Historical Flags 18th Century-1935 (Hamburg, Germany)

Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg

Last modified: 2010-01-30 by jarig bakker
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• Civil Flag 1751-nowadays, Civil Ensign 1751-1867 (Landesflagge)
• State Ensign 19th-20th Centuries
• Ensign and Admiralty Flag 1905-nowadays
• 19th Century Flag
• Unidentified 19th Century Ensign A
• Unidentified 19th Century Ensign B
• Hamburg 1751-1861
• Hamburg 1861-1868
• Unknown Hamburg flags 1841
• Pennants
• State Flag since 1897
• State Ensign 1893-1921
• State Ensign 1921-1935

• Hamburg Historical Flags: introduction
• Hanseatic Cities (Germany, Latvia, Netherlands, Poland)
• Hamburg
• Germany

State Ensign 19th-20th Centuries

Flag of State Vessels. Like the 18th-19th centuries flag, but with a blue anchor behind gate and gate is offset towards hoist. Illustrated in Wilson 1986 p. 71, Smith 1975 p. 117 and Crampton 1990 p. 44.
Norman Martin, Jan 1998

Variant #1

Used by Senate members and high functionaries at sea.
Jaume Ollé, 8 Jun 1996

Variant #2

Ensign and Admiralty Flag 1905-nowadays

Admiralty and sea flag. In use ca. 1905 to present.
Jaume Ollé, 8 Jun 1996

19th Century Flag

Same as the 18th-19th centuries flag, but field is blue. Illustrated in Smith 1975 p. 117.
Norman Martin, Jan 1998

Variant

Unidentified 19th Century Ensign A

Used in the 19th century, purpose unknown.
Jaume Ollé, 8 Jun 1996

Unidentified 19th Century Ensign B

Used in the 19th century, purpose unknown.
Jaume Ollé, 8 Jun 1996

Hamburg 1751-1861

Hamburg , 1751 – 1861
Description of flag: It is a red flag with a white Hamburg-gate shifted to the hoist. I must admit that the “gate” is really a castle. It seems to be so, that a gate turns into a castle according to German terms, when it has at least three towers (see e.g. flag of Kalkar described by STADLER vol.7).
This variant of the gate has an open door with a half-closed portcullis. The three towers have altogether eight open windows. There are also two embrasures shaped like crosses. The towers are neither topped by cross nor by the stars of St.Mary.
KLUDAS claims that the flag was used up to 1861. MEYER, SCHULTZ and PASCHKE say furthermore that this pattern was used since 1751.
Sources: Arnold KLUDAS: Die Geschichte der deutschen Passagierschiffahrt (5 Bde.), Hamburg 1986; Reprint Laibach Slovenia-Buch Nr. 03617-8
Flaggentafel auf S.222-224
Poster entitled: "Die geschichtliche Entwicklung der als deutsche Nationalflaggen auf See gefahrenen und von den seefahrenden Nationen anerkannten deutschen Kriegs- und Handelsflaggen", engl: "The historical evolution of those German national flags used on ships and recognized as German war flags or merchant flags by the naval nations", edited by Deutsches Schifffahrtsmuseum Bremerhaven, 1981, based on an original version of Kapitän zur See a.D. Karl SCHULTZ, all flags on the poster are painted by E. PASCHKE.
Jürgen MEYER: “Hamburger Segelschiffe von 1795-1945“; ISBN 3-89225-400-1; Hamburg 1999; cover inside
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 9 August 2008

Hamburg 1861 - 1868

Hamburg , 1861 – 1868
Description of flag: It is a red flag with a white Hamburg-gate in its centre. In this pattern the door is closed and the towers are topped as usual by a cross (centre) and the well known 6-point-stars of St.Mary. The central tower here is not higher than both others. The corners of the basement are rounded and you can recognize brickwork on the flyend sides of the basement and all the three towers (partially masoned).
Sources: Arnold KLUDAS: Die Geschichte der deutschen Passagierschiffahrt (5 Bde.), Hamburg 1986; Reprint Laibach Slovenia-Buch Nr. 03617-8
Flaggentafel auf S.222-224
Poster entitled: "Die geschichtliche Entwicklung der als deutsche Nationalflaggen auf See gefahrenen und von den seefahrenden Nationen anerkannten deutschen Kriegs- und Handelsflaggen", engl: "The historical evolution of those German national flags used on ships and recognized as German war flags or merchant flags by the naval nations", edited by Deutsches Schifffahrtsmuseum Bremerhaven, 1981, based on an original version of Kapitän zur See a.D. Karl SCHULTZ, all flags on the poster are painted by E. PASCHKE.
Jürgen MEYER: “Hamburger Segelschiffe von 1795-1945“; ISBN 3-89225-400-1; Hamburg 1999; cover inside
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 9 August 2008

Unknown Hamburg flags 1841

Unknown Hamburg flags from 1841
Description of flag#1: It is a Hamburg flag model 1751 with the castle centred, but red with a black castle and a black bordure on three sides without the hoist.
Source: The images are taken from a lithography by Peter SUHR, showing the closing of the old Hamburg Stock Exchange on 4 December 1841. The flags can be seen on the left side, separated from the national flags.
I have got no further information about both flags.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 2 Jan 2009

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 2 Jan 2009

Description of flag#2: It is a Hamburg flag model 1751 with the castle centred, but black with a red castle.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 2 Jan 2009

Pennants

image by Jaume Ollé, 8 Jun 1996

State Flag since 1897

On a red field a large white square, on which are the greater arms. Adopted 6 October 1897 and readopted 6 June 1952. Illustrated Smith 1975, p. 227.
Norman Martin, Jan 1998

State Ensign 1893-1921

Like the Prussian State Ensign for Sea Services 1895-1918, except the square canton is red with the gate and anchor symbol of the state ensign 19th-20th centuries. Adopted 1893 and abandoned by 1921. Illustrated in Crampton 1990 p. 42, Meyers Konversations-Lexikon 1912 vol. 4, National Geographic 1917 p. 367, nos. 999 and 1006.
Norman Martin, Jan 1998

State Ensign 1921-1935

The black-white-red flag with the national arms in the center (apparently slightly offset towards the hoist) with a square white canton covering the black stripe in which the gate and anchor symbol of the 19th-20th centuries state ensign. Thus the [1921-1926] national service flag with the canton. In use 1921-1935. Illustrated in Große Brockhaus 1928, vol. 4, p. 656.
Norman Martin, Jan 1998

[Martin and Dreyhaupt 2000 shows the] Hamburg Dienstflagge: [national] Dientsflagge z. See (black-white-red with yellow shield with black-red eagle 1927 pattern in centre) with Hamburg arms in a red canton bordered white. Arms of Hamburg is castle above the light blue anchor.
Lotsenfluger (pilot pennant): rectangular (c. 2:9) red with white castle over a light blue anchor near hoist.
Admiralitätsflagge.
Jaume Ollé, 24 Jan 2001