegal.
This flag has no official status.
This flag appears to be a novelty-souvenir flag from Asia, it is most likely that this flag was originated in Taiwan
Pseudo-German flags of this type are often used to indicate the presence of Germany as an Axis power in WWII commemorations where the display of a Nazi flag would offend. The flag contains German elememts, parced into a new flag that never-the-less conveys a sense of "Germanness" with its display.
Compare with ZFC2011 acquired in Europe during D-Day commemorative observances.
Flags of this type are also used because selling and showing the Reichskriegsflagge of Nazi Germany is illegal in Germany according to 86, 86a StGB outside of educational, artistic or scientific contexts. This covers the version used after 1935 with the swastika. The original flag used between 1871 and 1919 can be shown depending on circumstances in different German states.
Because members of the far right have been using the imperial war flag as a symbol, its use is considered to be a "breach of the public order" in seven of the German Bundesländer. Flags will be mandatorily confiscated. In the other nine Bundesländer, any provocative misuse of the flag can be prosceuted as an Ordnungswidrigkeit. Despite this, the flag remains very popular among football fans in Germany and can be seen in the crowd in many German football events.
Acquired with ZFC0833
From the Veninga Flag Collection.
ZFC Collectible Flag
