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Postal Flags 1950-1994 (Germany)

Deutsche Bundespost

Last modified: 2013-11-20 by german editorial team
Keywords: bundespost | deutsche bundespost | postal | bugle (yellow) | rays (yellow) | bugle (black) | rays (black) | pennant | swallowtailed |
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• Introduction
• Postal Flag 1950-1994 (Bundespostflagge)
• Postal Pennant 1951-1990 (Postsignalflagge für Seeschiffe)
• Car Flag for the Post Minister 1950-1994 (Bundesdienstflagge an Dienstkraftfahrzeugen für den Postminister)
• Car Flag for the Post Office State Secretary 1950-1994 (Bundesdienstflagge an Dienstkraftfahrzeugen für den Staatssekretär im Postministerium)
• Car Flag for Other Postal Authorities 1950-1994
• Relative Size of the Car Flags

See also:

• Discussion on the width of the stripes (in the 1921-1933 postal flag, similar to the 1950-1994)
• Postal Flag 1955-1973 (Postflagge, German Democratic Republic)
• Germany

Sources:

• Karaschewski 1996 [kar96]
• 'Meyer 17' 1960 [mzs60]
• Pfriem 1996 [Die Bundespostflagge - Ende einer Tradition, in Kleeblatt, issue 2, 1996, pp. 31-33]
• Friedel 1968
• Hecker and Hoog 1978 [hec78]
• Bundesministerium des Innern 1956 [wfl56]

Marcus Schmöger, 13 March 2001

Bundespostflagge

3:5 | stripes 4+7+4
by Marcus Schmöger
Flag adopted 7th June 1950, abolished 31st December 1994

Identical with the Weimar Republic Postal Flag 1921-1933 except for a minor modification of the post horn. Adopted 1950. Illustrated in Pedersen 1971 p. 30 and Smith 1975, p. 227.

Norman Martin, February 1998

For use on post office ships. Adopted 7 June 1950. Source: Dreyer 1999 [dry99].

Norman Martin, 10 December 1999

The Bundespostflagge or Federal postal flag was introduced as a service flag for the postal service. As such it served all the same purposes as the normal German service flag (with the coat-of-arms), but only for postal service. The flag was introduced the 7th June 1950 with the Anordnung über die deutschen Flaggen (Instruction on the German flags), published in the Bundesgesetzblatt I 1950, p. 205.

It is the German triband with a widened central (red) stripe, which has now a height of 7/15 of the flag (the other two stripes 4/15 each). In the center of the stripe is the posthorn emblem; it is really centered, not offset to the hoist as with the normal service flag's coat-of-arms. The posthorn is different from the design used in the postal flag of the Weimar Republic (1921-1933); especially there are some little flashes added indicating the telecommunication.

The flag was used until 31st December 1994, when the Postal Service [Deutsche Post] ceased to be a federal authority. It is now split into three private enterprises, each of which have own flags (more or less logo-on-bedsheets, though). In the last revised version of the Anordnung über die deutschen Flaggen (Instruction on the German flags) of 13th November 1996 (Bundesgesetzblatt I 1996, p. 1729) the flag is therefore now omitted.

Marcus Schmöger, 13 March 2001

Postsignalflagge für Seeschiffe

3:5
by Marcus Schmöger
Pennant adopted 5th December 1951, abolished 26th September 1990

A gold pennant with a black posthorn and a red (inner) and black (outer) border. (...) Illustrated in Album des Pavillons 1990, p. 19.

Norman Martin, February 1998

For use on private vessels carrying mail. Adopted 5 December 1951. Source: a paper by Emil Dreyer in the Reports of the 15th International Congress of Vexillology.

Norman Martin, 10 December 1999

The post pennant still appeared [mistakenly] in the Album des Pavillons correction récapitulative no. 1 1995 (but no longer in Album des Pavillons 2000).

Željko Heimer, 28 January 2001

This 'postal pennant' —more correctly Postsignalflagge für Seeschiffe or postal signal flag for sea-going vessels— was used by ships that carried mail on behalf of the German postal service; it was hoisted at the Vortopp (foremast top). Ships that already used the Federal postal flag did not use the postal pennant. This pennant was introduced the 5th December 1951 with the Vierte Durchführungsverordnung zum Flaggenrechtsgesetz (Postsignalflagge für Seeschiffe) (Fourth regulation for the implementation of the flag law (postal signal flag for sea-going vessel)), published in the Bundesgesetzblatt II 1952, p. 403. The design of this pennant is thoroughly described in this regulation.

It is a triangular flag of golden colour with a black outer and a red inner border, with in the centre a black posthorn emblem (not totally identical to the one used in the federal postal flag, though). Over the time this pennant was going out of use, as ships ceased to be major transport vehicles for mail. In a regulation dated 26th September 1990 the use of this pennant was canceled.

Marcus Schmöger, 13 March 2001

Bundesdienstflagge an Dienstkraftfahrzeugen für den Postminister

1:1 | 25×25cm
by Marcus Schmöger
Flag adopted 2nd August 1950, abolished 31st December 1994

The Bundesdienstflagge an Dienstkraftfahrzeugen für den Postminister or car flag for the Post Minister was the Federal postal flag in a square form, sized 25 × 25 cm. It was first prescribed on 2nd August 1950 in the Runderlaß des Bundesministers des Innern zur Ausführung der Anordnung über die deutschen Flaggen (Circular of the Federal Minister of the Interior on the implementation of the instruction on German flags). It was used until 31st December 1994.

Marcus Schmöger, 13 March 2001

Bundesdienstflagge an Dienstkraftfahrzeugen für den Staatssekretär im Postministerium

18:25 | 18×25cm
by Marcus Schmöger
Flag adopted 2nd August 1950, abolished 31st December 1994

The Bundesdienstflagge an Dienstkraftfahrzeugen für den Staatssekretär im Postministerium or car flag for the state secretary in the Post Ministry was the Federal postal flag in the size of 18 × 25 cm. It was first prescribed on 2nd August 1950 in the Runderlaß des Bundesministers des Innern zur Ausführung der Anordnung über die deutschen Flaggen (Circular of the Federal Minister of the Interior on the implementation of the instruction on German flags). It was used until 31st December 1994.

Marcus Schmöger, 13 March 2001

3:5 | 15×25cm
by Marcus Schmöger
Flag adopted 2nd August 1950, abolished 31st December 1994

The Bundesdienstflagge an Dienstkraftfahrzeugen or car flag for the other postal authorities was a swallowtailed version of the Federal postal flag in the size of 15 × 25 cm. This was used by e.g. the Präsidenten der Oberpostdirektionen or Presidents of the Post Office's Divisional Administrations. It was first prescribed on 2nd August 1950 in the Runderlaß des Bundesministers des Innern zur Ausführung der Anordnung über die deutschen Flaggen (Circular of the Federal Minister of the Interior on the implementation of the instruction on German flags). It was used until 31st December 1994.

Marcus Schmöger, 13 March 2001

There is no real German official designation for this flag, as far as I know. It is the postal variant of the Federal service flag, as it is used as car flag by the Leiter der Bundesmittelbehörden or heads of the intermediate federal offices. The intermediate federal offices belonging to the postal service, were the Oberpostdirektionen, the PTZ (Posttechnisches Zentralamt or postal technical central office) and the FTZ (Fernmeldetechnisches Zentralamt or telecommunications technical central office). So one could call these flags in German (not officially) Bundesdienstflagge an Dienstkraftfahrzeugen der Leiter der Bundesmittelbehörden im Bereich des Bundespostministeriums. Strictly speaking, also the other designations I gave to the postal car flags are not official designations of these flags, but only my explaining text.

Marcus Schmöger, 21 February 2002

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