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State Flag used by the Senate (Hamburg, Germany)

Staatsflagge

[State Flag used by the Senate, Horizontal Variant (Hamburg, Germany)]

2:3

image by Marcus Schmöger, 24 Nov 2003

Vertical Variant (Town Hall Flag)
Horizontal Variant
Predecessor pre 1835
Predecessor 1897
Flag Legislation

See also:

Vertical Variant (Town Hall Flag)

25:16 image by Marcus Schmöger, 24 Nov 2003

The "state flag" shows on a red field a white rectangle with the greater arms of Hamburg. It was introduced in 1897. This is only used by the Senat ('Senate' i.e. government) of Hamburg and not by other authorities. The respective regulations dating from 1949 and 1951 say that the flag should be hoisted at the town hall and at the mast of the Senate boat when a senator is on board. Sources: Smith 1975, Schurdel 1995, Laitenberger and Bassier 2000 and Gaedechens 1855.
Marcus Schmöger, 29 May 2001

The use of the so-called Staatsflagge —actually only used by the Senate— is also described in Hertenstein 1985 (Jörg Hertenstein, Die Flaggen des Bundeslandes Hamburg, in Hamburgische Geschichts- und Heimatblätter no. 11, pp. 153-158, 1985). The most obvious use of the Senate flag is at the town hall. The flag used there is a hanging flag in 25:16 ratio (5 m × 3.2 m).

Marcus Schmöger, 25 November 2003

The most obvious use of the senate flag, however, is at the town hall. The flag used there is a hanging flag in 25:16 ratio (5 m x 3,2 m).
Marcus E.V. Schmöger, 24 Nov 2003

Senate flag / Staatsflagge

The use of the so-called Staatsflagge (actually only used by the Senate) is also described in [htj85]: as a horizontal flag it is flown only on some service launches, hoisted at the starboard gaff, if a senator is aboard. For bigger ships, some bigger flags are kept in store. All of them come in 2:3 ratio.
Marcus E.V. Schmöger, 24 Nov 2003

Predecessor pre 1835

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 14 Aug 2011

According to source the flag has to be dated at the beginning of the 19th century
Description of flag:
The ratio is approx 11:16. It is a white flag bearing the greater arms of the city.
Description of coat of arms:
The shield is white, i.e. due to heraldic terms silver containing a a red castle (or gate). All towers of the castle are topped by a cross. There is a silver, realized as grey, portcullis half opened. The shield is held by two rampant, guardant lions in natural colour (i.e. brownish golden) having different faces. Both lions are standing upon silver, realized in different shades of grey, creaper ornaments below. The shield is topped by a silver, realized as grey, helmet crested by a bunch of five flags and three peacock feathers.
The flags from left to right have the colours red, blue, very light yellow probably representing white, green and yellow. The peacock's feathers are in natural colour. The flags may represent the parish regiments of the city's sentinels. In earlier versions all the flags had been red bearing a white nettle leaf and thus symbolizing Holstein, the peacock feathers were symbolizing Schleswig. This is a relic from the days, the King of Denmark, being also duke of Schleswig and of Holstein, claimed supremacy over the city. In the current version all the flags are red bearing a white castle to symbolize the status of a free imperial city.
This version must be a pre 1835 model, for in the same year Dr.Lappenberg started his - finally successful - efforts to aboloish the red castle on white by a white castle on red.
Source: Filing card (without number) of Hamburgmuseum
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 14 Aug 2011

Predecessor 1897

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 25 Aug 2013

Description of flag:
It is similar to the current version, but the white rectangle is shifted to the hoist, the basement is grey, the lions are rampant guardant and the castle has no embowed base. According to source the flag was introduced by a decree of the government (Senat) in 1897 (no date given within source), especially as an occasional adornment of the town hall.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 25 Aug 2013
Source: Reincke 1926

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