Reichspostflagge
The Reichspostflagge was the postal flag used in the Weimar Republic and in the early days of National Socialism .
history
The Reichspostflagge created on the basis of the cabinet meeting of the Reichsregierung on September 1st, 1919 should consist of three horizontal stripes: black, red and gold with a post horn in the red stripe . On October 15, 1919, the exact appearance of the flag was announced. It showed three equally wide stripes in the colors black, red and gold as well as a white post horn with a white cord and two white tassels in the middle, red stripe. The size ratio was 2: 3. At this point in time, the original plans also included a separate imperial post flag at sea . However, this idea was soon abandoned. It is conceivable that the postal horns were removed from the imperial postal flags and affixed to black, red and gold flags before September 1919 in order to use them as temporary arrangements. It is rather unlikely that such versions were actually used. What is certain, however, is that makeshift models of the flag laid down on October 15, 1919 were made:
“The makeshift production of this flag is also interesting. The prevailing shortage of raw materials led to the use of the old imperial postal flag, from which the white stripe was removed and the curves repaired with pieces of fabric of the same color. Yellow was added and the white post horn was cut out from the remaining white strips and sewn in. The imperial post horn could not be used because it had a black, white and red cord and tassels. "
The extent to which these makeshift versions were used in practice is not known, especially as considerable objections to the appearance of the flag were quickly raised.
The Reichspostflagge was finally determined by the ordinance on the German flags of the Reich President of April 11, 1921 and came into force on July 1, 1921. After that, the Reichspostflagge consisted of the Reichsflagge with a broadened, red central stripe and a yellow post horn with vertical cord wrapping and two closed tassels, all also in yellow. The aspect ratio was 2: 3.
German ships that carried the post on behalf of the Deutsche Reichspost without being owned by the Reich carried the Reichspostflagge on the Großtopp next to the commercial flag as long as they had the post on board . For the same time, the ships were entitled to use the Reichspostflagge as a jack on the bowsprit .
The National Socialists returned to black, white and red . A Reichspostflagge was temporarily adopted on March 31, 1933, which was very similar to the Reichspostamtsflagge of the imperial era. Only the crown was omitted. The Reichspostflagge was finally abolished on September 19, 1935. In 1936, only a white, red-rimmed ship's post was accepted.
precursor
Prussian Post
The Prussian Post flagged in the Prussian colors. The Prussian mail ships , too , had carried the state flag with the eagle and the iron cross since 1817 , which granted them special rights and valuable benefits when calling at sea ports. The ships of the Prussian navy carried the same flag and also carried the pennant.
North German Confederation and Empire
After the establishment of the postal administration of the North German Confederation , federal flags were created by order of the Federal Chancellor and an imperial German postal flag was created after the establishment of the German Empire . It corresponded to the German war flag , was white and was placed in four fields with a black cross. In the center of the cross rested the heraldic Prussian eagle on a white disk. The upper field next to the flagpole showed the Iron Cross on a black, white and red background, the lower one a golden yellow post horn. Later, the use of the Reich war flag was restricted to the navy and the army , and a Reich service flag was also introduced. It consisted of the black-white-red flag with a badge affixed in the middle of the white field to identify the official purpose and the administrative branch. For the Imperial Postal Administration, this was a yellow post horn with the imperial crown over it. State Secretary Heinrich von Stephan did not agree with the removal of the Iron Cross from the postal flag, but finally gave in with the significant remark:
“I don't really care what the flag looks like. Reputation is the main thing. "
successor
After the Second World War there was a postal flag in each of the two German states:
- Federal Republic of Germany:
- German Democratic Republic:
Individual evidence
- ↑ Files of the Reich Chancellery
- ^ Archive for German Postal History 1960, Issue 1
- ↑ Files of the Reich Chancellery
- ^ Ordinance on German flags of April 11, 1921
- ^ Ordinance on the ship's post flag
literature
- Federal Ministry for the postal and telecommunications system (Hrsg.): Manual dictionary of the postal system . 2nd completely reworked edition. Frankfurt am Main 1953, page 271 f.
- Meyer: The German Post Flags: A Heraldic Contribution to the German Postal History from 1867 to the Present ; in: Archive for German Postal History, Hrst: Society for German Postal History ; Issue 1 from 1960; Pp. 32-39
- Peter Kaupp : 500 years post horn / historical origin / sovereign function / postal symbols. Edited by Deutsche Bundespost Postdienst, Bonn, 1990 (first published in the archive for the postal and telecommunications system, 40th edition, issue 3, August 1988).
Web links
in English:
- Reichspostflagge 1867-1921 on crwflags.com
- Reichspostflagge 1921-1933 on crwflags.com
- Reichspostflagge 1921-1933 (English) on allstates-flag.com
- Reichspostflagge 1921-1933 (English) on fotw.vexillum.com
- Reichspostflagge 1919-1920 on crwflags.com