Koenigsberg Historical Flags (Prussia, Germany)

Königsberg, nowadays Kaliningrad (Russia)

Last modified: 2002-05-31 by santiago dotor
Keywords: prussia | brandenburg | koenigsberg | konigsberg | kaliningrad | crown: open (red) | cross (white) | banner of arms | cross (black) | lion: rampant (white) | stripes: 6 | stripes: 7 | panel (white) | eagle (red) | eagle (black) |
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from this webpage, modified by Santiago Dotor
Flag adopted 19th century, abolished 1906

• Introduction
• 14th Century? - 1945 ("Old Königsberg")
• Up to 17th Century
• 17th-18th Centuries (17th century, 1700 and 1716)
• 17th-19th Centuries (17th century, 1716, 1737, 1842, 1848 and 1862)
• 1805
• City Flag 19th century-1906

See also:

• Prussian Historical Flags
• Germany
• Kaliningrad Region (Russia)

Königsberg was the main harbour of Brandenburg and even if many charts report the striped flag as the flag of Koenigsberg, this was a Brandenburg ensign. Königsberg had a flag —the white-red with crown and cross— which was never used at sea, and a true merchant ensign for the town never existed. The stripes on this flag are represented in number of six or seven, sometimes blue and sometimes black, with or without the shield with the [red] eagle of Brandenburg or the [black] eagle of Prussia).

Mario Fabretto, 4 August 1998

However, even though the Elector of Brandenburg and the Duke, later King, of Prussia were one and the same person, I would have never said that "Königsberg was in Brandenburg". In that case, assigning that flag to Königsberg is simply a big mistake of old charts? I mean, not only was the flag not Königsberg's, but it was not Prussia's ensign either but Brandenburg's. Or maybe there was no Prussian ensign (nor Navy?) before 1701 and thus the only (civil? war?) ensign used by ships before and sometime after 1701 was the Brandenburg one?

Santiago Dotor, 28 June 2000

I do not feel on sure ground on these things, but I know of no ensign labelled "Prussia" before 1701, except the standards of Royal [Polish] Prussia and Ducal Prussia. I did some additional looking in my old flag charts (which are kind of scattered because some are "post on the wall" type charts, some are postcard reproductions and some are reproductions in flag books) and I found the following. There is a copy of the Dankerts 1705 chart dated 1716 published by Homann — which is identical with the previous one, but not ascribed, so that I guess we would call it a plagiarism now, but I do not know about early 18th century manners on these things. These charts (Dankerts 1705 and Homann's 1716 copy) show the flag we are discussing —with blue stripes and with the white square extending into the blue stripe right below to form a shield— and labels it Königsberg. Siegel 1912 labels it (Tafel 20) as Königsberg 1737 (all or almost all of those he so dates are from the Kieboom 1737 chart, which I do not have a copy of. Siegel 1912 also shows the flag with square (rather than shield) and black stripes and labels it Kurfürstentum Brandenburg 1695 [i.e. Electorate of Brandenburg] — no further description. The date (1695) probably refers to Allard 1695.

Norman Martin, 2 July 2000

"Old Königsberg"

by Jaume Ollé

Like the 14th Century flag of Elbing, but with a red crown replacing the top cross.

Norman Martin, 20 January 1998

Municipal coat-of-arms: per pale Argent, a crown Gules (crown of Czech king Ottokar II, founder of the city) and Gules, a cross couped Argent.

Victor Lomantsov, 19 July 2000

by Jorge Candeias

Bicolor white over red. Height of the white field 3/10ths that of the flag. On the white field a thin St. George cross. On the red field a white lion rampant with a gold crown.

Norman Martin, 20 January 1998

17th century, 1700 and 1716

N.B. this was actually a Brandenburg ensign, see Introduction
by Jaume Ollé

Six horizontal stripes black-white.

Norman Martin, 20 January 1998

17th century, 1716, 1737, 1842, 1848 and 1862

N.B. this was actually a Brandenburg ensign, see Introduction
by Jaume Ollé

Seven horizontal stripes white-blue. Towards the hoist a white square field 3/7ths of the height with a red eagle (without crown or regalia). From Brommer's Atlas 1862.

Norman Martin, 20 January 1998

All the versions I have seen have the rectangle only covering the center 3 stripes.

Norman Martin, 28 June 2000

N.B. this was actually a Brandenburg ensign, see Introduction
by Jaume Ollé

Similar to the previous flag, except with a black, rather than a red eagle.

Norman Martin, 20 January 1998

All the versions I have seen have the rectangle only covering the center 3 stripes.

Norman Martin, 28 June 2000

from this webpage, modified by Santiago Dotor
Flag adopted 19th century, abolished 1906

Zeljko Heimer reported this Russian heraldry website. From the Kaliningrad (Königsberg) oblast section, there is a link to this map of East Prussia linking to civic coats-of-arms and some flags, like this flag for Königsberg, a horizontal red-white-red (1+4+1) with the 1724-1906 coat-of-arms, proportions ca. 4:7. Sent separately as de-pr-kn.gif (a more detailed coat-of-arms is also available). The same flag appears also under the Russian city flags section of the first website as old flag. This flag was already reported by Pascal Vagnat (22 February 1999) according to the FOTW Kaliningrad Region page, but would rather be a pre-1945 (rather pre-1906) flag.

Santiago Dotor, 19 April 2001