Flag of East Germany

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From the establishment of East Germany in 1949 to 1959, the flag of East Germany was the same as the Flag of West Germany, and the current Flag of Germany. The Coat of Arms was designed in 1955, and was added to the East German national flag in 1959.

The three horizontal stripes in the flag of East Germany of black, red and gold are the same as in the West German flag, but the state emblem of East Germany is placed in the centre, to distinguish it from the West German flag. It contains a hammer (symbolizing the workers), and a compass (symbolizing the intellectuals) inside ears of grain (symbolizing the farmers).

The display of this flag was regarded as unconstitutional in West Germany and West Berlin and was prevented by the police. Only in 1969 did the West German government reverse this policy.

The current German flag was reinstated as the East German national flag from June of 1990 to until official reunification in October of that year.

The GDR flag continues to be controversial after reunification. Some fans of football clubs from the East like to display it in the stadium; western fans often react very negatively to this practice, and some stadiums have banned it.

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