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Subnational Flags 1919-1935 (Prussia, Germany)

Last modified: 2008-07-05 by jarig bakker
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Other Prussian subnational flags:
  • Provinces of the Kingdom of Prussia which continued to exist 1918-1945 (flags abolished 1935):
    • See also:

    Posen-West Prussia Frontier Province 1920-1935 / Grenzmark Posen-Westpreussen

    [Posen-West Prussia 1920-1935 (Prussia, Germany)] 2:3 image by Santiago Dotor

    Divided in thirds horizontally and in half vertically. Left black-white-black, right white-black-white. Adopted 1920. Abolished 1935.
    Norman Martin, 20 Jan 1998

    The Landesfarben were granted by the Prussian state ministry to the province on the 9th September 1923 and lasted until 1940, although all the flags of the Länder and provinces were already abolished in 1935. An explanation for this would have been the use of the flag for political propaganda at that time. It should be noted that the combination of the colours of Western Prussia with the one of Posen appeared before the adoption of the coat of arms of the Grenzmark where the inescutcheon on the eagle displayed this combination. Till 1929, the inescutcheon was the coat of arms of Poland.

    Erwin Günther shows a flag with the proportions 3:5 but Ottfried Neubecker, who is the best reference for coat of arms and flags, shows a 2:3 flag.
    Sources: Günther 1998 and Ottfried Neubecker, Die neuen Wappen der preussischen Provinzen, in Der Deutsche Herold. Zeitschrift für Wappen-, Siegel- und Familienkunde, 60. Jahrgang, Selbstverlag des Vereins "Herold", Berlin, 1929, pp. 5-6.
    Pascal Vagnat, 26 Nov 1999

    Posen-West Prussia Official Flag (doubtful)

    [Posen-West Prussia Official Flag (doubtful)] 2:3 image by Peter A. Loeser, 4 Jul 2008

    Would this do as an alternative drawing of Posen-West Prussia Official Flag (doubtful) on (http://flagspot.net/flags/de-pr19-.html#pwo ) mentioned by Norman Martin (With three rows and two columns, not the other way round)?
    Peter A. Loeser, 4 Jul 2008

    Lower Silesia (Prussian Province) 1920-1935 / Provinz Niederschlesien

    [Lower Silesia 1920-1935 (Prussia, Germany)] 2:3 image by Santiago Dotor

    White-yellow horizontal bicolor. Adopted 1920. Abolished 1935.
    Norman Martin, 20 Jan 1998

    Upper Silesia (Prussian Province) 1920-1935 / Provinz Oberschlesien

    [Upper Silesia 1920-1935 (Prussia, Germany)] 2:3 image by Santiago Dotor

    Yellow-blue horizontal bicolor. Adopted 1920. Abolished 1935.
    Norman Martin, 20 Jan 1998

    Prussian Landesfarben with Arms?

    I have also seen flags consisting of the Landesfarben with coats of arms at the center. These would appear to be either flags of the provincial authorities (most likely) or unauthorized variants.
    Norman Martin, 20 Jan 1998

    These ones are only a guess. We have no indication about administrative flags for the German kingdom's Länder.
    Mario Fabretto, 17 Aug 1998

    What do we really know about the flags of German states before 1935 (and of Prussian provinces)? Do we know that there were these "official" flags, i.e. service flags with the coat-of-arms? Or do we just assume that?
    Marcus Schmöger, 21 Oct 2001

    Dreyhaupt 2001 shows the Dienstflaggen (service flags) of East Prussia, (Lower) Silesia and Upper Silesia. It also says that the coat-of-arms of the Grenzmark Posen-Westpreussen (Posen-West Prussia Frontier Province) as it appears on FOTW was adopted in 1929. From 1925 to 1929 the arms was the West Prussian eagle bearing an inescutcheon with the Posen (i.e. Polish) arms. It does not mention however (as far as a quick reading reveals) a Dienstflagge with either coat-of-arms on the Posen-West Prussia flag.
    Santiago Dotor, 23 Oct 2001

    Editor's note: see also Attributed Flags for East and Central German Territories 1950s-1960s.

    Brandenburg Official Flag (doubtful)

    [Brandenburg Official Flag, doubtful (Prussia, Germany)] 3:5 image by Jaume Ollé

    Possible administrative flag. Like Brandenburg 1882-1935, but with coat of arms, consisting of a silver field with a red Brandenburg eagle with, in escutcheon the shield of the Reichserbkämmerers, at the center.
    Norman Martin, 20 Jan 1998

    Editor's note: see also nowadays' Brandenburg.

    East Prussia Official Flag (doubtful)

    [East Prussia Official Flag (doubtful)] 2:3 image by Peter A. Loeser, 22 Jun 2008

    Possible administrative flag. Like East Prussia 1882-1935, but with coat of arms, consisting of a silver field with a black Prussian eagle, at the center.
    Norman Martin, 20 Jan 1998

    Isn't that the arms of West-Prussia?
    Jarig Bakker, 13 Jun 2008

    Jarig is of course correct. The arms should be without the crown around the neck and the arm and sword, but with the crowned head and the FR monogram on the breast; thus, the arms of Posen with the monogram replacing the escutcheon. (Source for arms: Erlass des preussischen Staatsministeriums vom 28.2.1881). Please note that the qualifications on the all the Prussian administrative flags apply, that is: I am not aware of an official source for any of the flags (as opposed to the Landesfarben, but I have seen (all? most?) of them for sale and in flag shops etc.
    Norman Martin, 16 Jun 2008

    I read what Jarig Bakker and Norman Martin said about the drawing of the "East Prussia Official Flag" and I've modified it. See if it is more like they want. My ancestors came from East Prussia and I want to get it right. I got rid of the crown and sword and made it look more like the one being sold.
    Peter A. Loeser, 22 Jun 2008

    East Prussia Official Flag (alternative, doubtful)

    [East Prussia Official Flag (alternative, doubtful)] 2:3 image by Peter A. Loeser, 22 Jun 2008

    Hanover Official Flag (doubtful)

    [Hanover Official Flag, doubtful (Prussia, Germany)] 2:3 image by Jaume Ollé

    Possible administrative flag. Yellow-white bicolor with Hanover arms (white horse on red field).
    Norman Martin, 1998

    Lower Silesia Official Flag (doubtful)

    [Lower Silesia Official Flag, doubtful (Prussia, Germany)] 3:5 image by Jaume Ollé

    Possible administrative flag. Like Lower Silesia 1920-1935, but with coat of arms, consisting of a silver field with a black Silesian eagle (with cross and crescent pattern on breast), at the center.
    Norman Martin, 20 Jan 1998

    Pomerania Official Flag (doubtful)

    [Pomerania Official Flag, doubtful (Prussia, Germany)] 3:5 image by Jaume Ollé

    Possible administrative flag. Like Pomerania 1882-1935, but with Pomeranian arms (red griffin in silver field) in center.
    Norman Martin, 3 Mar 1998

    Posen-West Prussia Official Flag (doubtful)

    [Posen-West Prussia Official Flag, doubtful (Prussia, Germany)] 3:5 image by Jaume Ollé
    N.B.: the field of the flag should have three rows and two columns, not the other way round

    Possible administrative flag. Like Posen-West Prussia 1920-1935, but with coat of arms, consisting of a silver field with a black Prussian eagle, emerging from the neck is a silver arm with armor grasping a silver sword. In the center a escutcheon of the same field as the flag.
    Norman Martin, 20 Jan 1998

    There wasn't any service flag for this province. After the [Second World] War, the association in West Germany of people coming from the former province, used the former banner of the Grenzmark Posen-Westpreussen with the coat of arms of this province in the center of the first quartering of the flag (that is one-third from the top). They used also a variant of the flag of the Grenzmark where it was (here) divided in half vertically and in thirds horizontally [as on the above image]. These two last flags are exceptions and were privately used.
    Sources: Günther 1998 and Ottfried Neubecker, Die neuen Wappen der preussischen Provinzen, in Der Deutsche Herold. Zeitschrift für Wappen-, Siegel- und Familienkunde, 60. Jahrgang, Selbstverlag des Vereins "Herold", Berlin, 1929, pp. 5-6.
    Pascal Vagnat, 26 Nov 1999

    Upper Silesia Official Flag (doubtful)

    [Upper Silesia Official Flag, doubtful (Prussia, Germany)] 3:5 image by Jaume Ollé

    Possible administrative flag. Like Upper Silesia 1920-1935, but with coat of arms, consisting of a blue field with a yellow eagle above a scythe and crossed hammers, at the center.
    Norman Martin, 20 Jan 1998

    Variant

    [Upper Silesia Official Flag, doubtful (Prussia, Germany)] 3:5 image by Jaume Ollé

    Possible administrative flag. Like Lower Silesia 1920-1935, but with coat of arms, like above, at the center. If real, presumably a transitional form around 1920.
    Norman Martin, 20 Jan 1998

    West Prussia Official Flag

    [West Prussia with coat-of-arms (Prussia, Germany)]
    image by Adam Kromer    		 [West Prussia with coat-of-arms (Prussia, Germany)]
    image by António Martins and Adam Kromer

    There was a variant flag of West Prussia with [the historical Royal (Polish) Prussia] coat of arms. I do not know when this variant was created. It was definitely in use in the 20th century, to 1920, maybe 1939-1945 too. I have made a GIF and here is also a scan.
    Adam Kromer, 20 Jul 2000