Flagging public buildings in Germany

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The Reichstag building in Berlin

Prior to most service buildings in Germany are flagpoles . These are marked with flags on certain occasions . The service buildings of the highest federal authorities in Berlin and Bonn , the headquarters of the Deutsche Bundesbank and all service buildings, facilities and facilities of the Bundeswehr and the Federal Police are flagged daily.

Federation

Flag rules

Correct order: European flag and Federal Service flag at the Deutsche Bundesbank headquarters .

The ordering practice such as the regular flagging days, special occasions and the type of flagging for the federal authorities and institutions is regulated in the so-called flagging decree of the federal government. The provisions of the flagging decree apply to the flagging of the official buildings of all federal authorities and agencies as well as corporations , institutions and foundations under public law that are subject to the supervision of federal authorities, including the armed forces , the federal police and the Federal Agency for Technical Relief . The supreme constitutional organs, which are independent of the federal government, the Federal President, Bundestag, Bundesrat and Federal Constitutional Court, as well as the Deutsche Bundesbank, regulate their flagging independently within the framework of their organizational sovereignty, but are in part based on the decree of the Federal Government.

The form and use of the German flags ( federal flag , standard of the Federal President and official flag of the federal authorities ) are regulated in the order on the German flags (FlaggAO) of the German Federal President .

Flagging dates

On the following days, flags must be flagged without any special order (so-called "regular general flagging days"):

This does not include the " Day of Remembrance for Victims of Flight and Displacement " and the "World Shipping Day ". The Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Home Affairs issues special flagging orders on these occasions.

The Federal Minister of the Interior can order the flagging for special occasions (so-called “current flagging decrees”), e.g. B. for bereavements and special anniversaries. Under certain conditions, on regional political or non-political occasions, this can also be done on a regional basis.

The service buildings of the highest federal authorities in Berlin and Bonn are flagged daily, as well as the service buildings of the Bundestag, the headquarters of the Deutsche Bundesbank and the Federal Constitutional Court as well as the barracks of the Bundeswehr.

Execution of flagging

Correct order (Europe, Greece, Germany), as the corresponding building is behind the photographer.

Federal authorities set the federal service flag , corporations, institutions and foundations the federal flag . In both cases, the European flag should also be set if possible . On regional and local occasions, the flags of the federal states and municipalities may also be used. Flags of other international organizations or of foreign states or sovereign territories are arranged when the occasion arises. If the flags are not illuminated at night, they will be flagged from sunrise, but not before 7 a.m., until sunset.

The preferred position for a row of flags is on the left, facing the building. The order of the flags is:

  1. Flags of international organizations
  2. Flags of foreign states or sovereign territories in alphabetical order of the official German short name
  3. Federal service or federal flag
  4. Country flags in alphabetical order
  5. Community flags

The Bundestag places the federal flag on its buildings, and the European and federal flags in front of and on top of the Reichstag. If necessary, the national flag of the home country of foreign guests is hoisted in front of the building . As far as possible, the flags are illuminated at night, otherwise they are collected. The Federal Constitutional Court sets the European and federal flags. At the Central Memorial of the Federal Republic of Germany for the victims of war and tyranny in Berlin, the European, federal and Berlin state flags are set daily.

In the case of mourning flags, hoisting flags are set at half-mast: the flag is hoisted completely, but is immediately brought down again to half the height of the flagpole. Banners and hanging flags are not lowered, but provided with a black ribbon. As a memorial, the unity flag in front of the German Bundestag is usually exempt from mourning flags.

countries

Some federal states, like the federal government, limit themselves to flagging regulations for their own administration with a simple administrative regulation and only give recommendations to the regional authorities and other public-law institutions that are subject to their supervision. Other countries, on the other hand, prescribe the use of flags for municipalities and associations of municipalities, as well as other public-law institutions, for which at least one ordinance is required on the basis of a corresponding legal authorization. In addition, there is occasionally an administrative regulation.

As a rule, the federal states take over the days of flag-flying of the federal government, most of them have some additional regular flag-flag days. There are also occasional deviations in determining the preferred position, in the protocol classification of the European flag and in the question of the priority of hoisting the European or municipal flag. Flags of historical parts of the country can also play a role.

Baden-Württemberg

Baden-Württemberg applies the Federal Government's decree mutatis mutandis for the flagging of official buildings in the state. The Prime Minister specially orders further flags to be displayed. This happens regularly for the day of the election of the state parliament . A corresponding approach is recommended to the bodies, institutions and foundations under public law supervised by the state.

Bavaria

The Bavarian flag administrative order prescribes the flagging of the state authorities on the same days as the federal decree, additionally on:

  • December 1 - Anniversary of the referendum on the adoption of the Constitution in 1946
  • Day of the state election

Additional flags can be specially ordered. The regional authorities and the other corporations, institutions and foundations under public law are recommended to proceed accordingly.

The arrangement of the flags is handled differently compared to the federal government. The Bavarian state flag and the federal flag, and if possible also the European flag, are shown together. The preferred position, which is usually due to the federal flag, is in the middle, the state flag is set to the right when viewed from inside the building. On Europe Day, the European flag is placed in the preferred position.

Berlin

The Berlin Flagging Ordinance prescribes the same flagging days as the federal decree for the authorities of the state as well as for the corporations, institutions and foundations under public law under its supervision, additionally on:

  • Anniversary of March 18, 1848
  • Day of the election of the Federal President
  • Day of the election of the House of Representatives and the District Assembly of Berlin

Further flagging is ordered by the Senate Administration of the Interior or by the district offices.

Brandenburg

  • 1st Sunday in September - Homeland Day

Bremen

Flagging like federal government

Hamburg

  • January 1st - only Rathausmarkt and Rathaus
  • May 7th - overseas day
  • Election of the Hamburg citizenship

Hesse

  • 2nd Sunday in September - Day of Remembrance for the victims of flight, displacement and deportation and Day of Homeland
  • December 1st - anniversary of the entry into force of the constitution of the state of Hesse
  • State elections
  • Local elections

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

The National Emblem Act prescribes the state authorities, the municipalities and the municipal associations as well as the other bodies and institutions under public law subject to the supervision of the state to use flags as determined by the Interior Minister. In the ordinance for determining the regular days of flagging, the latter stipulated flagging on the same dates as in the federal decree , additionally on:

  • Day of the state elections
  • Day of general local elections

The Minister of the Interior determines further flags in individual cases. In principle, the federal flag and the state service or state flag must be shown, if possible also the flag of the European Union. In addition, the traditional flags of the respective part of the country can be set: blue-yellow-red in Mecklenburg and blue-white in Western Pomerania. The state parliament sets the state service flag and both historical flags. The bodies can also fly the flag they fly.

Lower Saxony

The implementing provisions of the Lower Saxony Coat of Arms Act prescribe the state authorities to display flags on the official buildings on the same days as the federal decree, additionally on:

  • June 1st - anniversary of the entry into force of the Lower Saxony constitution
  • Day of the state elections
  • Day of general local elections

The State Chancellery orders further flagging.

When using flags, the European flag, the federal flag and the national flag are generally set. The European flag in front of the federal flag, the federal flag in front of the state flag and the state flag in front of the other flags deserve the preferred position on the left side of the building when viewed from the outside. If, for technical reasons, no more than two flags can be set, the federal flag must be set next to the state flag, and only the state flag on a flagpole.

Agencies in the former states of Hanover, Oldenburg, Braunschweig and Schaumburg-Lippe can show the respective former state flag next to the Lower Saxony flag. Corporations, institutions and foundations under public law that are subject to the supervision of the state are recommended to proceed accordingly.

North Rhine-Westphalia

The flagging ordinance of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia stipulates, on the basis of the law on public flags for the state, all municipalities and municipal associations as well as other bodies and institutions under public law subject to state supervision, the flagging of the service buildings on the same days as the federal decree, additionally on:

The Ministry of the Interior determines other flags. In deviation from the federal regulation, the administrative regulation for the law on public flags only requires the setting of the European flag for Europe Day and the day of the elections to the European Parliament.

Rhineland-Palatinate

Rhineland-Palatinate stipulates in the state ordinance on the flagging of official buildings for state and municipal administrations and corporations, institutions and foundations under public law as well as public schools to flag flags on the same days as the federal decree, additionally on

  • May 18 - day of entry into force of the state constitution
  • Day of the state elections
  • Local election day

The prime minister, in agreement with the minister of the interior, for sport and infrastructure orders further flagging. State administrations set the state flag, all other organizations the federal or state flag. In addition, corporations under public law can fly the flag that they are entitled to fly. The European flag is to be set as far as possible on Europe Day and the day of the European elections. Flagging begins at 8 a.m. regardless of sunrise.

Saarland

The Saarland National Emblem Ordinance prescribes the flagging of buildings of the state authorities and legal entities under public law subject to the supervision of the state on the same days as the federal decree, additionally on:

  • October 23 - anniversary of the 1955 Saar referendum
  • Day of the state elections

The Ministry of the Interior, Family, Women and Sport orders further flagging. In principle, the federal flag and the state flag are to be shown, if possible also the European flag.

Saxony

  • on the day of the elections to the Saxon state parliament

In addition to the German and Saxon flags, the Saxon constitution allows the Sorbian flag to be displayed in the Sorbian settlement area and the Lower Silesian flag to be used with equal rights in the former Silesian part of the country.

Saxony-Anhalt

Schleswig-Holstein

  • general election days
  • at the Landtag session only the Landeshaus
  • during the Kiel Week

Thuringia

The Thuringian Ordinance on the flagging of public service buildings prescribes flagging on the same days as federal law and also on the following days:

  • General election days (i.e. also state and local elections)
  • October 25th - Day of the Constitution of the Free State of Thuringia and the Thuringian State Parliament

Furthermore, the highest state authorities are flagged daily.

literature

  • Christian Burkiczak: History and legal basis of the German state symbols . JURA 12/2003, p. 806 ff.
  • Jürgen Hartmann: State ceremony . Cologne 2007.
  • Hans Hattenhauer: German national symbols - history and meaning . Munich 2006.
  • Günter Hoog : German flag law - The state flags of the Federal Republic of Germany and their use . Hamburg 1982.
  • Günter Hoog; in: von Münch, Kunig: Basic Law Commentary II, 5th edition 2001, Rn. 5 ff. On Art. 22
  • Jörg M. Hormann, Dominik Plaschke: German flags - history, tradition, use . Hamburg 2006.
  • E. Klein; in: Bonn Commentary on the Basic Law . Heidelberg 2008.
  • Birgit Laitenberger, Maria Bassier: Coats of arms and flags of the Federal Republic of Germany and its countries . Cologne 2000.
  • Alfred Znamierowski: Flag encyclopedia - national flags, banners, standards . Bielefeld 2001.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Regular days of general flagging. In: Federal Ministry of the Interior. Retrieved November 13, 2016 .
  2. ↑ Flagging at the German Bundestag Website of the German Bundestag
  3. ↑ Section 70 of the Rules of Procedure of the Federal Constitutional Court
  4. ↑ Other recurring flagging days . Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Home Affairs. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  5. ↑ Administrative regulation of the State Ministry of Baden-Württemberg on the flagging of the service buildings
  6. ↑ Administrative order on the Bavarian state flags and the service flags on motor vehicles
  7. ↑ Ordinance on the flagging of public buildings ( Memento of April 17, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF; 10 kB)
  8. ↑ State Gazette for the State of Hesse No. 30/2014
  9. ^ Law on the National Emblems of the Country
  10. ↑ State ordinance on the flagging of public buildings
  11. ↑ Ordinance on the determination of the regular days of flag flying
  12. ↑ Principles of flagging public buildings
  13. ↑ Lower Saxony flagging calendar | Nds. State Chancellery. Retrieved May 24, 2017 .
  14. ↑ Implementing provisions of the Lower Saxony Coat of Arms Act
  15. ↑ Law on Public Flags
  16. ↑ Flagging Ordinance
  17. ↑ Administrative regulation for the law on public flags
  18. ↑ State ordinance on the use of flags on service buildings
  19. ↑ Saarland National Emblem Ordinance
  20. ↑ upper case. B no. I no. 1 letter i VwV flagging
  21. ^ Thuringian ordinance on the flagging of public service buildings

Web links

Commons : Buildings with flags in Germany  - Collection of images, videos and audio files