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Police Flags (Germany)

Polizeifahnen, Colours of the Police

Last modified: 2012-04-20 by german editorial team
Keywords: germany | police |
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Introduction

I have made some research in a quite special topic, the Polizeifahnen (Colours of the Police) in Germany. Here some (very preliminary) results:

  1. All of them are not flags to be hoisted on a mast, but ceremonial Colours for police units. In German they are called Fahne, not Flagge. As I learned there is usually only one specimen available. In most cases this ceremonial colour is kept with the Bereitschaftspolizei (mobile police) or in the office of the police president. These Polizeifahnen are basically unofficial, as they are not prescribed in any law or regulation.
  2. The typical pattern (with many variations) is a plain green (the police colour) or blue background with the police star in the center. The police star (usually 12-pointed) is either golden or silver and shows in its center the coat-of-arms of the respective Land. Around the Colour there is a fringe.
  3. Baden-Württemberg: According to an e-mail from the Baden-Württemberg police they have a green Fahne with the police star. As I got no photo, I made no image.
  4. Bavaria: The Bayerische Bereitschaftspolizei has a so-called Ehrenfahne (Honour Colour).
  5. Berlin: According to a phone call from the police historical collection there is a Fahne of the Berlin police. This is blue with the police star and silver fringe, dimensions 50 × 50 cm. It was manufactured for the visit of US president Kennedy to Berlin. As I got no photo, I made no image.
  6. The colour of the Hamburg Police can be seen : here.
  7. Mecklenburg-West Pomerania
  8. Schleswig-Holstein
  9. The polices of the other Länder either have not answered my request up to now, or the answering persons knew nothing about Colours. Police historians also seem to be unaware of the Polizeifahnen. Beside these Police Colours there are no police flags proper, i.e. specific flags hoisted at police buildings. What you can find, though, are car flags for higher police officials. Furthermore there are a vast amount of totally unofficial table flags and table pennants. These usually show the colours of the Land flag with the respective police star in the center. However, these unofficial flags merely serve decorative purposes.
Sources:
  • Lupant 1995a
  • E-mails from the Baden-Württemberg and Hamburg police, phone call from the Bavarian and Berlin police historical collections

Marcus Schmöger, 22 October 2001