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Bonn city (Germany)

Bundesstadt Bonn, former German federal capital, North Rhine-Westphalia

Last modified: 2010-02-27 by jarig bakker
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[Federal City of Bonn (North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany)] 3:5 image by Stefan Schwoon
Coat-of-arms adopted 1971

See also:

Bonn city

Yellow with thin red stripes at the top and bottom edges with the arms in the center. Sources: Staack 1997 and the FlagDataBank website.
Stefan Schwoon, 22 Feb 2001

I found the city statutes (Hauptsatzung) available at the city website:
1 July 1996
The Coat of Arms: argent a cross sable, a base gules a lion passant caboshed or.
The flag is yellow-red; the wide yellow centerstripe is accompanied by two narrow red stripes. In center the Arms.
The part about the flag simply says that the red stripes are schmal (thin), so no particular proportion is specified and the 1:6:1 used in the above image is only one possible interpretation of that.
Stefan Schwoon, 5 Apr 2001

From  website: Bonn received city rights probably in the early 13th century. The oldest seal, known since 1250, shows the patron saint, St. Cassius, depicted as a knight. The next seal, dating from the 14th century, shows the cross of Köln and the lion. The area was part of the diocese of Köln. The lion is a symbol for the old Dingstuhl or justice-place. The lion is often named Wölfchen (little wolf) or Leopard and is sometimes shown standing on a boar. On the ante-seals of the city only the lion is shown.
The colours have changed through the years, first the lion was red and the field was either silver or gold, changed to blue from 1732 until 1971 and finally in 1971 the present colours were granted. The lion also changed from looking to the right to looking to the viewer in 1971.
Literature: Stadler 1964-1971 and Nagel 1986.
Source: Ralf Hartemink's International Civic Arms.


a Bonn mystery pennant

[Bonn mystery pennant] image sent by Erich Egmont, 18 Feb 2010

Here are two photos of the unidentified pennant.
I was informed it was Dutch? The pennant is made of wool fabric mounted over white cotton fabric. The insignia is made of white cotton fabric and machine embroidered in silver gray, black and red thread. I think the pennant was made for a vehicle since its single sided and relatively small and the loops at the fly / pole end.
Approximate size, 16 inches at the hoist / pole end by 27 inches for the fly.
Erich Egmont, 18 Feb 2010

It's the arms of Bonn (Germany), as used 1732-1971, see Ralf Hartemink's International Civic Arms.
The pennant is perhaps of a Bonner yachtclub.
Jarig Bakker, 18 Feb 2010

Indeed the old version of the Bonn arms on the old colours of the flag. However, without any other markings I would not say it is yacht club pennant proper. It is just the Bonn city flag in pennant form, probably used on yachts for showing the origin of the owner.
Marcus Schmöger, 20 Feb 2010