The swastika flag came into use initially as the banner of the NSDAP after its foundation. Following Hitler's election as Chancellor in 1933, the flag was used jointly as the national flag of Germany along with the old black-white-red horizontal tricolour of the German Empire. After the death of President Hindenburg in 1935, this arrangement ended and the swastika flag became the sole national flag of Germany, which it remained until the end of the Second World War and the fall of the Third Reich.

Origins

Excerpted from Mein Kampf, Adolf Hitler, 1923: "The organization of our monitor troop clarified a very important question. Up till then the movement had no party insignia and no party flag. The absence of such symbols not only had momentary disadvantages, but was intolerable for the future (...) party comrades lacked any outward sign of their common bond (...) [Hitler then writes about how he attended a mass Marxist demonstration:] a sea of red flags, red scarves, and red flowers (...)

I have, in our movement, always upheld the standpoint that it is a true good fortune for the German nation to have lost the old flag (...) from the bottom of our hearts we should thank Fate for having been gracious enough to preserve the most glorious war flag of all time from being used as a bedsheet for the most shameful prostitution. The present-day Reich, which sells itself and its citizens, must never be permitted to fly the black, white and red flag of honour and heroes...

The question of the new flag —that is, its appearance— occupied us intensely in those days. From all sides came suggestions (...) the new flag had to be equally a symbol of our own struggle, since on the other hand it was expected also to be highly effective as a poster (...) an effective insignia can in hundreds of thousands of cases give the first impetus towards interest in a movement. For this reason we had to reject all suggestions of identifying our movement through a white flag with the old state (...) white is not a stirring colour. It is suitable for chaste virgins' clubs, but not for world-changing movements in a revolutionary epoch. [other assessments of various colours also]

I myself always came out for the retention of the old colours, not only because as a soldier they are to me the holiest thing I know (...) nevertheless, I was obliged to reject without exception the numerous designs which poured in (...) which for the most part had drawn the swastika into the old flag.

I myself, meanwhile, after innumerable attempts, had laid down a final form; a flag with a red background, a white disk, and a black swastika in the middle. After long trials I also found a definite proportion between the size of the flag and the size of the white disk, as well as the shape and thickness of the swastika."

See Also

Flag of Germany