This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website

Historical Flags 1350-1891 (Bremen, Germany)

Freie Hansestadt Bremen

Last modified: 2005-09-17 by santiago dotor
Keywords: bremen | banner of arms | key | chequy: hoist | canton (white) | panel (white) | coat of arms | stripes: 9 (red-white) | stripes: 8 (red-white) | stripes: 14 (red-white) |
Links: FOTW homepage | search | disclaimer and copyright | write us | mirrors




See also:


Banner-of-Arms

Reported 1350

[Bremen 1350 (Germany)]
by Jaume Ollé

Red flag with white key, diagonal with handle pointed toward lower fly (banner of arms).

Norman Martin, 25 February 1998


Hanging Flag 14th Century

[Bremen 14th Century (Brandenburg, Germany)]
by Phil Nelson

Znamierowski 1999 shows several interesting flags of the Port Cities of northern Europe. These are derived from gonfanons, originally red in color. The flags, in a banner form [i.e. hanging flags], were flown from the stern of the vessels, the mast carrying the gonfanon of the colors. The oldest of the series, from the mid-13th century, that of Hamburg, was followed among others by Bremen in the 14th century.

Phil Nelson, 20 February 2000


17th Century Flag

Reported 1685, 1700 and 1705

[Bremen 1685, 1700 and 1705 (Germany)]
by Jaume Ollé

Chequey 7 by 6 red-white. Illustrated National Geographic 1917 p. 371.

Norman Martin, 25 February 1998


Flag 1693-1891, probably mistaken

Reported 1716, 1750 and 1805

[Bremen 1693-1891 (Germany)]
by Jaume Ollé

Horizontally striped, 9 stripes, red and white. In the hoist two vertical rows of 9 squares each, the first alternately red-white, the second alternately white-red.

Norman Martin, 25 February 1998

Schurdel 1995 implies the 9-striped flag to be in error, probably by the Allard 1695 flag chart, and then copied in other flag charts for over a century, since he states that all documents and ship paintings always have an even number of stripes.

Norman Martin, 14 September 2000

According to Schurdel 1995 and Stadler 1966 the first proven occurrence of the current civil flag dates from 1691, and it has been used continuously since then in Bremen.

Marcus Schmöger, 21 September 2001


18th Century Flag

Reported 1769

[Bremen 1769 (Germany)]
by Jorge Candeias

Four horizontal stripes blue-white.

Norman Martin, 25 February 1998


Pre-1891 Flag

Reported 1862

[1862 Flag (Bremen, Germany)]
by Jorge Candeias

Like the 1891 Civil Ensign, except white on red.

Norman Martin, 25 February 1998


State Ensign 1815-1891

Reported 1862

[State Ensign 1815-1891 (Bremen, Germany)]
by Jaume Ollé


Pre-1891 Flag

Reported 1865

[Bremen 1865 (Germany)]
by Jaume Ollé

Like the 1693-1891 flag, except 14 stripes.

Norman Martin, 25 February 1998


State Flag 1871 and 1921

Like the State Flag 1891, but with the crowned middle arms. Readopted 1947. Present rule allows this pattern only with 8 stripes.

Norman Martin, 25 February 1998