Last modified: 2006-11-04 by jarig bakker
Keywords: sozialistische einheitspartei deutschlands | sed |
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3:5
image by Volker Moerbitz Keith
Flag adopted 1948, abolished 1990
The leading Socialist Unity Party was the result
of the (Soviet-influenced) unification of the Social
Democratic and Communist Party in the Soviet Occupation Zone of Germany
in 1946. The SED was the leading East German party, having about two million
members and 127 seats in the East German Parliament (1986). The party's
General Secretariat was de facto the country's governing body.
Volker Moerbitz Keith, 23 Jan 2001
The Socialist Unity Party of Germany was founded 21th April 1946 by a forced unification of the Communist Party of Germany (Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands or KPD) and the Social Democratic Party of Germany (Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands or SPD). Initially this decision was applied to the whole of occupied Germany. The union was refused consistently in the three western occupation zones, where both parties remained independent. The union of the parties was thus only effective in the Soviet zone. The Socialist Unity Party of Germany was modelled after the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. In the year 1946, the unification was announced in the Soviet occupation zone with an emblem of a handshake. After that the first flag was adopted on the meeting of the union in East Berlin.
Designers shaped in the year 1948 the new insignia. The oval emblem was now on the red cloth.
In November 1989, the peaceful revolution took place in East Germany.
On the 17 Dec 1989 the name of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany was
altered to Socialist Unity Party of Germany-Party
of Democratic Socialism (Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands-Partei
des Demokratischen Sozialismus or SED-PDS).
Jens Pattke, 21 Mar 2001
A red flag with the party emblem (a white disk with at the center a
red flag with clasped hands, around the edge a blue yellow-bordered circle
with the letters "SOZIALISTISCHE EINHEITSPARTEI DEUTSCHLANDS" in yellow)
at the center. Ratio 3:5. Illustrated in Oliver
1993, p. 32.
Norman Martin, Mar 1998
The emblem showed two clasped hands in front of a red flag. The whole
upright oval was surrounded by the inscription Sozialistische Einheitspartei
Deutschlands within a ribbon (source: Rabbow
1970, pp. 231-233. The emblem had been discontinued in Jan 1990, when
the SED was renamed to SED-PDS and soon to PDS
only [Partei des Demokratischen Sozialismus or Party of Democratic
Socialism]. In the same month construction workers were ordered to remove
the symbol from the SED central building in Eastern Berlin
(source: Süddeutsche Zeitung, Munich, 22 and 24 Jan 1990).
Dieter Linder, 11 Apr 1997
I might add that the party emblem was rather oval (about 1:2) than round.
The only time I saw the party flag was at party congresses and (very few)
at May Day demonstrations.
Volker Moerbitz Keith, 26 Jun 2000
A red flag with SED symbol in center, the symbol showing the historic
handshake of 1946 between the two communist and social democratic leaders
in front of the red flag, surrounded by the party's name. The flag
was flown in front of party buildings, at party congresses, during parades
at May Day and National Holiday and other political events. The existing
image needed a slight correction, as the party symbol was oval not round.
Sources: German
Democratic Republic propaganda website and German
Democratic Republic parties website.
Volker Moerbitz Keith, 23 Jan 2001
Yes, you are right [that the emblem is oval]. I made my image from a
written description (I only knew then the central emblem from a small picture:
hands and flag). According to Flaggenkurier
no. 11 the blue [bordering the oval] is light blue.
Jaume Ollé, 24 Jan 2001
I have found at EBay a photo of communist flag of former DDR with portraits
of Pieck and Thaelmann.
Lomantsov Victor, 28 May 2005