Original Item: Only One Available. The Reichskriegsflagge (Imperial War Flag) was the official name of the war flag and war ensign used by the German armed forces from 1933 to 1945. Recently acquired from a private auction, this is without a doubt the most impressive battle flag design of the German WWII era, in a nice medium large size. It measures 59.1" x 98.4", or 150cm x 250cm. This size indicates it would have been used on a medium-sized ship.

Constructed of what feels like wool, the printed flag design features a bright red background with a large white central circle displaying a large Swas (hook cross), overlaid on the German Naval Balkenkreuz (Beam Cross) design also in black to the edges. In the top corner (Canton) is a black on white Eisernes Kreuz (Iron cross) cross pattée, and all the designs have white and black borders. It features a canvas header, with a 46" long halyard on the bottom, and a loop on the top.

This Naval battle flag shows no signs of alterations and is in very good lightly used condition, showing light wear from age and use. There is some age toning to the white areas, and also some scattered staining overall. The wool body does not show any tears or other major damage, though there are some small holes, probably either from storage wear or moth, which is very common on these wool flags.

The flag is marked on the header with a black Eagle / M Marineamt marking, indicating German Kriegsmarine (Navy) acceptance. The header is also stamped with the correct naval designation and size number, along with the measurements:

Next to the size marking it is maker marked by Plutzar & Brüll KG., Bielitz O/S.. This factory was located in occupied Poland, and today is known as Bielsko-Biała. According to research, the Brüll family that owned the factory was itself sent to the camps, and German forces had the temporary director manufacture these flags and other items. This size flag is a "7" (150x250cm), as noted in the Kriegsmarine Flaggenbuch (Navy Flag Book), which would be for a ship 500 to 1500 tons, unfortunately too large to be for a U-Boat. Ships in this displacement class would be D-E Torpedo boats, which are 900 tons.

This German WWII Kriegsmarine Reichskriegsflagge measures 150 x 250 cm and retains its canvas header, halyard, Marine acceptance stamp, Size 7 designation, and Plutzar & Brüll maker marking. The printed wool body remains substantially intact, with strong color, moderate age toning and staining, and several small holes consistent with storage wear or moth activity. Its clearly marked naval configuration and larger format make it a well-preserved example of a shipboard war ensign, although the markings alone do not identify the specific vessel on which it may have been used.

Designed personally by Adolf AH, this flag served the Heer and the Luftwaffe as their War Flag, and the Kriegsmarine as its War Ensign (the National Flag serving as Jack). This flag was hoisted daily in barracks operated by units of the Wehrmacht combined German military forces, and it had to be flown from a pole positioned near the barracks entrance, or failing this, near the guard room or staff building. New recruits in the latter part of World War II were sworn in on this flag (one recruit holding the flag and taking the oath on behalf of the entire recruit class with the recruits looking on as witnesses - before, this was done on the regimental colors).

The flag had to be formally hoisted every morning and lowered every evening. These hoisting and lowering ceremonies took the form of either an ordinary or a ceremonial flag parade. At the ordinary raising, the party consisted of the Orderly Officer of the Day, the guard, and one musician. At the ceremonial raising, one officer, one platoon of soldiers with rifles, the guard, the regimental band, and the corps of drums were all present.

The proportions of the flag are 3:5. Fusing elements of the NSDAP German Flag (swas and red background) with that of the old Imperial Reich War Flag (four arms emanating from off-center circle and Iron Cross in the canton), these flags were uniformly produced as a printed design on bunting.

Raised for the first time at the Bendlerstraße Building (Wehrmacht Headquarters) in Berlin on November 7, 1935, It was taken down for the last time by British occupation forces after the arrest of the Dönitz Government at the Naval Academy Mürwik in Flensburg-Mürwik, Germany, on May 23, 1945.

In his book, Inside the Third Reich, Albert Speer states that "in only two other designs did he (Adolf AH) execute the same care as he did his Obersalzberg house: that of the Reich War Flag and his own standard of Chief of State."