President's Standard 1926-1933 (Germany)

Standarte der Reichspräsidenten

Last modified: 2005-09-10 by santiago dotor
Keywords: president | reichspräsident | square (yellow) | eagle (black) | bordure (red) |
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by Marcus Schmöger, 23 February 2002
Flag adopted 1926, abolished 22 April 1933

• Description

See also:

• Weimar Republic 1919-1933 (Germany)
• Germany

There are a few uncertainties about the design of the German Presidential standard(s) in the 1920s. According to Dreyhaupt 2000 [drh00], p. 15, the form of the eagle was altered from having five to one having six stylized feathers on each side, but reverted to the '5 feather' version by the publication of Reichsministerium des Innern 1928 [rmi28]. The Große Brockhaus Enzyklopädie 1928 [bro28] article shows the '5 feather' version. However the Neubecker 1929 [neu29] album shows the '6 feather' version. Also Barraclough and Crampton 1978 [bcr78] identifies the '6 feather' version with the presidential standard of the Weimar Republic without any reference to any change. To make matters more complex, on 22 April 1933, the standard was altered by providing a tricoloured rather than a red border. The ordinance does not mention the number of feathers. However, Davis 1975 [dav75] has a 1933 foto which clearly shows the '5 feather' version. But Reichsministerium des Innern 1934 [rmi34] clearly shows the '6 feather' version. Neither mentions any changes.

Norman Martin, 4 May 2001

A slightly different pattern for the presidential standard was introduced in 1926; the eagle had now six feathers —instead of five— on each side. This pattern was first shown in the official publication Reichsministerium des Innern 1926 [rmi26]. Dreyhaupt 2000 [drh00] claims that the 1921 pattern was reintroduced in 1928, as the official publications Reichsministerium des Innern 1928 [rmi28] and Reichsministerium des Innern 1930 [rmi30] show the 1921 pattern. However, these publications do not seem very reliable to me as regards details like these. Furthermore there is a photo in Die deutsche Reichswehr showing president Hindenburg at a Reichswehr manoeuvre in 1930 in which the 1926 model presidential standard (six feathers) is clearly visible. Sources:

• Dreyhaupt 2000 [drh00]
• Reichsministerium des Innern 1926 [rmi26]
• Neubecker 1929 [neu29]
• Wohlfeil/Dollinger, Die deutsche Reichswehr, Wiesbaden, 1977, p. 75

Marcus Schmöger, 24 February 2002