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Subnational Flags of the German Empire 1871-1919 (Germany)

Flaggen der Gliedstaaten des Deutschen Kaiserreichs 1871-1919

Last modified: 2014-01-11 by klaus-michael schneider
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German States - alphabetically

Between 1864 and 1870, Bismarck led the German states in three wars, which resulted ultimately in the unification of the states into the German Empire, extending from west of the Rhine River to the eastern Baltic Sea by 1871:

  1. Alsace - Historical flags of French Alsace - Imperial German period 1871-1919
  2. Alsace-Lorraine - Imperial Territory of Alsace-Lorraine - Reichsland Elsass-Lothringen
  3. Anhalt - Duchy of Anhalt - Herzogtum Anhalt
  4. Baden - Grand Duchy of Baden - Großherzogtum Baden
  5. Bavaria - Kingdom of Bavaria - Königreich Bayern
  6. Bremen - Free Hanseatic City of Bremen - Freie Hansestadt Bremen
  7. Brunswick - Duchy of Brunswick - Herzogtum Braunschweig
  8. Hamburg - Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg - Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg
  9. Hesse - Grand Duchy of Hesse - Großherzogtum Hessen
  10. Lippe - Principality of Lippe - Fürstentum Lippe
  11. Lübeck - Free and Hanseatic City of Lübeck - Freie und Hansestadt Lübeck
  12. Mecklenburg-Schwerin - Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin - Großherzogtum Mecklenburg-Schwerin
  13. Mecklenburg-Strelitz - Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz - Großherzogtum Mecklenburg-Strelitz
  14. Oldenburg - Grand Duchy of Oldenburg - Großherzogtum Oldenburg
  15. Prussia - Kingdom of Prussia - Königreich Preußen
  16. Reuss-Gera or Reuss Younger Line - Principality of Reuss-Gera or Reuss Younger Line - Fürstentum Reuss-Gera oder Reuss jüngere Linie
  17. Reuss-Greiz or Reuss Elder Line - Principality of Reuss-Greiz or Reuss Elder Line - Fürstentum Reuss-Greiz oder Reuss ältere Linie
  18. Saxony - Kingdom of Saxony - Königreich Sachsen
  19. Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach - Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach - Großherzogtum Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach
  20. Saxe-Meiningen - Grand Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen - Herzogtum Sachsen-Meiningen
  21. Saxe-Altenburg - Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg - Herzogtum Sachsen-Altenburg
  22. Saxe-Coburg-Gotha - Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha - Herzogtum Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha
  23. Schaumburg-Lippe - Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe - Fürstentum Schaumburg-Lippe
  24. Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt - Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt - Fürstentum Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
  25. Schwarzburg-Sondershausen - Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen - Fürstentum Schwarzburg-Sondershausen
  26. Waldeck-Pyrmont - Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont - Fürstentum Waldeck-Pyrmont
  27. Württemberg - Kingdom of Württemberg - Königreich Württemberg
Source: States of 1897 in Arndt 1979.
Jan Kuhlmann, 5 December 1995


German States - by status

  1. Kingdoms:
    1. Bavaria - Kingdom of Bavaria - Königreich Bayern
    2. Prussia - Kingdom of Prussia - Königreich Preußen
    3. Saxony - Kingdom of Saxony - Königreich Sachsen
    4. Württemberg - Kingdom of Württemberg - Königreich Württemberg
  2. Grand Duchies:
    1. Baden - Grand Duchy of Baden - Großherzogtum Baden
    2. Hesse - Grand Duchy of Hesse - Großherzogtum Hessen
    3. Mecklenburg-Schwerin - Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin - Großherzogtum Mecklenburg-Schwerin
    4. Mecklenburg-Strelitz - Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz - Großherzogtum Mecklenburg-Strelitz
    5. Oldenburg - Grand Duchy of Oldenburg - Großherzogtum Oldenburg
    6. Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach - Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach - Großherzogtum Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach
  3. Duchies:
    1. Anhalt - Duchy of Anhalt - Herzogtum Anhalt
    2. Brunswick - Duchy of Brunswick - Herzogtum Braunschweig
    3. Saxe-Meiningen - Grand Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen - Herzogtum Sachsen-Meiningen
    4. Saxe-Altenburg - Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg - Herzogtum Sachsen-Altenburg
    5. Saxe-Coburg-Gotha - Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha - Herzogtum Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha
  4. Principalities:
    1. Lippe - Principality of Lippe - Fürstentum Lippe
    2. Reuss-Gera or Reuss Younger Line - Principality of Reuss-Gera or Reuss Younger Line - Fürstentum Reuss-Gera oder Reuss jüngere Linie
    3. Reuss-Greiz or Reuss Elder Line - Principality of Reuss-Greiz or Reuss Elder Line - Fürstentum Reuss-Greiz oder Reuss ältere Linie
    4. Schaumburg-Lippe - Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe - Fürstentum Schaumburg-Lippe
    5. Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt - Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt - Fürstentum Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
    6. Schwarzburg-Sondershausen - Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen - Fürstentum Schwarzburg-Sondershausen
    7. Waldeck-Pyrmont - Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont - Fürstentum Waldeck-Pyrmont
  5. Free Cities:
    1. Bremen - Free Hanseatic City of Bremen - Freie Hansestadt Bremen
    2. Hamburg - Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg - Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg
    3. Lübeck - Free and Hanseatic City of Lübeck - Freie und Hansestadt Lübeck
  6. Other territories:
    1. Alsace-Lorraine - Imperial Territory of Alsace-Lorraine - Reichsland Elsass-Lothringen
Source: States of 1897 in Arndt 1979.
Jan Kuhlmann, 5 December 1995


Civil Flags or Landesfarben

The [civil] flags of German states were generally horizontal stripes [or Landesfarben]:

  1. Kingdoms:
    1. Prussia - Preußen: black-white (see also Prussian Provinces)
    2. Bavaria - Bayern: white-blue
    3. Saxony - Sachsen (Kingdom): white-green
    4. Württemberg: black-dark red
  2. Grand Duchies:
    1. Baden: yellow-red-yellow
    2. Hesse - Hessen: red-white
    3. Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz: blue-yellow-red and blue-white-red both reported
    4. Oldenburg: red St. George Cross on blue; also reported a red Scandinavian cross on blue.
    5. Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach - Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach: black-yellow-green
  3. Duchies:
    1. Brunswick - Braunschweig: blue-yellow
    2. Anhalt: red-green-white
    3. Saxony-Meiningen - Sachsen-Meiningen and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha - Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha: green-white
  4. Principalities:
    1. Lippe: yellow-red
    2. Reuss (senior and junior branches): black-red-yellow
    3. Schaumburg-Lippe: white-red-blue
    4. Waldeck and Pyrmont: black-red-yellow
  5. Free Cities:
    1. Bremen: eight red and white horizontal stripes, at the hoist chequered in two rows
    2. Hamburg: white castle on red
    3. Lübeck: white-red
Source: States of 1897 in Arndt 1979.
Jan Kuhlmann, 5 December 1995

(Editor's note: see also the Explanation of Landesfarben).


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