Coat of arms of Germany
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| Coat of arms of Germany | |
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| Versions | |
 The Eagle used by federal institutions |
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| Details | |
| Armiger | The German Federal Government |
| Escutcheon | Black eagle with gules claws, beak, and tongue |
| Earlier versions | The current version of the coat of arms of Germany was introduced during the later days of the Weimar Republic |
The coat of arms of Germany is a symbol of Germany; the coat of arms feature an eagle. The colors of the coat of arms are similar to those of the flag of Germany (black, red and gold). It is the one of the oldest extant state symbols of Europe and is one of the oldest insignia in the world. Moreover, its history as an emblem began even earlier. The Romans reserved eagle imagery for only the most revered beings; namely, the supreme god and the emperor; and it served as a metaphor of invincibility. Later, through its rei rock eagle (adler), referred to in German as the Reichsadler, on German soil probably date back to the time of Charlemagne (742-814). Around the year 1200 the black eagle icon on a gold field was generally recognised as the imperial coat of arms. In 1433 the double-headed eagle was adopted for the first time by the Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund. Since then the double-headed eagle came to be used as the symbol of the Roman-German emperor, and hence as the coat of arms of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. From the middle of the 15th century onwards, the respective emperors put the emblem of their dynasty on the eagle's chest. After the end of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation in 1806, a German state and a unified state emblem ceased to exist. In 1815, a German Confederation (Bund) of 39 loosely-united German states was founded on the territory of the former German empire. Until 1848, the confederation did not have a coat of arms of its own. The Federal Diet (Bundestag) meeting at Frankfurt am Main used a seal which carried the emblem of the Austrian Empire, since Austria had taken over the union's leadership. It showed a black, double-headed eagle, which Austria had adopted just before the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation.
During the 1848 revolution, a new Reich coat of arms was adopted by the German National Assembly that convened in St. Paul's Church in Frankfurt. The black double-headed eagle was retained, but without the four symbols of the emperor: the sword, the imperial orb, the sceptre and the crown. The eagle rested on a golden shield; above was a five-pointed golden star. On both sides the shield was flanked by two flags with the colours black-red-gold. The emblem, however, never gained general acceptance.
In 1867, the North German Confederation was established without Austria and the southern German states, and under the leadership of the Kingdom of Prussia (see coat of arms of Prussia). A new coat of arms was adopted, which consisted of a shield with the colours black-white-red, flanked by two wild men holding cudgels and standing on a pedestal.
The eagle, called Reichsadler, was retained during the German Empire (1871-1918) and the Weimar Republic (1918-1933), albeit with variations in symbolic meaning and design.
When Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933, the Weimar eagle was retained until 1935, when it was replaced by the emblem of the Nazi Party. It showed a black eagle above a highly stylised oak wreath, with a swastika at its centre.
After the defeat of Germany in World War II, the German Reich continued to exist under Allied occupation until the Federal Republic of Germany was founded in 1949. In 1950, the Federal Republic incorporated the Weimar eagle, which thenceforward was called the Bundesadler ("federal eagle"), into its coat of arms. The design by Tobias Schwab dates from 1926. Since the accession of the German Democratic Republic in 1990, the Federal Eagle has been the state symbol of the reunified Germany.
 The Arms of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation |
 The Arms of the German Confederation |
 The Greater Coat of Arms of the German Emperor (Imperial Coat of Arms of His Majesty), 1871 - 1918 |
 The Coat of Arms of the German Empire, 1871 - 1918 |
 Arms in the earlier days of the Weimar Republic |
 National insignia (Hoheitszeichen) of Nazi Germany |
[edit] The Eagle today
Official depictions of the eagle can be found not only in the federal coat of arms but also on the federal institutions flag, the standard of the President of Germany and official seals. These are designs by various artists of the Weimar period and differ primarily in the shape and position of the wings. A large and very plump version of the eagle decorates the chamber of the Bundestag, the German parliament, it is sometimes called "Fette Henne" (Fat Hen). In addition to the official depictions, artistic renderings of the federal eagle are permitted and have found their way onto coins, stamps and the letterhead of federal authorities.
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The coat of arms as used by the government of the Federal Republic of Germany |
The Eagle used by federal institutions |
 The Eagle in the Bundesschild |
 The Eagle on the German Mark coin (until 2002) |
 The Eagle on the German 1 euro coin |
[edit] See also
| Germany |
| German states Baden-Württemberg • Bavaria • Berlin • Brandenburg • Bremen • Hamburg • Hesse • Lower Saxony • Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania • North Rhine-Westphalia • Rhineland-Palatinate • Saarland • Saxony • Saxony-Anhalt • Schleswig-Holstein • Thuringia |
