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Baden-Württemberg (Germany)

Land Baden-Württemberg

Last modified: 2006-09-02 by jarig bakker
Keywords: baden-württemberg |
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[State Flag variant 1 (Baden-Württemberg, Germany)] image by Marcus Schmöger, 10 Jul 2000
Flag adopted 29 Sep 1954

See also:

Introduction

In 1952 the Länder of [South] Baden, Württemberg-Baden and Württemberg-Hohenzollern merged to form the Land Baden-Württemberg, with capital at City of Stuttgart. Source: Chamber's World Gazetteer and Geographical Dictionary, 1954.
The Land of Southern Baden used a yellow-red-yellow horizontal tricolour. The Land of Württemberg-Hohenzollern used a black-red horizontal bicolour. After a referendum, all three Länder were merged on 25 April 1952 as Baden-Württemberg. The flag for the new Land was adopted on 29 September 1954. Between 25 April 1952 and 29 September 1954 no official flag existed and probably the previous flags were used.
The adopted flag was a plain black-yellow horizontal bicolour. The Arms include the three lions of the House of Hohenstaufen, lords of the Duchy of Swabia (Schwaben). The lesser arms are added to the state flag. Adopted 29 September 1954.
Jarig Bakker, 18 Jul 2000

Legislation

The three regulations concerning the flags of the Land Baden-Württemberg are:
The Constitution (Verfassung des Landes Baden-Württemberg) of 11 November 1953, published in the Gesetzblatt für Baden-Württemberg (Law Gazette) p. 173. The relevant article is:
Art. 24 (State Colours)
(1) The colours of the State are black-gold.
(2) The coat-of-arms of the State will be determined by law.

The law on the coat-of-arms of Baden-Württemberg (Gesetz über das Wappen des Landes Baden-Württemberg) of 3rd May 1954, in force since 21st May 1954, published in Gesetzblatt für Baden-Württemberg (Law Gazette) p. 69.

The regulation of the government of the Land on the use of its coat-of-arms (Verordnung der Landesregierung über die Führung des Landeswappens) of 2nd August 1954, in force since 1st August 1954, published in Gesetzblatt für Baden-Württemberg (Law Gazette) p. 139.

The last mentioned regulation defines the use of the greater and lesser arms of Baden-Württemberg. As these arms are also used on the flag (greater arms without supporters), there are several variants of the flag. The greater arms (and accordingly the state flag with the great arms) is used by the government, the prime minister, the ministries, the representative to the Federal Government, the higher courts of justice, the audit office and the district governments. The lesser arms is used by the other government agencies. As an attachment to the regulation there are also patterns of the relevant flags; I used these for making the GIFs.

There are mainly four groups of flags mentioned: Hißfahnen (horizontal, hoisted flags — the civil flag and the state flag with lesser arms and with great arms); Hängefahnen (vertical, hanging flags); Banner (other variant of vertical flags); and Standarten an Dienstkraftwagen (car flags).
Marcus Schmöger, 10 Jul 2000

State Flag

[State Flag variant 1 (Baden-Württemberg, Germany)] a [State Flag variant 2 (Baden-Württemberg, Germany)] b images by Marcus Schmöger, 10 Jul 2000

The state flag is black on gold (yellow) and has either the lesser arms or the greater arms without supporters in the middle, proportions 3:5.
Pascal Vagnat, 19 Dec 1995

Service flag for state authorities. Horizontal black-yellow bicolor with at the center the lesser arms. Adopted 29 Sep 1954. Illustrated in Smith 1975 p. 227.
Norman Martin, May 1998

Civil Flag / Landesflagge

[Civil Flag (Baden-Württemberg, Germany)] image by ®eljko Heimer

The Land flag is black on gold (yellow) without the arms.
Pascal Vagnat, 19 Dec 1995

Horizontal black-yellow bicolor. Colors of the arms. In use in the 19th century. Adopted as Landesflagge of Baden-Württemberg 29 September 1954. Illustrated in Pedersen 1970 no. 146.
Norman Martin, May 1998

Vertical Flags / Hängefahnen or Banner

[Vertical State Flag variant 1 (Baden-Württemberg, Germany)] a [Vertical State Flag variant 2 (Baden-Württemberg, Germany)] b [Vertical Civil Flag (Baden-Württemberg, Germany)] c all by Marcus Schmöger, 10 Jul 2000

The vertical flags (Hängefahnen und Banner) are the civil flag (c), the state flag with lesser arms (b), and the state flag with greater arms (a). These flags can differ in height from what is depicted in the regulation, but the used proportion 5:2 is very common for German vertical flags.
Marcus Schmöger, 10 Jul 2000

Prime Minister and Other Members of the Government / Ministerpräsident

[Prime Minister (Baden-Württemberg, Germany)] image by Marcus Schmöger, 10 Jul 2000

The flag of the Minister Präsident (prime minister) is the state flag but square.
Pascal Vagnat, 19 Dec 1995

This car flag (Standarte an Dienstkraftwagen) is size 30 × 30 cm for the Ministerpräsident and 25 × 25 cm for other members of the government.
Marcus Schmöger, 10 Jul 2000

Other Authorities

[Other Authorities (Baden-Württemberg, Germany)] image by Marcus Schmöger, 10 Jul 2000

The car flags (Standarten an Dienstkraftwagen) for the Leiter der Vertretung des Landes beim Bund (state's representative to the Federal Government), the Präsident des Rechnungshofs (president of the audit office) and the Regierungsbezirkpräsidenten (district presidents) are 18 × 25 cm.
Marcus Schmöger, 10 Jul 2000