Germany Flag

What does the flag of Germany look like? The German flag is three
horizontal bands of black, red, and gold. This updated version was
adopted on May 23, 1949, and it serves as the civil and state flag.

Meaning of the Flag

The flag of Germany has a simple design and the symbolism behind it is
fairly straightforward. The three colored bands represent the national
colors of Germany. These national colors date back to the republican
democracy proposed in the mid-1800s to symbolize unity and freedom.
At the time of the Weimar Republic, these colors represented the
centrist, democratic and republican parties.

Colors of the Flag

The flag of Germany features horizontal bands of equal sizes. The top
band is black, the center band is red and the bottom band is yellow.
These represent the national colors of the nation. The country also has
a state flag which has the same design of three horizontal bands with
the addition of the country’s national emblem located in the center.

History of the Flag

German’s first flags date back to the Holy Roman Empire, when a black
eagle on a gold background was the design that was used. The flag was
first used during the 14th century, and the design was modified slightly
in the 15th century and flown through the 19th century. The first flag
that was closest to modern design was first flown in 1918. This was
during the Weimar Republic period. This actually caused some strife
among some Germans, as some people saw it as a symbol of defeat
following World War I. Some flags continued to use the previous colors
of black, white and red.
When the Nazis took over power in Germany in the 1930s, there were
two national flags that were officially recognized. The first was a flag of
black, white and red bands. The second featured a swastika symbol.
After World War II, a new flag was designed. The C-Pennant was
designed in red, white and blue. When Germany divided in the late
1940s, there were several different flags put into use. It was in 1989
when the Berlin Wall came down that the black, red and gold flag was
became the flag of a reunified country in 1990 before being modified to
the current flag that flies today.

Flag Facts

There are several national holidays when governmental buildings fly

the flag. This includes the national day of mourning, German Unity
Day, Europe Day, International Workers’ Day and Basic Law Day.

There is also a vertical variation of the nation’s flag.

Vertical flags are not lowered when flags are required to be flown at
half-staff. Instead a black ribbon is attached to the staff or the end of
the crossbeams.

Religions in Germany

Germany is an intercultural and multi-religious country. It's

important to understand that apart from main Christian religions
(Protestantism and Catholicism) and several minority beliefs,
around a third of the people in Germany are atheists. Christian
church, including both Catholicism and Protestantism, is the
dominant church in Germany. Still, there are many other religious
practices such as Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and Hinduism that
are popular in Germany.  

Minority Religions in Germany

 Islam is the biggest non-Christian religion practiced in Germany,
with followers accounting for about 5% of the population
(approximately 4 million people). Most Muslims in Germany are
Turkish or of Turkish descent and follow the Sunni tradition. You
will find that mosques are in most major cities in Germany, but also
in some smaller towns too.

What are the different religions in Germany?

Christianity is the dominant religion in Germany while Islam is the
biggest minority religion. There are a number more faiths, however,
that together account for the religions of around 3-4% of the
population. Further religions practiced in Germany include:

 Judaism
 Buddhism
 Hinduism
 Sikhism
 Yazidi\

German Traditional Clothing Style

To actually understand the German clothing of the years gone by, it is

important to understand the concept of tracht. Clothes helped identify a
person's standing in society. Along with accessories, the style of facial hair,
and adornments, the entire outfit and way of presentation was called tracht.
It allowed people to know certain things about another person. These
details included their marital status, their place of origin, and also their
trade.

 According to these details the clothing patterns changed slightly. With

time, these clothing patterns became more integrated, resulting in common
designs. We have described for you two of the most common outfits worn
by women and men in Germany, especially in Bavaria. In the the northern
parts of the country, there were other styles of clothing that were prevalent.
 Dress Code – business etiquette in Germany

Germans take great pride in dressing well, regardless of where they are
going or what position they hold. Appearance and presentation is very
important to Germans, particularly when it comes to doing business.

Even when dressed informally, they are dressed neat and conservative.
The following points give an insight into the correct dress code suitable for
conducting business in Germany:

 Being well and correctly dressed is very important. Casual or sloppy

clothes not appreciated
 Business dress in Germany is understated, formal and conservative
 Businessmen should wear dark-colored, conservative business suits,
ties, and white shirts
 Women also dress conservatively, in dark suits and white blouses or
conservative dresses. This form of dress is observed even in comparatively
warm weather. Do not remove your jacket or tie before your German
colleague does so
 Women are recommended to refrain from wearing heavy make-up
and too much jewelry or accessories
 Do not be surprised, however, if occasionally you do see a fashion
statement with white socks being worn with a dark suit.

Dirndl
Lederhosen Originally, the dirndl was the uniform of the Austrian servants.
Traditionally, every village even had its own particular style of this dress, in
accordance with the concept of tracht. The dirndl comprises many
garments that make up the entire outfit. It was made up of a fitted bodice
which was worn with a blouse, a full skirt, petticoat, and an apron. The
blouse was generally made of either cotton or lace. Some women chose to
wear the outfit without a blouse. The apron was more often than not of a
contrasting color. For festive occasions, the dirndl was often accentuated
with embroidery, elaborate hats, and accessories like lace, ribbons, trims,
etc., that were plaited.

Lederhosen
The word lederhosen translates to leather pants in German. These are
knee breeches, and were worn by the Germanic men of the Alpine areas
and the surrounding locales. The pants were made of leather. This
traditional style was also worn by young boys. Lederhosens worn in the
Bavarian region had features such as suspenders and front flaps, and
these were quickly adopted by other countries. These pants were worn with
shirts and sweaters made of coarse linen or wool. Other clothes teamed
with the pants were wool stockings and country shoes. Jackets and hats
were worn by some men.

Today there are several clubs and societies that are devoted to the
preservation of traditional German clothes. These societies are working
towards reviving the clothing traditions so that more people choose to wear
them on occasions like weddings, festivals, etc. Wearing trachts is a
patriotic sign chosen to display their pride in their country and their
ethnicity.