Olympic Flags (Germany)

Last modified: 2003-01-11 by santiago dotor
Keywords: germany | historical | olympics | circles: 5 (white) | circles: 5 (blue) |
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• Flag of the Combined Team for the Olympic Games 1956-1964
• Olympic Games 1972

See also:

• Germany
• German Democratic Republic 1949-1989 (Deutsche Demokratische Republik)
• International Olympic Committee

3:5
by Marcus Schmöger

Following the Second World War, Germany was not invited to the 1948 London Olympic games. It first competed again in the 1952 Helsinki games under the black-red-gold flag defaced with the Olympic rings in white on the red stripe. The simple tricolour was used as the flag of both Germanies until October, 1, 1959. Only then was the coat of arms added to the German Democratic Republic's flag. So, in principle, this [plain black-red-gold] flag could have been used up to the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. But maybe it is was easier to use a neutral version with the Olympic emblem.

Harald Müller, 23 July 1996

The German Olympic rings flag was used in 1956, 1960 and 1964 by the combined German team for the Olympic Games in those years.

Herman de Wael, 24 September 1997

The flag of the combined team for the Olympic Games shows the olympic rings in the red stripe [almost touching its edges]. According to Kuhn 1991 this was used in 1960 and 1964. I don't know if it was also used in 1952 and 1956.

Marcus Schmöger, 16 March 2001

3:1      3:1      3:1
all three by Marcus Schmöger

The flag of the Munich Olympic Games 1972 was higher than wide (3:1) and had the Olympic rings and the emblem of the Munich Olympic Games in the upper hoist corner. There were three variants of the flag, only differing in the colours:

1. rings and emblem light blue, on a white background;
2. rings and emblem white, on a light green background; and
3. rings and emblem white, on a light blue background.

Marcus Schmöger, 13 August 1997