The current flag of Germany is a tricolor consisting of black, red and gold (schwarz, rot, gold in German) arranged from top to bottom. This design originated from the German nationalist movement in the 19th century and gained popularity during the German Revolution of 1848. Here is a brief history of the evolution of the German flag:
1.Middle Ages to Early Modern Times:
During the Middle Ages and the subsequent Holy Roman Empire, Germany did not have a unified national flag, each region had its own flag and coat of arms.
2.Black-white-red tricolor:
When the German Empire was founded in 1871, the flag was marked with horizontal stripes of black, white, and red, representing Prussia (black), the Hanseatic cities (white), and the other German states (red).
3.Black-red-gold tricolor:
The black, red and gold tricolor first emerged in German nationalism in the early 19th century, and was adopted as the ideal symbol of the GDR in the March Revolution of 1848.
The Weimar Republic continued to use the black-red-gold tricolor as Germany's flag after the collapse of the German Empire in 1918.
4.Before and after World War II:
During World War II, Nazi Germany adopted the swastika flag with the swastika as a national symbol, but did not abolish the black-white-red tricolor as the traditional national flag.
After the war, East and West Germany**, the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany), founded in 1949, reintroduced the tricolor of black, red and gold, while the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) also used the tricolor, but added a coat of arms containing a hammer, a gauge and an ear of wheat to the flag**.
5.After the reunification of Germany:
After the reunification of Germany in 1990, the black-red-gold tricolor flag once again became the national flag of the whole of Germany, which is still in use today.
In short, the black, red, and gold tricolor not only embodies the nationalist sentiments and aspirations for reunification in Germany's history, but also carries the values of freedom, democracy, and peace.