Black, red and gold: why did they choose these colors for the German flag 100 years ago? – 17/02/2019

The national colors of Germany are black, red and gold: This is what the Constitution establishes and was decided during the Weimar Republic. 100 years ago, On February 18, 1919, the Assembly of States decided that black, red and gold would be the national colors.

Shortly after, the National Assembly approved July 3, 1919 its final inclusion in the Constitution. National colors are the symbol of unity, freedom and democracy and its origins go deep into German history.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the so-called Jena student fraternity He chose these colors for his flag. What is being discussed is the role played by the black uniform with red details and golden buttons of the "Lützower Freikorps", a body armed with volunteers who fought against Napoleon between 1813 and 1815.

Look also

In 1832, the tens of thousands of supporters of a single national state and democratic freedoms met under these colors at the Hambach Festival, a festival designed to publicly support German unity. During the revolution of March 1848, the rebels brandished the black, red and gold flag and the National Assembly in Frankfurt am Main chose these colors for the flag.

During the Confederation of Northern Germany (1866-1871) as well as the German Empire (1871-1918), Black, white and red were imposed as colors of the commercial flag and later of the national flag. Red, black and gold once again took pride of place during the Weimar Republic (1918-1933).

Look also

However, the creation of the Assembly of States in February 1919 was strongly contested. The decision of the National Assembly was then a commitment that has not ceased to generate conflicts. "The colors of the Reich are black-red-gold, the commercial flag is black-white-red with the colors of the Reich in the upper inner corner," said Article 3 of the Weimar Constitution.

Clarin Bulletins

What happened today? We tell you the most important news of the day and what will happen tomorrow when you get up

Monday to Friday afternoon.

During Nationalism (1933-1945) the imperial colors were again seen for a short time next to the flag with the Nazi party's swastika, which became in 1935 in the Reich flag and the national flag.

After the Second World War, the Constitution (Basic Law) established that the national flag would be black-red-gold again. These colors were also those of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), although its flag was completed in 1959 with the hammer and the compbad surrounded by a ring of rye ears.

Since October 3, 1990, he has been beckoning in front of the Reichstag (Parliament) building in Berlin to recall the large "unit flag" of 60 square meters.

With the celebration of the 2016 Football World Cup in Germany, many Germans, especially the younger ones, overcame their resentment to express their patriotism. Everywhere we could see German flags waving and He began to be socially accepted to paint his face or buy a cotillion in the colors of the national flag.

Today, the mbadive use of the German flag by xenophobic groups puts it back into a controversial place. Groups on the left call not to use it. "Making a flag without using the flag" has become a campaign motto.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier made it clear on November 9, 2018: "Who today despises human rights and democracy, who attacks old nationalist hate, for sure has no historical rights to black gold, red and gold"

DPA Agency.

GML