German Democratic Republic, East Germany // 1949-1990
Flag adopted 1st October 1959, abolished 3rd October 1990 (civil ensign 1973-1990)
After the German defeat in World War Two, for a number of years there was no central German government, although state governments were fairly rapidly created (each of these adopted flags). In 1946, the Allied Control Council adopted a merchant flag, a swallow tailed version of the international signal flag C (illustrated in Smith 1975, p. 122). After republics were formed in east and west Germany and the use of their black-red-gold flags was authorized, this flag was used less and less and it was finally abandoned in 1952. The German Communists (officially the Socialist Unity Party), sponsored by the Soviet occupation authorities, formed the German Democratic Republic. The black-red-gold with the arms (hammer and compass on a red disk surrounded by a wreath of two ears of wheat) in the center slightly overlapping the red stripe was in use as state flag 1959-1990, as merchant flag 1973-1990.
From the Louise Veninga Collection.
ZFC Noteworthy Flag
No description
