Last modified: 2013-03-26 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: germany | lower saxony | niedersachsen | horse(forcene) | horse(white) | saxon horse | swallowtailed |
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Lower Saxony was founded as Land Niedersachsen on 1st November 1946 as a merger of the former Länder Braunschweig [Brunswick], Oldenburg, Schaumburg-Lippe and Hannover [Hanover]. Due to the long tradition of own arms and flags in these former territories, it was especially difficult to find a common flag for the new Land Niedersachsen. [Some unofficial flags existed 1946-1951]. Although a red-white (or white-red) flag with the arms would have been appropriate for the Land Niedersachsen, as these are the colours of the arms (livery colours), this solution was viewed as only representing Hanover and not the other parts of Lower Saxony. A combination of the colours of was also not feasible, so the final compromise was to use the German national flag (black-red-gold) with the Lower Saxony coat-of-arms on it. Sources: Rabbow 1999; Kuhn 1991, p. 90; Schnath 1961, Reihe B Heft 6; and Schurdel 1995.
Marcus Schmöger, 22 Sep 2000
The land and state flag is black on red on gold (yellow) with the arms in the middle. The state flag on sea is the same, but swallow-tailed. Proportions 2:3.
Pascal Vagnat, 19 Dec 1995
The black-red-gold national flag with the LowerSaxon arms (a white saxon horse on a red field) with a narrow black border, overlapping the black and gold stripes and slightly offset towards hoist. Adopted 1951. Illustrated in Smith 1975 p.227 and Dorling Kindersley 1997 p. 121.
Norman Martin, Mar 1998
If I am reading this correctly, the version of this flag without coat-of-arms is not prescribed and is not to be used, since it would be identical to the German federal flag, thus not retaining distinctiveness.
Željko Heimer, 6 Oct 2000
Correct. The 1951 and 1993 Constitutions say, "in the flag the colours black-red-gold with the coat-of-arms."
Marcus Schmöger, 6 Oct 2000
Image by Marcus Schmöger
Flag adopted 1951
The same [as the Landesflagge] but swallow-tailed. Adopted 1951.
Norman Martin, 1998
State ensign for use at sea and inland waters, also used as car flag for certain authorities. I followed the drawing attached to the Law and regulation, and some more detailed specifications in the regulation itself. The swallowtail of the state ensign occupies just a fifth of the flag length. (...) Regarding the black fimbriation around the coat-of-arms
there is no regulation, but I reconstructed it after the drawing in the Law.
Marcus Schmöger, 22 Sep 2000
The exact pattern on some of the Lower Saxony flags is described in the laws and regulations.
Note that opposed to the horse of Westphalia which is rearing (or forcene, German steigend), the horse of Lower Saxony is jumping (German springend), like the one of Brunswick [and Hanover]. They are however of the same descent, just like the horse of the English County of Kent (arms adopted 1933, also used on flag?), and the one used on the unofficial flag of Twente, a region in the east of the Dutch province of Overijssel. The latter two are leaping, and just like all the others white on a red field. Source: Het Saksische ros in de heraldiek (The Saxon Horse in Heraldry), G.W. Nanninga in Driemaandelijkse bladen voor taal en volksleven in het oosten van Nederland, 1969 no. 2 (one of the sources mentioned that might be interesting: Geirg Schnath, Das Sachsenros, Hannover, 1961).
Mark Sensen, 21 May 1999
Image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 16 May 2010
The flag is vertically divided into black-red-yellow with the coat of arms shifted slightly to the top.
Source: I spotted this flag in spring 1979 in Osnabrück in front of the historical town hall.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 16 May 2010
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