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Hannover (Germany)

by Zeljko Heimer 23 June 1996

The colours of the province adopted in 1887 were the same as the ones of the former kingdom: yellow over white. This flag can still be seen today, but is rarely used.
Pascal Vagnat, 1996-09-09

Hanover is not a Land of the Federal Republic of Germany anymore. It is now part of the Land of Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen). The flag of the former kingdom and the flag of this former Land were all yellow-white horizontally. This flag can still be used in the former Hanoverian part of Lower Saxony, according to the Law on the coat of arms, flags and seal of the 13rd of October 1952:

"§ 9 1-The federal flag and the flag of the Land shall be displayed when flags have to be displayed on official buildings. The official buildings of the Land can also have with these last, in the territories of the former Länder of Hannover [Hanover], Oldenburg, Braunschweig [Brunswick] and Schaumburg-Lippe, the former flag of the territory.This is not valid for authorities buildings, that are not competent for the whole territory of the Land of Lower- Saxony.
2- The territorial communities are allowed to have near the federal flag and the flag of the Land the flags of the former Länder, and as far as they have one, their own flag. (...)"

In fact, only the flags of Braunschweig, Oldenburg and Schaumburg-Lippe are most used, because in the former province of Hanover, there is little need of regional consciousness and a flag bound to it, since the province doesn't need anymore to mark its status in Prussia, and now forms the biggest part of Lower Saxony.

Other flags of Hannover

8) Hannover

by Jaume Ollé 25 June 1998

The British red ensign (pre-1801) with the white horse at the intersection of the St. George cross. From c.1720 until 1801.
Norman Martin

16) Hannover-merchant 1801-1866

by Jaume Ollé 28 June 1998

The British red ensign with the white horse at the intersection of the St. George cross.
[Illustrated Wilson Flags at Sea, p.70]
Norman Martin

I think that the proportions were more likely to have been 5:9. The proportion 1:2 was not introduced until about 1837 which was the year that the connection between Hannover and the British monarch ended with the accession of Queen Victoria.
David Prothero, 30 June 1998

19) Hannover- royal standard, 1816-1866

by Jaume Ollé 29 June 1998

The banner of Arms of Great Britain (of 1816-1837) Reportedly also used as government flag [Illustrated Smith, FTAAW, p.185].
In the scutcheon the two golden lions in red represent Brunswick; the blue lion on gold surrounded by red hearts represent Luneburg; and the white horse in red represent Westphalia; in the center another shield with the Charlemagne crown in gold. Previous (1714-1801) was use the same standard but in the first quarter is partaged between 1 and 2 (England and Scotland): three golden lions in red and half (the fly) Scottish standard; the second quarter was blue with three golden lilies; the thrid was the same and the fourth was the arms of Hannover (later in the scutcheon). 1801-1806 was exactly that the 1815 one but except that the crown was not the Tudor one but the electoral one (see Flagmaster 89 an FTTAW pag. 185; the crown in Smith is not correct).
Norman Martin

21) Hannover- royal flag 1842, 1848, 1862

by Jaume Ollé 29 June 1998

On a red field a white horse
[Illustrated Wilson Flags at Sea, p.70]
Norman Martin

22) Hannover-pilot 1842

by Jaume Ollé 29 June 1998

The British Union Flag with a red square containing a white horse at intersection. This flag has a white border. Source is Adm. Siegel's Die Flagge (1912).
Norman Martin

36) Hannover (Prussian Province) Landesfarben

Yellow-white bicolor. Adopted 22 Oct 1892. In use for local and regional authorities since 1952. See above.
Norman Martin

37) Hannover (Prussian Province) Landesfarben

by Jaume Ollé 1 July 1998

Possible administrative flag. Yellow-white bicolor with Hannover arms (white horse on red field).
Norman Martin

The coat of arms of the first electorate, then since 1814 Kingdom of Hanover, was divided into three fields:

Gules two leopards or.
Or a lion azure.
Gules a horse argent.
On the whole: Gules a traditional crown of Charlemagne or. The shield was surmounted by a hat for the electorate, and a crown for the kingdom.

The coat of arms of the former province and Land was Gules a horse argent. It can still be used.

The flag of the Kingdom has always been yellow and white, and the only changes concerned the royal banner in Great Britain.

Flags of the Personal Union of Hanover with Great Britain

1714 -1801:
I: Gules three leopards or (England)- Or a lion gules, half a trescheur fleurdelyse contre fleurdelyse (Scotland)
II: Azure three fleur de lys or (Kingdom of France)
III: Azure a harp or (Ireland)
IV: Coat of arms of Hanover described above.

1801-1816:
I: England
II: Scotland
III: Ireland
IV: England
On the whole the coat of arms of Hanover with a hat.

1816-1837: Idem but with a crown instead the hat

These royal banners were banners of arms of the kingdom.

Sources:

The coat of arms of Hanover can be found in the chapter on Britain in W. Smith's "Flags across the ages ...".

Official paper of Lower Saxony, Niders. GVBl. s. 169. (1952)

Rabbow, Arnold Symbole de Bundesrepublik Deutschland und des Landes Niedersachsen Landeszentrale für politische Bildung, Hannover, 1980

Pascal Vagnat, 1996-11-13