The national colours of Germany are officially Black, Red and Gold, defined by article 22 sec. 2 of the German Basic Law constitution on the flag of Germany: Die Bundesflagge ist schwarz-rot-gold. ("The federal flag shall be black, red, and gold.").
The colours were used by nationalist and democratic revolutionaries since the Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th century, and can be recognized in Holy Roman Empire symbols since the Middle Ages. The "Gold" (Or) is nearly always represented by a shade of Yellow, as there is no distinct color "Yellow" in heraldry; they both count as "Gold".
Read more about National Colours Of Germany: Origins, Wars of Liberation, State Colours, Use of Colours in Sports Etc.
Famous quotes containing the words national, colours and/or germany:
“Public speaking is done in the public tongue, the national or tribal language; and the language of our tribe is the men’s language. Of course women learn it. We’re not dumb. If you can tell Margaret Thatcher from Ronald Reagan, or Indira Gandhi from General Somoza, by anything they say, tell me how. This is a man’s world, so it talks a man’s language.”
—Ursula K. Le Guin (b. 1929)
“In a borealic iceberg came Victoria; she
Knew Prince Albert’s tall memorial took the colours of the floreal
And the borealic iceberg;”
—Dame Edith Sitwell (1887–1964)
“How does Nature deify us with a few and cheap elements! Give me health and a day, and I will make the pomp of emperors ridiculous. The dawn is my Assyria; the sun-set and moon-rise my Paphos, and unimaginable realms of faerie; broad noon shall be my England of the senses and the understanding; the night shall be my Germany of mystic philosophy and dreams.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)