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Flag Hoisting Formats and Terminology (Germany, Austria and adjacent countries)

Formate und Fachterminologie für deutsche und österreichische Flaggen

Last modified: 2020-05-07 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: hissflagge | querflagge | querfahne | hanging flag | vertical | flapping flag | haengeflagge | banner | knatterflagge | triangelfahne | haengefahne | knatterfahne |
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image by António Martins-Tuválkin

2:3 image by Željko Heimer

• Introduction
• Hißflagge / Hissflagge (also Flagge, Hißfahne, Querflagge, Querfahne, horizontale Hißflagge, horizontale Hißfahne)
• Knatterflagge (also Knatterfahne, Hißflagge im Hochformat, Hißfahne im Hochformat, Hochformatflagge, Hochformatfahne)
• Auslegerflagge (also Auslegerfahne, Galgenflagge, Galgenfahne, Hochformatflagge mit Ausleger, Hochformatfahne mit Ausleger)
• Hängeflagge (also Hängefahne, Hausfahne, Schrägfahne)
• Banner (also Bannerfahne, Triangelfahne)
• Terminology use in legal texts of German States

See also:

• Germany
• Austria

Introduction

Sources:

• Herzog and Hannes 1990
• Tenora 1996
• Diem 1995
• Flagmakers' and flagsellers' websites with information on the different formats:
  • Bonner Fahnen (BOFA)
  • Erste Österreichische Fahnenfabrik
  • Fahnen Fleck
  • Fahnen Fuchs
  • Fahnen Gärtner
  • Fahnen Gruber
  • Königsbanner
  • Fahnen Kössinger
  • Maris Flaggen
  • Montfort Fahnen
  • Ralf Stelter
  • Weserflaggen

M. Schmöger, 26 October 2001 and 19 August 2003

Also Flagge, Hißfahne, Querflagge, Querfahne, horizontale Hißflagge, horizontale Hißfahne

The Hißflagge (often simply called Flagge) is the "normal" form known from most countries. It is a horizontal flag hoisted on a vertical flagpole. The Hißflagge is wider than high — in Germany and Austria usually in proportions 2:3 or 3:5. Stripes of German flags are usually arranged from top to bottom (e.g. black-red-gold). A coat-of-arms is usually displayed in the centre (often slightly shifted to the hoist). In many parts of Germany (especially in the inland states) and in Austria this type of flag would not be considered as the "normal" or "default" type of flag by most people. In Bavaria, for instance, most of the municipal flags are used in the form of Banner or Hängeflagge or Knatterflagge. Also the federal flag or the Bavarian flag are more frequently used in a vertical format, even by the Bavarian ministries. M. Schmöger, 26 October 2001

Also Knatterfahne, Hißflagge im Hochformat, Hißfahne im Hochformat, Hochformatflagge, Hochformatfahne

The Knatterflagge (more frequently called Knatterfahne) is a flag that is hoisted on a flagpole like a "normal" flag. However, it is higher than wide (usually around 3:1). On Knatterflaggen the stripes that are arranged from top to bottom in a Hißflagge, are either arranged from top to bottom as well, or from hoist to fly. There seems to be no standardized way to rearrange a Hißflagge into a Knatterflagge, as pointed out in Tenora 1996 and also observed by me on several occasions. M. Schmöger, 26 October 2001

Also Auslegerfahne, Galgenflagge, Galgenfahne, Hochformatflagge mit Ausleger, Hochformatfahne mit Ausleger

This is a variant of the Knatterflagge; it is not only hoisted on the flagpole, but the top of the flag is also fixed to an outrigger, to show the flag fully displayed all the time. This variant is rarely used for official flags, but quite frequently for decorative and commercial flags. M. Schmöger, 26 October 2001

Also Hängefahne, Hausfahne, Schrägfahne

The Hängeflagge is directly hoisted from a horizontal flagpole (usually on a building). The Hängeflagge is higher than wide (from, say, 3:2 up to 6:1 or even more). Stripes that are arranged from top to bottom in a Hißflagge are arranged from left to right in a Hängeflagge. A coat-of-arms is displayed in upright form, usually in the center or shifted to the top. A variant is the Schrägfahne hoisted from an oblique pole (usually on a building), but hanging down like the Hängeflagge. The terms Hängefahne or Hängeflagge are frequently mixed up with the term Banner. M. Schmöger, 26 October 2001

Also Bannerfahne, Triangelfahne

The Banner is basically a variant of the Hängeflagge. The Banner is first fixed to a crossbar; then this crossbar is hoisted on a normal vertical or horizontal flagpole. The Banner is higher than wide (usually about 5:2 up to 4:1). Stripes that are arranged from top to bottom in a Hißflagge are arranged from left to right in a Banner. A coat-of-arms is displayed in upright form, usually in the center or shifted to the top. The terms Hängefahne or Hängeflagge are frequently mixed up with the term Banner. M. Schmöger, 26 October 2001

Terminology use in legal texts of German States

Some of the legal texts regulating the flags in Germany also use terms like Banner or Hängefahne. A short analysis of this use:

Hißfahne/Hißflagge

Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate use the term Hißfahne in their legal texts, and also show them in the sketches in the appendix of the texts. Mecklenburg-West Pomerania does not mention the term Hißflagge in the legal text, but in the patterns for the "corporate design".

Hängefahne/Hängeflagge

Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate use the term Hängefahne in their legal texts, and also show them in the sketches in the appendix of the texts, whereas Brandenburg uses the term Hängeflagge in the appendix of the text (and shows a sketch). Mecklenburg-West Pomerania mentions the term Hängefahne in the legal text, but calls it Hängeflagge in the patterns for the "corporate design".

Banner

Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Brandenburg use the term Banner in their legal texts, and also show them in the sketches in the appendix of the texts. Also Berlin, Lower Saxony and Saar use the term, however without defining it or showing a sketch illustrating it.
Also the patterns for the "corporate design" in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania mentions the term without clearly differentiating it from Hängeflagge. The worst case, however, is the respective text on the federal flags, "Die Bundesflagge kann auch in Form eines Banners geführt werden." (The federal flag can also be used in the form of a Banner.) The sketches in the appendix clearly show a Hängeflagge, not a Banner!

Knatterflagge/Knatterfahne

In no legal text there is a mention of the term Knatterfahne or Knatterflagge. However, Brandenburg shows a sketch of a Knatterflagge, without any designation, though.

Sources:

• Anordnung über die deutschen Flaggen vom 13. November 1996. Bundesgesetzblatt 1996, p. 1729-1732.
• Verordnung der Landesregierung über die Führung des Landeswappens vom 2. August 1954. Gesetzblatt für Baden-Württemberg 1954, p. 139-142.
• Gesetz über die Hoheitszeichen des Landes Berlin vom 13. Mai 1954. Gesetz- und Verordnungsblatt für Berlin 1954, p. 289ff.
• Verordnung über die Führung des Landeswappens vom 30. Mai 1991. Gesetz- und Verordnungsblatt für das Land Brandenburg 1991, p. 348-351.
• Gesetz zur Änderung des Hoheitszeichengesetzes vom 14. Juni 1991. Gesetz- und Verordnungsblatt für Mecklenburg-Vorpommern 1991, p. 179.
• Gesetz über Wappen, Flaggen und Siegel vom 13. Oktober 1952. Niedersächsisches Gesetz- und Verordnungsblatt 1952, p. 169-170.
• Landesgesetz über die Hoheitszeichen des Landes Rheinland-Pfalz (Wappen- und Flaggengesetz) in der Fassung vom 7. August 1972. Gesetz- und Verordnungsblatt für das Land Rheinland-Pfalz 1972, p. 293.
• Gesetz über die Flagge des Saarlandes vom 9. Juli 1956. Amtsblatt des Saarlandes 1956, p. 1213, 1215.
• Verordnung zur Ausführung des Gesetzes über die Hoheitszeichen des Landes Thüringen vom 11. April 1991. Gesetz- und Verordnungsblatt für das Land Thüringen 1991, p. 70-77.
• Musterblatt für das Corporate Design der Landesregierung Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (ca. May 1998).

M. Schmöger, 26 October 2001

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