Uploaded November 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
Standard of the German Emperor was made of golden yellow silk and shows the Iron Cross, topped with the smaller coat of arms of His Majesty. An imperial crown and three red-armoured, black eagles appear in the corners of the cross. As soon as he embarked on board a ship, the imperial standard was hoisted at the top of the mainmast and all other command and distinguishing symbols were deleted.
"Heil dir im Siegerkranz" (Hail to Thee in the Victor's Crown) was the official national anthem of the German Empire from 1871 to 1918. Before the foundation of the Empire in 1871, it had been the royal anthem of Prussia since 1795 and remained it after 1871. The melody of the hymn derived from the British anthem "God Save the King". For these reasons, the song failed to become popular within all of Germany. Not only did it fail to win the support of most German nationalists, but it also was never recognized by the southern German states, such as Bavaria or Württemberg. After World War I, the German Empire came to an end and "Das Lied der Deutschen" became the national anthem of the Weimar Republic.
Standard of the German Emperor was made of golden yellow silk and shows the Iron Cross, topped with the smaller coat of arms of His Majesty. An imperial crown and three red-armoured, black eagles appear in the corners of the cross. As soon as he embarked on board a ship, the imperial standard was hoisted at the top of the mainmast and all other command and distinguishing symbols were deleted.
"Heil dir im Siegerkranz" (Hail to Thee in the Victor's Crown) was the official national anthem of the German Empire from 1871 to 1918. Before the foundation of the Empire in 1871, it had been the royal anthem of Prussia since 1795 and remained it after 1871. The melody of the hymn derived from the British anthem "God Save the King". For these reasons, the song failed to become popular within all of Germany. Not only did it fail to win the support of most German nationalists, but it also was never recognized by the southern German states, such as Bavaria or Württemberg. After World War I, the German Empire came to an end and "Das Lied der Deutschen" became the national anthem of the Weimar Republic.
