Hamburg Historical Naval Flags - part 3 - (1868 - 1935) - as a coastal state of German Empire

Seedienstflaggen der Stadt Hamburg als Seeuferstaat des Deutschen Reiches

Last modified: 2013-09-23 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: germany | historical | hamburg | banner of arms | castle (white) | tower (white) | towers: 3 | tower (black) | star: 6 points (white) | admiralty flag |
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• Introduction
• Hamburgian State Ensign Seedienstflagge 1893 - 1921
• Hamburgian State Ensign (Seedienstflagge) 1921 - 1933
• Hamburgian State Ensign (Seedienstflagge) 1933/34 - 1935

See also:

• Historical Flags (Hamburg)
• Hanseatic Cities (Germany, Latvia, Netherlands, Poland)
• Hamburg
• Germany

Introduction

"Seedienstflaggen" are service flags hoisted on state vessels and public, maritime related, buildings.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 23 May 2011

Hamburgian State Ensign (Seedienstflagge) 1893 - 1921

Service Flag for State Vessels and State Maritime Buildings:

Like the Prussian State Ensign for Sea Services 1895-1918, except the square canton is red with the gate and anchor symbol of the state ensign 19th-20th centuries. Adopted 1893 and abandoned by 1921.
Sources:
Illustrated in Crampton 1990 p. 42,
Meyers Konversations-Lexikon 1912 vol. 4, National Geographic 1917 p. 367, nos. 999 and 1006.
Norman Martin, Jan 1998

Hamburgian State Ensign (Seedienstflagge) 1921 - 1933/35

The ratio is 3:5. The black-white-red flag with the national arms in the center (sometimes depicted slightly offset towards the hoist) with a square red canton on the black stripe in which the gate and anchor, symbols of the 19th-20th centuries state ensign. Thus the [1921-1926] national service flag with the canton, in use 1921-1935.
Sources:
Illustrated in Großer Brockhaus 1928, vol. 4, p. 656.
Norman Martin, Jan 1998

[Martin and Dreyhaupt 2000 shows the] Hamburg Dienstflagge: [national] Dientsflagge z. See (black-white-red with yellow shield with black-red eagle 1927 pattern in centre) with Hamburg arms in a red canton bordered white. Arms of Hamburg is castle above the light blue anchor.
Lotsenfluger (pilot pennant): rectangular (c. 2:9) red with white castle over a light blue anchor near hoist.
Admiralitätsflagge.
Jaume Ollé, 24 Jan 2001

Hamburgian State Ensign (Seedienstflagge) 1933 - 1935

It is a black over white over red horizontal tricolour. In its centre (or slightly shifted to the hoist) is a black eagle armed and tongued red placed upon a white disc exceeding the white stripe. The canton is a square Hamburg Admiralty Flag pattern.
Source: not yet verified
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 23 May 2011

The ratio is approx 3:5. It is a black over white over dark red horizontal tricolour. Slightly shifted to the hoist a white oval (not a disc) is exceeding onto the other stripes. The oval contains a black eagle armed and tongued dark red. In the canton is a red square with a white bordure. Within the square is the pattern of the Admiralty flag see image of canton below). The biggest surprise is, that it is the nowadays pattern of the castle. There exist two flags in the museum's magazine, described as "new", dated 1934. Today there is no information available from the flag maker in Bonn.
Source: photo taken from filing card no. 1987, 116a+b of Hamburgmuseum
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 Aug 2011

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