Coat of arms of germany

The German coat of arms has its origins in different symbols that followed one another during the Holy Roman Empire, which, when it disintegrated in 1806 as a result of the Napoleonic Wars, left Germany without an official coat of arms. the German states that had formed part of the Empire.

During the German Empire, created in 1871, the "golden eagle" was once again taken as a symbol, its design being modified after the German defeat in World War I and then again in the 1930s after the establishment of Nazi Germany.

The FRG established the current coat of arms in 1950. This coat of arms was designed in 1926 by Tobias Schwab reforming the coat of arms of the Weimar Republic. At that time it was called the "Weimar eagle", but when the FRG adopted it as a symbol it became known as the "federal eagle" (Bundesadler in German), a name it maintains to this day.

The federal eagle appears, for example, on many official documents, on army uniforms, on the facade of state buildings, on coins and passports, as well as on the jerseys of the German sports federations. In addition, it appears in the flag of Germany for government uses.

Variants of the current shield

The so-called "small eagle" is a more rounded model of the German eagle, used in passports, coins, institutional medals and logos of government institutions. It consists of the following variants:

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  Generic model, used by the Cabinet and ministries, in passports, in some coins and medals, and more.

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  Simplified logo of the President of Germany

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  Simplified Bundestag Logo

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  Simplified Bundesrat Logo

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  Simplified Logo of the German Constitutional Court

History

Holy Roman Empire

The German imperial eagle (Reichsadler) originated from a proto-heraldic emblem believed to have been used by Charlemagne the first Frankish ruler crowned Holy Roman Emperor by the Pope in 800, and ultimately derived from the Aquila, a banner of the Roman army.

In the 13th century, the imperial coat of arms was generally described as: An eagle displaying a saber beak and member guless (a black eagle with spread wings with a red beak and feet on a field of gold). During the medieval period, the imperial eagle used to have only one head. A double-headed eagle is attributed as the arms of Frederick II in the Chronica Majora (c. 1250). In 1433, the double-headed eagle was adopted by Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor. From then on, the double-headed eagle was used as the arms of the German Emperor and thus as the Holy Roman Empire symbol of the German nation. From the 12th century, emperors also used a personal coat of arms separate from the imperial arms. Since the reign of Albert II (reigned 1438-1439), emperors carried the old imperial arms with a mock coat of arms of their family's personal arms, which appears as the black eagle with a shield on the chest.

German Confederation

In 1815, the German Confederation (Bund) of 39 loosely united German states was founded on the territory of the former Holy Roman Empire. Until 1848, the confederation did not have its own coat of arms. The meeting of the Federal Diet (Bundestag) in Frankfurt am Main used a stamp bearing the emblem of the Austrian Empire, since Austria had taken over the leadership of the union. It featured a black double-headed eagle, which Austria had adopted shortly before the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation.

During the revolution of 1848 the National Assembly which met in St. Paul's Church in Frankfurt adopted a new Reich coat of arms. The black double-headed eagle was retained, but without the four symbols of the emperor: the sword, the imperial orb, the scepter, and the crown. The eagle rested on a golden shield; above was a golden five-pointed star. On both sides the shield was flanked by three flags with the colors black-red-gold. However, the emblem never gained widespread acceptance.

The coat of arms itself was the result of a decision of the federal assembly:

The federal assembly constitutes the former German imperial eagle with the surrounding writing "German Confederation" and the colors of the former German imperial coat of arms (black, red, gold) to be the shield of arms and the colors of the German Confederation and reserves the right, to make an additional decision on its use in accordance with the conference of the committee.

The Federal Assembly of the German Confederation, federal decision on the coat of arms and the colors of the German Confederation of March 19, 1848.

North German Confederation

In 1867, the North German Confederation was established without Austria and the four southern German states (Bavaria Württemberg Baden Hesse-Darmstadt with only its southern half) and under the leadership of the Kingdom of Prussia (see Coat of arms of Prussia). A new coat of arms was adopted, consisting of a shield in the colors black-white-red with a crown on top, flanked by two wild men with clubs and standing on a pedestal.

German Empire

The Reichsadler had already presented himself in the Versailles Proclamation, although the first version had been only provisional. The eagle design was modified at least twice during the German Empire (1871-1918). It shows the imperial eagle, a comparatively realistic black eagle, with the heraldic crown of the German Empire. The eagle has a red beak, tongue and talons, with open wings and feathers. Unlike its predecessor, the eagle of the German Confederation, the imperial eagle has a single head, facing to the right, symbolizing that important parts of the old empire, Austria and Bohemia, were not part of this new empire. Its legal basis was an imperial rescript:

The Reich Chancellor, Prince of Bismarck. In the wake of his report of June 27 of this year, I authorize: 1. that the public authorities and public servants, appointed by the Emperor according to the requirements of the constitution and the laws of the German Empire, be called imperial; 2. that the black eagle, a head, looking to the right with red peak, tongue and claws, without sceptre, in the chest protects the Prussian eagle,

-  Kaiser Wilhelm, Rescript of August 3, 1871, concerning the names of the public authorities and public servants of the German Empire, as well as the declaration of the imperial coat of arms and the imperial banner

Weimar Republic

After the introduction of the republic, Germany's coat of arms was also altered to account for political changes. The Weimar Republic (1918-1933) kept the Reichsadler without the symbols of the old monarchy (crown, collar, breast shield with the Prussian arms). This left the black eagle with one head, facing to the right, with wings open but feathers closed, with a red beak, tongue and talons and white highlighting.

The republican Reichsadler is based on the Reichsadler introduced by the Paulskirche Constitution of 1849, which was decided by the German National Assembly in Frankfurt am Main, at the height of the German civic movement demanding parliamentary participation and the unification of the states germans. The achievements and signs of this movement had mostly disappeared after its fall and the political reaction in the 1850s. Only the small German principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont kept up the tradition and continued to wear the German colors called black-red-gold. (in German, Schwarz-Rot-Gold).

These signs had remained symbols of the Paulskirche movement and Weimar Germany wanted to express its opinion that it also originated from that political movement between 1848 and 1852. The republican coat of arms took up the idea of the German coat of arms established by the movement Paulskirche, using the same pack animal as an eagle, in the same colors (black, red and I), but modernizing its shape, including a reduction of the heads from two to one. The artistic rendering of the eagle was very realistic. This eagle is mounted on a yellow (golden) shield. The coat of arms was announced in 1919 by President Friedrich Ebert and Minister of the Interior Erich Koch-Weser:

By decision of the Reich Government, by the present announcement that the imperial coat of arms on a golden yellow shield shows the black eagle with one head, the head turn to the right, the wings open but with closed feathers, beak, tongue. and claws in red color. If the eagle of the Reich is shown without frame, the same colors and the same burden as those of the eagle of the coat of arms of the Reich will be used, but the upper part of the feathers will be directed to the outside. The patterns maintained by the Federal Ministry of the Interior are determinants of heraldic design. Artistic design can vary for every special purpose.

-President Ebert; Minister of the Interior, Koch, Announcement on the federal coat of arms and the imperial eagle of November 11, 1919

However, in 1928 the Reichswappen (Reich coat of arms) designed by Tobias Schwab (1887-1967) in 1926 (or 1924) for the German Olympic team became the official emblem. The Reichswehr was adopted into the new Reichswappen as early as 1927. Emil Doepler's earlier design then became the Reichsschild (Reich coat of arms) with restricted use as a pennant for government vehicles. In 1920, Sigmund von Weech designed a Staatssiegel (State Seal), the smaller version of which was used from 1921 by all Reich ministries and authorities on official documents as a consistent sign. It also appeared in German passports. In 1949, the Federal Republic of Germany adopted all the signs of the Weimar Republic, Reichswappen, Reichsschild, Staatssiegel, Reichsflagge as Bundeswappen, Bundesschild. Bundessiegel and Bundesflagge in the 1950s.

Nazi Germany

Nazi Germany used the coat of arms of the Weimar Republic until 1935. The Nazi Party used a new coat of arms based on their party coat of arms, which consisted of a black eagle with its head turned to the left, standing on a crown of oak leaves inside which is a swastika. Nazi Germany used the Weimar coat of arms until 1935. The Nazi Party used a black eagle on a stylized oak wreath, with a swastika in the center. This eagle was called Reichsadler, and symbolized the country. There was another version with the eagle with its head turned to the right, which symbolizes the Nazi Party, called Parteiadler. The emblem was established by a regulation drawn up by Adolf Hitler on November 5, 1935:

To express the unity of the party and the state also in relation to its emblems, I decide:

Article 1 The Reich has as its national emblem the emblem of the National Socialist Workers Party. Article 2 The national emblems of the Wehrmacht remain intact. Article 3 The announcement on the imperial coat of arms and the imperial eagle (Reichsgesetzbl. Pg 1877) is cancelled.

Article 4 According to the Representative of the Fuehrer, the Reich Minister of the Interior shall enact the necessary regulations to implement Article 1.

- Führer and Reich Chancellor Adolf Hitler (and others), Regulations for the Reich National Emblem of November 5, 1935 Hitler added on March 7, 1936 that:

In relation to the Regulation concerning the national emblem of the reich of November 5, 1935, article 1 of the decision: The national emblem of the Reich shows the swastika, surrounded by an oak crown, in the oak crown an eagle with the extended wings. The head of the eagle turns right. For the heraldic design of the national emblem, the included patterns are decisive. The artistic design is varied for every special purpose.

-  The Führer and Reich Chancellor Adolf Hitler (and others), Regulation concerning the design of the Reich national emblem of March 7, 1936.

German Federal Republic (1949-1990)

The Weimar eagle was adopted as its symbol by the Federal Republic of Germany in 1950. Since then it has been known as the Bundesadler ("federal eagle"). The legal basis for the use of this coat of arms is the announcement of President Theodor Heuss, Chancellor Konrad Adenauer and Interior Minister Gustav Heinemann of January 20, 1950, which is identical word for word to the announcement of President Friedrich Ebert and the Interior Minister Erich Koch. -Weser before November 11, 1919:

By decision of the Federal Government, for the present announcement that the federal coat of arms on a golden yellow shield shows the black eagle with a head, the head turned to the right, the wings open but with closed feathers, beak, tongue and claws of red colour. If the federal eagle is shown without frame, the same load and colors will be used as those of the eagle of the federal coat of arms, but the upper part of the feathers will be directed to the outside. The patterns maintained by the Federal Ministry of the Interior are definitive for heraldic design. The artistic design is reserved for every special purpose.

-  Federal President Theodor Heuß, Federal Chancellor Adenauer, Federal Minister of the Interior Heinemann, announcement about the federal coat of arms and the federal eagle.

Since the accession (1990) of the states that formed the German Democratic Republic, the Federal Eagle has been the symbol of reunited Germany.

German Democratic Republic

The German Democratic Republic (East Germany) used a socialist emblem as its national emblem from 1950 until its reunification with West Germany in 1990. In 1959, the insignia was also added to the East German flag.

Gallery

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  Shield of the Holy Roman-Germanian Empire
  (1433-1806)

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  Shield of the German Confederation
  (1815-1866)

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  Shield used during the Revolution of 1848

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  "Great" Shield of the Second German Empire
  (1871-1918)

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  "Small" Shield of the Second German Empire
  used more often

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  Shield of the Republic of Weimar
  (1919-1935)

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  of the Soviet Republic of Bavaria (1919)

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  Shield of Nazi Germany (1935-1945)

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  Shield of Eastern Germany
  (1955-1990)