Bremen Historical Flags - part 2: 1891-1948 (Germany)

Historische Bremer Flaggen - Teil 2

Last modified: 2014-06-14 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: bremen | key(bendy) | chequy: hoist | anchor | canton (white) | panel (white) | stripes(8/red-white) |
Links: FOTW homepage | search | disclaimer and copyright | write us | mirrors

• Introduction
• Civil Ensign 1891-1935 and since 1947 - previously unofficial, reported in use 1842 and 1848
• Bremen Pennant - reported 1897
• State Flag 1891 - reported in use 1848 and 1905
• State Ensign 1891-1892 - Service Flag for State Vessels and State Maritime Buildings
• State Ensign 1893-1921 - Service Flag for State Vessels and State Maritime Buildings
• State Ensign 1921-1935 - Service Flag for State Vessels and State Maritime Buildings
• Civil Flag - Landesflagge
• Revolutionary Period 1918-1919
• State Banner Version 1948

• Hanseatic Cities (Germany, Latvia, Netherlands, Poland)
• Bremen
• Index of all German Pages

Civil Ensign 1891-1935 and since 1947
Previously unofficial, reported in use 1842 and 1848

Like the 1693-1891 flag, except 8 stripes. Officially (re-)adopted (as merchant flag) 13 November 1891. In use since, except 1935-1947. Variants with even number of stripes permitted by the regulation of 1891. In recent times, has tended to 8 stripes. Current flag of Bremen.
Norman Martin, 25 Feb 1998

Bremen Pennant
Reported 1897

This Bremen pennant, was reported 1897 in [stl99]; p.87. The ratio was unknown. It was a red swallow tail pennant divided quarterly into white and red squares at the hoist. According to source no information about rules to use it could be found.
Source: Stroehl 1999; opp.p.86, plate XXII, fig.VIII
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Oct 2009

State Flag 1891
Reported in use 1848 and 1905

Like the 1891 Civil Ensign, but with a white rectangle covering the 4 center stripes with the great arms with a helmet crest. Officially (re)-adopted (as state flag) 13 November 1891. Present rule allows this pattern, but only with 12 stripes.
Norman Martin, 25 Feb 1998

The number stripes should be at least eight. The number of red and white stripes should be even. If the flag had twelve stripes, than in white rectangle was the Flag Coat of Arms, a modified version of the Greater Arms. If the flag had only eight stripes, the Middle Arms had been taken instead. Source: [stl99]; p.87
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Oct 2009

State Ensign 1891-1892
Service Flag for State Vessels and State Maritime Buildings

Variant with Lesser Arms

Like the 1871 State Flag, but with a white canton 3 stripes high and about 2/3rds as wide containing a blue anchor. Now used as service flag for state vessels.
Norman Martin, 25 Feb 1998

Like 1891 State Ensign, but with the lesser arms.
Norman Martin, 25 Feb 1998

Variant with Greater Arms

2:3 image by M. Schmöger

Like the 1891 State Flag, but with a white canton 3 stripes high and about 2/3rds as wide containing a blue anchor. Now used as service flag for state vessels.
Norman Martin, 25 Feb 1998

State Ensign 1893-1921
Service Flag for State Vessels and State Maritime Buildings

Note: The imperial crown and fouled anchor should be yellow/gold not white

Like the Prussian State Ensign for Sea Services 1895-1918, except in the square canton, the Bremen lesser arms. 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 1004.
Norman Martin, 25 Feb 1998

State Ensign 1921-1935
Service Flag for State Vessels and State Maritime Buildings

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 Bremen lesser arms. Thus the [1921-1926] national service flag with the canton. In use 1921-1935.
Norman Martin, 25 Feb 1998

[Martin and Dreyhaupt 2000 shows the] Bremen Dienstflagge: [national] Dientsflagge z. See (black-white-red with yellow shield with black-red eagle 1927 pattern in centre) with Bremen arms in a white square in canton.
Customs: Identical but with the red letters Z and V at sides of the central shield.

Toppflagge d[er] Lotsen [topmast pilot's flag]: Bremen flag (8 stripes, 4 red and 4 white). Occupying three stripes, in canton, a white square (in fact a bit higher that long) with a light blue anchor within [like the first image under state ensign 1891-1892].
Jaume Ollé, 24 Jan 2001

Civil Flag
Landesflagge

image by Jorge Candeias

Horizontal bicolour red over white.
Norman Martin, 25 Feb 1998

Revolutionary Period 1918-1919

From November 1918 to Summer 1919 plain red flags and red over white flags were used. Later the striped flag of Bremen —adopted on 17th November 1891— was restored (ratio 15:23).
Jaume Ollé, 24 Aug 1998

State Banner Version 1948

The banner (reverse shown) is divided by eight alternating red and white vertical stripes. The lesser arms are in a white panel in the centre of the banner. The coat of arms doesn't have straight edges at the top, but little "ears".
Sources: Kuhn 1991, p. 90 and Hormann and Plaschke 2006, p.194
Klaus-Michael Schneider and M.Schmöger, 22/23 Apr 2014

back to Bremen historical flags main page click here