Deutsch Reicht Crest 1933 Flag Historical German Flag 3 X 5 ft. Standard Third Reich

Deutsches Reich Flag — Imperial German State Flag with Reichsadler, 3×5 Feet

The Banner of the German Empire — Seven Centuries of Imperial Symbolism

The Deutsches Reich (German: German Empire or German Realm) flag bearing the Reichsadler (Imperial Eagle) is one of the most historically layered flags in European history — a design whose symbolic roots stretch back to the Holy Roman Empire of the Middle Ages, carried forward through the German Empire of 1871, and ultimately incorporated into the visual identity of the Third Reich (1933–1945). The striking black, white, and red color combination and the proud imperial eagle make this one of the most immediately recognizable German state flags ever flown.

History & Symbolism of the Deutsches Reich Flag

Black, white, and red — the three colors of the Deutsches Reich — are among the oldest and most historically significant in German political identity. Their origin lies in the heraldic traditions of the medieval German states:

The black and white derive from the colors of the Kingdom of Prussia — the dominant German state and the driving force behind German unification — whose arms featured a black eagle on a white field, tracing its origins to the Hohenzollern dynasty and ultimately to the heraldic traditions of the Holy Roman Empire.

The red and white derive from the colors of the Hanseatic League — the powerful medieval trading confederation of Northern German cities including Hamburg, Bremen, and Lübeck — whose merchants and sailors flew red and white as their commercial colors across the ports of Northern Europe.

When Chancellor Otto von Bismarck unified the German states into the German Empire (Deutsches Reich) following Prussia’s decisive victory over France in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, the black, white, and red tricolor was adopted as the national flag of the new empire — a deliberate fusion of Prussian and Hanseatic identity symbolizing the union of all German peoples under a single imperial banner.

The Reichsadler (Imperial Eagle) at the center of this flag carries an even older pedigree. The black eagle on a red and gold field derives directly from the arms of the Holy Roman Empire — used by German emperors since the reign of Frederick I “Barbarossa” in the 12th century and tracing its heraldic roots to the Roman Empire’s use of the eagle as its supreme symbol of imperial power. The eagle was carried forward through every major era of German political history — the Holy Roman Empire (800–1806), the German Confederation (1815–1866), the German Empire (1871–1918), the Weimar Republic (1919–1933), and the Third Reich (1933–1945) — each era adapting the eagle’s design to reflect its own political character while maintaining the symbol’s fundamental continuity.

Under the Third Reich, the Reichsadler was redesigned to incorporate Nazi iconography — most notably the addition of the swastika wreath in the eagle’s talons — transforming the ancient imperial symbol into an instrument of Nazi state power and propaganda. The eagle appeared on flags, buildings, military insignia, belt buckles, and virtually every surface of official Third Reich visual identity.

Frequently Asked Questions & Little-Known Facts

Q: What is the difference between the Reichsadler and the Parteiadler? During the Third Reich, two distinct eagle designs were in use. The Reichsadler (State Eagle) — used on state and government insignia — faced to its right (the viewer’s left). The Parteiadler (Party Eagle) — used on Nazi Party insignia — faced to its left (the viewer’s right). This subtle distinction allowed German officials to distinguish between state authority and party authority in formal contexts.

Q: Why did the Third Reich keep the black, white, and red colors? The Nazi Party deliberately embraced the black, white, and red of the German Empire rather than the black, red, and gold of the Weimar Republic — which they despised as the colors of Germany’s defeat and democratic “weakness.” Hitler explicitly described his choice of colors in Mein Kampf, framing the retention of imperial colors as a connection to Germany’s glorious pre-Weimar past and a repudiation of the Republic he sought to destroy.

Q: Is the Reichsadler still used in modern Germany? Yes — a stylized version of the Bundesadler (Federal Eagle), a direct descendant of the Reichsadler, serves as the official coat of arms of the Federal Republic of Germany today and appears on German passports, government documents, and the Bundestag (parliament). The modern eagle was deliberately redesigned to remove all Nazi-era elements while maintaining continuity with Germany’s pre-Nazi imperial heraldic tradition.

Q: How old is the German imperial eagle symbol? In its use by German rulers, the eagle dates to at least the 12th century under Frederick Barbarossa. As a Roman imperial symbol it is considerably older — the Roman eagle (Aquila) was carried by Roman legions as far back as the 3rd century BCE, making the symbolic lineage of this flag’s central emblem over 2,000 years old.

Q: Was black, white, and red ever used again after 1945? The black, white, and red tricolor was officially retired with the fall of the Third Reich in 1945. Modern Germany uses the black, red, and gold tricolor — the colors of the 1848 liberal revolutionary movement and the Weimar Republic — as its national flag, deliberately distancing the Federal Republic from both the imperial and Nazi eras.

Standard Quality — Super-Weave Polyester, 3×5 Feet

Our most popular quality level — durable, lightweight, and built to fly beautifully in even a light breeze.

• Through-printed on both sides — design fully visible from either direction
• Bright, fade-resistant inks for lasting color in indoor and fair-weather outdoor use
• 100% synthetic super-weave polyester — lightweight, waterproof, and highly responsive in minimal wind
• Double-stitched edges on all sides for lasting durability
• Reinforced grommet holes with metal rings for secure, rust-free pole attachment
• Fits any standard flagpole or mounting system

Recommended Uses

• WWI, Imperial German, and WWII reenactments and living history events
• Theatrical productions — film, television, and stage
• Indoor museum and historical displays
• Academic and educational exhibitions
• Collectors of Imperial German and Third Reich state heraldry and flag history
• Fair-weather outdoor display, events, and parades