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German States: Brandenburg and Prussia, part III

FLAGS OF GERMAN STATES

From the middle ages to the present

Most images contributed by Jaume Ollé, reduced to FOTW standard by Jorge Candeias.

Part III: Brandenburg and Prussia (III)

1800-1870

28) Brandenburg 1801.

by Jaume Ollé, 24 July 1998

Similar to no.26, except for modest differences in the eagle, crown and scepter.
Norman Martin (20 January 1998)

29) Prussia General Flag 1803.

by Jaume Ollé, 24 July 1998

Similar to no.26, except for modest differences in the eagle, crown and scepter.
Norman Martin (20 January 1998)

30) Königsberg. 1805.

by Jaume Ollé, 24 July 1998

Similar to no. 12, except with a black, rather than a red eagle.
Norman Martin (20 January 1998)

Koenigsberg was the main harbour of Brandenburg and even if many charts report the striped flag as the flag of Koenigsberg, this was a maritime flag of Brandenburg. Koenigsberg owned a flag, the white-red with crown and cross, which was never used at sea, and a true merchant ensign for the town never existed. The stripes on this flag are represented in number of six or seven, sometimes blue and sometimes black, with or without the shield with the eagle (of Brandenburg or of Prussia).
Mario Fabretto, 4 August 1998

31) Danzig. 1805.

by Jaume Ollé, 24 July 1998

A red flag with a white canton with the arms of Danzig (red field with 2 white crosses formy, 2 lions rampant as supporters, crest an eagle).
Norman Martin (20 January 1998)

The design is incorrect; the arms reproduced are not the arms of Danzig but the form they had on the flags adopted between 1920 and 1939 by the free town. However this flag, as the one with four crosses topped by royal crowns and the one with three royal crowns, is a fantasy flag. There is some evidence, on the contrary, of a blue flag with two white crosses and a white flag with two red crosses (similar to the British system, as also adopted in Hamburg) used in the 18th century and, maybe, until 1823.
Mario Fabretto, 4 August 1998

32) Danzig. 1805.

by Jaume Ollé, 24 July 1998

A blue field with two white crosses at center of flag (placement unusual for Danzig flags)
Norman Martin (20 January 1998)

33) Prussia-royal flag. 1805

by Jaume Ollé, 24 July 1998

In the center a black Prussian "flying" type eagle with lightning bolts (type of eagle used on most Prussian regimental flags since the 18th century).
Norman Martin (20 January 1998)

34) Prussia-merchant flag.

by Jaume Ollé, 24 July 1998

A blue flag with no. 33 in canton
Norman Martin (20 January 1998)

35) Prussia-ensign 1816.

by Jaume Ollé, 9 August 1998

Crowned black eagle with gold scepter and gold decorated blue orb. In the upper hoist, an Iron cross
Norman Martin (20 January 1998)

The history of the first Prussian ensign is quite complex and Jaume's design is wrong in many aspects. The first Prussian warship was built in 1816 (the "Stralsund") and it needed an ensign. On the 24 November, three projects were presented to the king who chose the design of the black eagle in heraldic form, on a white background charged in the canton with the iron cross. The ensign was first used in the spring of 1817. The design of the eagle was however badly interpreted and on 18 November 1818 the Ministry of Interior sent to the Ministry of War a note on which it was said that the eagle's design didn't correspond to the one adopted on 9 January 1817. The note listed the mistakes:

the royal crown was red lined, which wasn't correct following the development of the Prussian crown; moreover, the crown should have only been the arcs of a royal crown
the gold letters "FR" on the eagle's breast were missing
the small eagle on the sceptre was missing
the eagle should show its tongue while, on the contrary, it was biting it.

Jaume's image is a mix of the wrong and of the correct design.
The ensign was corrected and, at the same time, its shape was modified becaming swallow-tailed. The ensign was confirmed in 1850 and disappeared from the seas on 1 October 1867, being restricted in its use to internal waters until 1918. Around 1890 the eagle's design was modified as on the national flag. After 1863 the ensigns (including the merchant one) were mainly used in their rectangular form (not swallow-tailed).
Mario Fabretto, 10 August 1998

36) Prussia-merchant.1818. 1862.

Horizontal black-white-black triband
Norman Martin (20 January 1998)

37) Prussia-merchant. 1823. 1848. 1862

by Jaume Ollé, 11 August 1998

White swallow-tailed flag with relatively narrow (1/6 of height) black stripes top and bottom. In the white field, a crowned black eagle with gold scepter and gold orb.
Norman Martin (20 January 1998)

38) Prussia-pilot. 1825. 1848. 1862.

A white black-bordered flag
Norman Martin (20 January 1998)

39) Prussia-government vessels. 1834.

by Jaume Ollé, 9 August 1998

White swallow-tailed flag with a crowned black eagle with gold scepter and gold orb.
Norman Martin (20 January 1998)

40) Prussia-ensign. 1842. 1848 1858. 1906

by Jaume Ollé, 11 August 1998

White swallow-tailed flag with a crowned black Prussian eagle with gold scepter and gold orb, with an Iron Cross in the upper hoist. (Alexander lists usage as 1858-1863, another source lists 1850-1863; it is possible that the design was slightly different in the 40s and maybe early 50s).
Norman Martin (20 January 1998)

41) Prussia-royal flag. 1842.1848

by Jaume Ollé, 9 August 1998

In the center a black Prussian "flying" type eagle with sword and scepter (type of eagle used on most Prussian regimental flags since the 18th century). In the upper hoist a small Iron Cross.
Norman Martin (20 January 1998)

42) Prussia-royal standard. 1844. 1862.

by Jaume Ollé, 11 August 1998

On a dark red field a black Iron Cross and with a coa: on a silver field a gold crowned (with the Prussian royal crown) heraldic Prussian eagle(without escutcheon) surrounded by the chain of the order of the Black Eagle; the arms of the Iron Cross reach the edge of the flag. In each of the 4 fields are 3 black heraldic eagles and 1 gold royal crown. Adopted 1844. Abandoned 1871.
Norman Martin (20 January 1998)

43) Memel. 1848. 1862.

by Jaume Ollé, 17 May 1998

A black-white-black horizontal triband, swallow-tailed. In the white stripe the letters "MEMEL".
Norman Martin (20 January 1998)

A variant in Bromme's Atlas shows the Memel flag in dark blue this may be a printing error. See Memel page for a discussion on erroneous Memel flags.
Jaume Ollé, 20 June 1998
Norman Martin (20 January 1998)

44) Prussia-warship pennant. 1858

by Jaume Ollé, 11 August 1998

White Pennant with an Iron Cross at the hoist. Same as National Flags of Germany, part IV, no. 15.
Norman Martin (20 January 1998)

45) Prussia-seniority pennant. 1858.

by Jaume Ollé, 11 August 1998

White swallow tailed flag with Iron Cross in Hoist, extending to inner point of swallow tail, and hung from a point. Similar to the flotilla flag of Imperial Germany (Part V, no.22)
Norman Martin (20 January 1998)

46) Prussia-standard. 1862.

by Jaume Ollé, 11 August 1998

Like no. 41, except eagle is normal and has scepter and orb (instead of sword and scepter)
Norman Martin (20 January 1998)

47) Prussia-ensign. 1862.

by Jaume Ollé, 15 August 1998

Like no.37, but not swallow tailed.
Norman Martin (20 January 1998)

48) Memel. 1862

by Jaume Ollé, 17 May 1998

A black-white-black horizontal triband, swallow-tailed.
Norman Martin (20 January 1998)

49) Prussia-merchant. 1863.

by Jaume Ollé, 12 August 1998

Similar to no. 37, but not swallow-tailed.
Norman Martin (20 January 1998)

50) Prussia-Postal. 1863.

by Jaume Ollé, 11 August 1998

A rectangular flag, otherwise similar to no. 40, but with a yellow posthorn in lower hoist.
Norman Martin (20 January 1998)

51) Prussia-Pilot Vessels. 1863.

by Jaume Ollé, 15 August 1998

Like no. 50, but with a blue crossed anchors instead of the posthorn in lower hoist.
Norman Martin (20 January 1998)

52) Prussia - Other Vessels of the Ministry of Trade. 1863.

by Jaume Ollé, 15 August 1998

Like no. 50, but with a blue vertical anchor instead of the posthorn in lower hoist.
Norman Martin (20 January 1998)

This was the ensign used by ships owned by the board of trade from 1863 until 1867, but it must be swallow-tailed.
Mario Fabretto, 17 August 1998

53) Prussia - Naval Labor Vehicle Flag. 1863.

by Jaume Ollé, 15 August 1998

Like no. 50, but with, in the lower hoist, 4 red anchors with points towards the center thus forming an apparent X .
Norman Martin (20 January 1998)

This was the ensign used by cargo ships (1863-1867); the four red anchors were without cords.
Mario Fabretto, 17 August 1998

54) Prussia-Customs. 1863.

by Jaume Ollé, 15 August 1998

Like no. 52, with the blue letters K and Z on each side of anchor.
Norman Martin (20 January 1998)

55) Prussia-Service flag for other Government Vehicles. 1867?

by Jaume Ollé, 15 August 1998

Like no. 39, but eagle is like that of North German Ensign (national flags of Germany, part 3, no.3) with a blue vertical fouled anchor in lower hoist. (Hence like 52, but swallow-tailed and anchor is fouled.)
Norman Martin (20 January 1998)

In the period 1867-1895 all the service flags were substituted by the Northern Confederation (then Empire) flag, so Prussia hadn't any particular service flag. The reconstructed flag could be the ensign used by ships owned by the board of trade from 1863 until 1867 but the blue anchor was without cord. The eagle design was accordingly to the period.
Mario Fabretto, 17 August 1998

The flag described (with its indicated use) comes from Adm.Siegel's book Die Flagge. It has no date but the form of the eagle caused me to guess at 1867 (hence the question mark), The anchor is fouled in the illustration.
Norman Martin, 17 August 1998