View source for Flags of German states

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{{Expand German|date=April 2022}}
{{More citations needed|date=November 2024}}[[File:Flag-map of Germany (subdivisions).svg|thumb|A [[map]] of [[Germany]], showing all the State flags and coat of arms.]]

All [[States of Germany|German states]] have a {{lang|de|Landesflagge}} (''[[State flag#Flag of a federated state (subnational entity)|flag of the state]]'', sometimes known as a ''[[civil flag]]''), that may be used by anyone. Some states have another variant, often showing the [[Armorial of Germany|state coat of arms]], called the {{lang|de|Dienstflagge}} (''[[service flag]]'' or ''[[government flag]]'', sometimes known as a ''state flag''), normally for use by official government offices only. In addition to these flags, in a few states there are variants exclusively for the state senate, or for state-operated ships. In some cases, there are specific flags for high-ranking officials, mainly used as [[Car flag|car flags]]. Frequently, the flags are used in vertical variants.

== Current state flags ==
Since [[German reunification]] in 1990, there are 16 states and state flags.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Slater |first=Stephen |url=https://archive.org/details/worldencyclopedi0000slat/page/154/mode/2up?q=%22flag+of+alderney%22 |title=The world encyclopedia of flags & heraldry |date=2007 |publisher=Lorenz |isbn=9780754817802 |edition= |location=London |pages=147–149}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! class="unsortable" |Civil flag !! State flag !! colspan="2" | Administrative division !! Adopted !! class="unsortable" | Description
!Ref.
|-
| [[File:Flag of Baden-Württemberg.svg|border|150px]] || [[File:Flag of Baden-Württemberg (state, greater arms) 2020.svg|border|150px]]<br>[[File:Flag of Baden-Württemberg (state, lesser arms).svg|border|150px]]||{{sort|Baden-Württemberg|[[File:Locator map Baden-Württemberg in Germany.svg|border|110px]]}} || [[Baden-Württemberg]] || 1954–present || [[Flag of Baden-Württemberg]]
|<ref name=":0" />
|-
| colspan="2" | [[File:Flag of Bavaria (lozengy).svg|border|center|150px]]<br>[[File:Flag of Bavaria (striped).svg|border|center|150px]] ||{{sort|Bavaria|[[File:Locator map Bavaria in Germany.svg|border|110px]]}} || [[Bavaria]] || 1949–present || [[Flag of Bavaria]]
|
|-
| colspan="2" | [[File:Flag of Berlin.svg|border|center|150px]] ||{{sort|Berlin|[[File:Locator map Berlin in Germany.svg|border|110px]]}} || [[Berlin]] || 1954–present || [[Flag of Berlin]]
|<ref name=":0" />
|-
| colspan="2" | [[File:Flag of Brandenburg.svg|border|center|150px]] ||{{sort|Brandenburg|[[File:Locator map Brandenburg in Germany.svg|border|110px]]}} || [[Brandenburg]] || 1991–present || [[Flag of Brandenburg]]
|
|-
| [[File:Flag of Bremen.svg|border|150px]] || [[File:State flag of Bremen.svg|border|150px]] <br> [[File:Flag of Bremen (middle arms).svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Bremen|[[File:Locator map Bremen in Germany.svg|border|110px]]}} || [[Bremen (state)|Bremen]] || 1952–present || [[Flag of Bremen]]
|
|-
| [[File:Flag of Hamburg.svg|border|150px]] || [[File:Flagge Hamburg.svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Hamburg|[[File:Locator map Hamburg in Germany.svg|border|110px]]}} || [[Hamburg]] || Civil flag 1751–present; state flag introduced in 1897, confirmed in 1952 || [[Flag of Hamburg]]
|<ref name=":0" />
|-
| [[File:Flag of Hesse.svg|border|150px]] || [[File:Flag of Hesse (state).svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Hesse|[[File:Locator map Hesse in Germany.svg|border|110px]]}} || [[Hesse]] || 1949–present || [[Flag of Hesse]]
|
|-
| [[File:Flag of Lower Saxony.svg|border|150px]] || [[File:Flag of Lower Saxony.svg|border|150px]] <br>  [[File:Flag of Lower Saxony (state ensign).svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Lower Saxony|[[File:Locator map Lower-Saxony in Germany.svg|border|110px]]}} || [[Lower Saxony]] || 1951–present || [[Flag of Lower Saxony]]
|<ref name=":0" />
|-
| [[File:Flag of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.svg|border|150px]] || [[File:Flag of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (state).svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort| Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania|[[File:Locator map  Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in Germany.svg|border|110px]]}} || [[Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania]] || 1991–present || [[Flag of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern|Flag of Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania]]
|
|-
| [[File:Flag of North Rhine-Westphalia.svg|border|150px]] || [[File:Flag of North Rhine-Westphalia (state).svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|North Rhine-Westphalia|[[File:Locator map North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany.svg|border|110px]]}} || [[North Rhine-Westphalia]] || 1953–present || [[Flag of North Rhine-Westphalia]]
|
|-
| colspan="2" | [[File:Flag of Rhineland-Palatinate.svg|border|center|150px]] ||{{sort|Rhineland-Palatinate|[[File:Locator map Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany.svg|border|110px]]}} || [[Rhineland-Palatinate]] || 1948–present || [[Flag of Rhineland-Palatinate]]
|
|-
| colspan="2" | [[File:Flag of Saarland.svg|border|center|150px]] ||{{sort|Saarland|[[File:Locator map Saarland in Germany.svg|border|110px]]}} || [[Saarland]] || 1957–present || [[Flag of Saarland]]
|
|-
| [[File:Flag of Saxony.svg|border|150px]] || [[File:Flag of Saxony (state).svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Saxony|[[File:Locator map Saxony in Germany.svg|border|110px]]}} || [[Saxony]] || 1991–present || [[Flag of Saxony]]
|
|-
| colspan="2" | [[File:Flag of Saxony-Anhalt (state).svg|border|center|150px]] ||{{sort|Saxony-Anhalt|[[File:Locator map Saxony-Anhalt in Germany.svg|border|110px]]}} || [[Saxony-Anhalt]] || 1991–present || [[Flag of Saxony-Anhalt]]
|
|-
| [[File:Flag of Schleswig-Holstein.svg|border|150px]] || [[File:Flag of Schleswig-Holstein (state).svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Schleswig-Holstein|[[File:Locator map Schleswig-Holstein in Germany.svg|border|110px]]}} || [[Schleswig-Holstein]] || 1948–present || [[Flag of Schleswig-Holstein]]
|
|-
| [[File:Flag of Thuringia.svg|border|150px]] || [[File:Flag of Thuringia (state).svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Thuringia|[[File:Locator map Thuringia in Germany.svg|border|110px]]}} || [[Thuringia]] || 1991–present || [[Flag of Thuringia]]
|
|-
|}

== Historical flags ==
{|class="wikitable sortable"
! class="unsortable"|Flag !!colspan="2"| Administrative division !! Adopted !!class="unsortable"| Description
|-
| [[File:Flagge Großherzogtum Baden (1891–1918).svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|South Baden|[[File:Deutschland Lage von Baden.svg|border|110px]]}}|| [[South Baden]] || rowspan="3" | 1945–1952 || [[Flag of Baden]]
|-
| [[File:Flag of Württemberg-Baden.svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Württemberg-Baden|[[File:Deutschland Lage von Württemberg-Baden.svg|border|110px]]}}|| [[Württemberg-Baden]] ||
|-
| [[File:Flagge Königreich Württemberg.svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Württemberg-Hohenzollern|[[File:Deutschland Lage von Württemberg-Hohenzollern.svg|border|110px]]}}|| [[Württemberg-Hohenzollern]] ||
|}

=== [[German Democratic Republic]] ===
{|class="wikitable sortable"
! class="unsortable"|Flag !!colspan="2"| Administrative division !! Adopted !!class="unsortable"| Description
|-
| [[File:Flag of East Berlin (1956–1990).svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|East Berlin|[[File:District of Berlin in German Democratic Republic (-water).svg|border|110px]]}}|| [[East Berlin]] || 1956–1990 || [[Flag of Berlin]]
|-
| [[File:Flag of Brandenburg (1945-1952).svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Brandenburg|[[File:Brandenburg in German Democratic Republic 1949 - 1952.svg|border|110px]]}}|| [[Brandenburg (1945–1952)|Brandenburg]] || rowspan="3" | 1945–1952 || [[Flag of Brandenburg]]
|-
| [[File:Flagge Großherzogtümer Mecklenburg.svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Mecklenburg|[[File:Mecklenburg in German Democratic Republic 1949 - 1952.svg|border|110px]]}}|| [[Mecklenburg (1945–1952)|Mecklenburg]] || [[Flag of Mecklenburg]]
|-
| [[File:Flagge Preußen - Provinz Sachsen.svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Saxony-Anhalt|[[File:Sachsen-Anhalt in German Democratic Republic 1949 - 1952.svg|border|110px]]}}|| [[Saxony-Anhalt (1945–1952)|Saxony-Anhalt]] || [[Flag of Saxony-Anhalt]]
|-
|}

=== [[Nazi Germany|Greater German Reich]] ===
{|class="wikitable sortable"
! class="unsortable"|Flag !!colspan="2"| Administrative division !! Adopted !!class="unsortable"| Description
|-
| [[File:Gaufahne Sachsen 1933-1945.svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Gau Saxony|[[File:Saxony in the German Reich (1925).svg|border|160px]]}}|| [[Gau Saxony]] || rowspan="3" | 1933-1945 ||
|-
| [[File:Dienstflagge Preußen 1933-35.svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Free State of Prussia|[[File:Prussia in the German Reich (1925).svg|border|160px]]}}|| [[Free State of Prussia]] || [[Flag of Prussia]]
|-
| [[File:State Flag of Thuringia 1933.svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Free State of Thuringia|[[File:Thuringia in the German Reich (1925).svg|border|160px]]}}|| [[Thuringia|Free State of Thuringia]] || [[Flag of Thuringia]]
|-
|}

=== [[Weimar Republic]]/[[Nazi Germany]] ===
==== [[States of the Weimar Republic|Constituent states]] ====
{|class="wikitable sortable"
! class="unsortable"|Flag !!colspan="2"| Administrative division !! Adopted !!class="unsortable"| Description
|-
| [[File:Flagge Herzogtum Anhalt.svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Free State of Anhalt|[[File:Anhalt in the German Reich (1925).svg|border|160px]]}}|| [[Free State of Anhalt]] || rowspan="2" | 1918–1945 ||
|-
| [[File:Flagge Großherzogtum Baden (1891–1918).svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Republic of Baden|[[File:Baden in the German Reich (1925).svg|border|160px]]}}|| [[Republic of Baden]] || [[Flag of Baden]]
|-
| [[File:Flagge Herzogtum Braunschweig.svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Free State of Brunswick|[[File:Brunswick in the German Reich (1925).svg|border|160px]]}}|| [[Free State of Brunswick]] || 1918–1946 || 
|-
| [[File:Flagge Herzogtum Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha (1911-1920).svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Free State of Coburg|[[File:Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in the German Reich (1871).svg|border|160px]]}}|| [[Free State of Coburg]] || 1918–1920 ||
|-
| [[File:Flagge Großherzogtum Hessen ohne Wappen.svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|People's State of Hesse|[[File:Hesse in the German Reich (1925).svg|border|160px]]}}|| [[People's State of Hesse]] || 1918–1945 || [[Flag of Hesse]]
|-
| [[File:Flagge Fürstentum Lippe.svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Free State of Lippe|[[File:Lippe in the German Reich (1925).svg|border|160px]]}}|| [[Free State of Lippe]] || 1918–1947 ||
|-
| [[File:Flag of the Free City of Lübeck.svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Free City of Lübeck|[[File:Lubeck in the German Reich (1925).svg|160px]]}}|| [[Free City of Lübeck]] || ?–1937 ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | [[File:Flagge Großherzogtümer Mecklenburg.svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Free State of Mecklenburg-Schwerin|[[File:Mecklenburg-Schwerin in the German Reich (1925).svg|border|160px]]}}|| [[Free State of Mecklenburg-Schwerin]] || rowspan="2" | 1918–1933 || rowspan="2" | [[Flag of Mecklenburg]]
|-
|{{sort|Free State of Mecklenburg-Strelitz|[[File:Mecklenburg-Strelitz in the German Reich (1925).svg|border|160px]]}}|| [[Free State of Mecklenburg-Strelitz]] 
|-
| [[File:Civil flag of Oldenburg.svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Free State of Oldenburg|[[File:Oldenburg in the German Reich (1925).svg|border|160px]]}}|| [[Free State of Oldenburg]] || 1918–1946 ||
|-
| [[File:Flag of Prussia (1918–1933).svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Free State of Prussia|[[File:Prussia in the German Reich (1925).svg|160px]]}}|| [[Free State of Prussia]] || 1918–1933 || [[Flag of Prussia]]
|-
| [[File:Flag of Germany (3-2 aspect ratio).svg|border|150px]] || || [[People's State of Reuss]] || 1919–1920 ||
|-
| [[File:Flagge Fürstentum Schaumburg-Lippe.svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Free State of Schaumburg-Lippe|[[File:Schaumburg-Lippe in the German Reich (1925).svg|160px]]}}|| [[Free State of Schaumburg-Lippe]] || 1918–1946 ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | [[File:Flagge Herzogtum Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha (1826-1911).svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Free State of Saxe-Altenburg|[[File:Saxe-Altenburg in the German Reich (1871).svg|160px]]}}|| [[Saxe-Altenburg|Free State of Saxe-Altenburg]] || rowspan="5" | 1918–1920 ||
|-
|{{sort|Free State of Saxe-Meiningen|[[File:Saxe-Meiningen in the German Reich (1871).svg|160px]]}}|| [[Saxe-Meiningen|Free State of Saxe-Meiningen]] ||
|-
| [[File:Flagge Großherzogtum Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach (1897-1920).svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Free State of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach|[[File:Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach in the German Reich (1871).svg|160px]]}}|| [[Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach|Free State of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach]] ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | [[File:Flagge Fürstentümer Schwarzburg.svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Free State of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt|[[File:Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt in the German Reich (1871).svg|160px]]}}|| [[Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt|Free State of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt]] ||
|-
|{{sort|Free State of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen|[[File:Schwarzburg-Sondershausen in the German Reich (1871).svg|160px]]}}|| [[Schwarzburg-Sondershausen|Free State of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen]] ||
|-
| [[File:Flag of Germany (3-2 aspect ratio).svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Free State of Waldeck-Pyrmont|[[File:Waldeck-Pyrmont in the German Reich (1925).svg|160px]]}}|| [[Free State of Waldeck-Pyrmont]] || 1918–1929 ||
|-
| [[File:Flagge Königreich Württemberg.svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Free People's State of Württemberg|[[File:Wurttemberg in the German Reich (1925).svg|160px]]}}|| [[Free People's State of Württemberg]] || 1918–1945 ||
|-
|}

==== [[Provinces of Prussia]] ====
{|class="wikitable sortable"
! class="unsortable"|Flag !!colspan="2"| Administrative division !! Adopted !!class="unsortable"| Description
|-
| [[File:Flagge Preußen - Provinz Brandenburg.svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Brandenburg|[[File:Weimar Republic - Prussia - Brandenburg (1925).svg|border|160px]]}}|| [[Province of Brandenburg]] || rowspan="3" | 1918–1945 || [[Flag of Brandenburg]]
|-
| [[File:Civil flag of Prussia 1701-1935.svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|East Prussia|[[File:Weimar Republic - Prussia - East Prussia (1925).svg|border|160px]]}}|| [[East Prussia]] ||
|-
| [[File:Flagge Preußen - Provinz Hannover.svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Province of Hanover|[[File:Weimar Republic - Prussia - Hanover (1925).svg|border|160px]]}}|| [[Province of Hanover]] ||
|-
| [[File:Flagge Preußen - Provinz Hessen-Nassau.svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Province of Hesse-Nassau|[[File:Weimar Republic - Prussia - Hesse Nassau (1925).svg|border|160px]]}}|| [[Province of Hesse-Nassau]] || 1918–1944 ||
|-
| [[File:Flagge Preußen - Provinz Hohenzollern.svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Province of Hohenzollern|[[File:Weimar Republic - Prussia - Hohenzollern (1925).svg|border|160px]]}}|| [[Province of Hohenzollern]] || 1918–1945 ||
|-
| [[File:Hessen KS flag.svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Province of Kurhessen|[[File:Location Nazi Germany - Kurhessen.png|border|160px]]}}|| [[Province of Kurhessen]] || 1944–1945 ||
|-
| [[File:Flagge Preußen - Provinz Schlesien.svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Province of Lower Silesia|[[File:Weimar Republic - Prussia - Lower Silesia (1925).svg|border|160px]]}}|| [[Province of Lower Silesia]] and [[Province of Silesia]] || 1919–1945 || [[Flag of Silesia]]
|-
| [[File:Flagge Preußen - Provinz Nassau.svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Province of Nassau|[[File:Province of Nassau (1944).png|border|160px]]}}|| [[Province of Nassau]] || 1944–1945 ||
|-
| [[File:Provinz Pommern flag.svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Province of Pomerania|[[File:Weimar Republic - Prussia - Pomerania (1925).svg|border|160px]]}}|| [[Province of Pomerania (1815–1945)|Province of Pomerania]] || 1882–1945 ||[[Flag of Western Pomerania]]
|-
| [[File:Flagge Preußen - Grenzmark Posen-Westpreußen.svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Posen-West Prussia|[[File:Weimar Republic - Prussia - Posen West Prussia (1925).svg|border|160px]]}}|| [[Posen-West Prussia]] || 1922–1938 ||
|-
| [[File:Flagge Preußen - Rheinland.svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Rhine Province|[[File:Weimar Republic - Prussia - Rhine (1925).svg|border|160px]]}}|| [[Rhine Province]] || 1922–1945 ||
|-
| [[File:Flagge Preußen - Provinz Sachsen.svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Province of Saxony|[[File:Weimar Republic - Prussia - Saxony (1925).svg|border|160px]]}}|| [[Province of Saxony]] || rowspan="2" | 1918–1945 || [[Flag of Saxony-Anhalt]]
|-
| [[File:Flagge Preußen - Provinz Schleswig-Holstein.svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Province of Schleswig-Holstein|[[File:Weimar Republic - Prussia - Schleswig Holstein (1925).svg|border|160px]]}}|| [[Province of Schleswig-Holstein]] || [[Flag of Schleswig-Holstein]]
|-
| [[File:Flagge Preußen - Provinz Oberschlesien.svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Province of Upper Silesia|[[File:Weimar Republic - Prussia - Upper Silesia (1925).svg|border|160px]]}}|| [[Province of Upper Silesia]] || 1919–1938<br>1941–1945 || [[Flag of Upper Silesia]]
|-
| [[File:Flagge Preußen - Provinz Westfalen.svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Province of Westphalia|[[File:Weimar Republic - Prussia - Westphalia (1925).svg|border|160px]]}}|| [[Province of Westphalia]] || 1918–1945 ||
|}

=== [[German Empire]] ===
==== [[States of the German Empire|Constituent states]] ====

==== [[Provinces of Prussia]] ====
{|class="wikitable sortable"
! class="unsortable"|Flag !!colspan="2"| Administrative division !! Adopted !!class="unsortable"| Description
|-
| [[File:Flag of Berlin 1861.svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|East Berlin|[[File:Weimar Republic - Prussia - Berlin (1925).svg|border|160px]]}}|| [[Berlin]] || 1861–1912 || [[Flag of Berlin]]
|-
| [[File:Provinz Pommern flag.svg|border|150px]] ||{{sort|Province of Pomerania|[[File:Weimar Republic - Prussia - Pomerania (1925).svg|border|160px]]}}|| [[Province of Pomerania (1815–1945)|Province of Pomerania]] || 1882–1945 ||[[Flag of Western Pomerania]]
|-
| [[File:Flagge Preußen - Provinz Westpreußen.svg|150px]] || {{sort|West Prussia|[[File:German Empire - Prussia - West Prussia (1878).svg|border|160px]]}}||[[West Prussia]] || 1886–1920 ||
|}

== Minority flags ==
<gallery>
Flag of Silesia and Lower Silesia (with eagle).png|[[Flag of Silesia and Lower Silesia|Flag of Silesians]] (with eagle)
Flag of Silesia.svg|[[Flag of Silesia and Lower Silesia|Flag of Silesians]] (Saxony)
Flag of Sorbs.svg|[[Flag of Sorbs]] (Saxony)
</gallery>

== See also ==

*[[Coats of arms of German states]]
*[[List of district flags of Germany]]
*[[Lists of German municipal flags]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{GermanFlags}}
{{Lists of flags}}
{{Lists of German states topics}}

[[Category:Flags of states of Germany| ]]
[[Category:Flags of Germany|States]]
[[Category:Lists of flags of Germany|States]]
[[Category:States of Germany-related lists]]