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Car Flags (Bavaria, Germany)

Dienstflaggen für Kraftfahrzeuge

Last modified: 2011-06-13 by german editorial team
Keywords: bavaria | bayern | rank | prime minister | ministerpräsident | minister | state secretary | coat of arms (quartered) | bordure (blue) | pennant |
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Introduction

These flags have been legally prescribed (with black and white sketches) in the following regulations and announcements:

  1. Bekanntmachung der Bayerischen Staatsregierung über die bayerische Staatsflagge und die Dienstflaggen für Kraftfahrzeuge, vom 16. November 1953; Bayerisches Gesetz- und Verordnungsblatt 1953, S. 193 (Announcement of the Bavarian State Government on the Bavarian State Flag and the Service Flags for Motor Vehicles, of 16th November 1953; Bavarian Law and Official Gazette 1953, p. 193).

  2. Bekanntmachung der Bayerischen Staatsregierung zur Änderung der Bekanntmachung über die bayerische Staatsflagge und die Dienstflaggen für Kraftfahrzeuge, vom 24. Juli 1964; Bayerisches Gesetz- und Verordnungsblatt 1964, S. 155-156 (Announcement of the Bavarian State Government on the Amendment of the Announcement on the Bavarian State Flag and the Service Flags for Motor Vehicles, of 24th July 1964; Bavarian Law and Official Gazette 1964, p. 155-156).

  3. Verwaltungsanordnung über die bayerischen Staatsflaggen und die Dienstflaggen an Kraftfahrzeugen, vom 16. Februar 1971; Bayerisches Gesetz- und Verordnungsblatt 1971, S. 169-171 (Regulation on the Bavarian State Flag and the Service Flags for Motor Vehicles, of 16th February 1971; Bavarian Law and Official Gazette 1971, p. 169-171).

Znamierowski 1999 shows incorrect designs and old usage (1953-1964) of these flags. Since 1953 there have been five different designs for car flags, whose usage has changed over time in three periods: 1953-1964, 1964-1971 and 1971-present.

Marcus Schmöger, 26 January 2001

An important thing regarding Bavarian car flags and probably most of the car flags for authorities in Germany. They have been falling into disuse over the last 20 years or so. I recently made a quick survey with the Ministries here in Munich, and all told me that they do not use car flags (for minister, state secretary or ministerial director) anymore. Some of them even told me they do not keep them in stock. However there seem to be differences. Whereas the Ministry for the Interior claims they have not used these flags for at least 32 years, the chauffeur of the Minister for Environment told me the present minister does not use it, but the previous one (Thomas Goppel, 1994-1998) did.

In the Ministry for Economics, Traffic and Technology I had the chance to take photos of the car flags they have in stock. These are according to the sketches in the regulations. The arms are embroidered on the white-blue background. The flags are kept and were used in transparent plastic covers. They have not been used for about 15 years. Before that they were used rather infrequently, mainly when there were delegations from foreign countries, especially from the Eastern European countries. As foreign delegations to the ministries have seemed to vanish, so did the use of the car flags.

Another reason for putting them away was certainly terrorism in the 1970s and 1980s. A car flag would easily indicate a prominent official or even minister to shoot at. Last but not least, for the last 15 years official cars have lacked fittings for the installation of car flags.

Marcus Schmöger, 27 January 2001


Car Flag of the Prime Minister and the Vice Prime Minister

Kraftfahrzeugflagge des Ministerpräsidenten und des Stellvertretenden Ministerpräsidenten

[Car Flag of the Prime Minister and the Vice Prime Minister (Bavaria, Germany)] 1:1 30×30cm
by Marcus Schmöger
Flag adopted 16th November 1953

Square white flag 30 × 30 [cm] with blue border, the arms in center must be the great[er] arms. Source: Roger Harmignies, article in Vexilla Belgica, issue 11, 1987.

Jaume Ollé, 29 July 1999

White square flag with blue border, in the middle the greater arms. Source: Znamierowski 1999.

Željko Heimer, 27 March 2000


Car Flag of Ministers and State Secretaries

Kraftfahrzeugflagge der Minister und der Staatssekretäre

[Car Flag of Ministers and State Secretaries (Bavaria, Germany)] 1:1 25×25cm
by Marcus Schmöger
Flag adopted 16th November 1953

White over blue 25 × 25 [cm] flag with great[er] arm[s] in center. Source: Roger Harmignies, article in Vexilla Belgica, issue 11, 1987.

Jaume Ollé, 29 July 1999

On a horizontally divided white-blue field, size 25 × 25 cm, the Bavarian greater coat-of-arms.

Marcus Schmöger, 26 January 2001

Znamierowski 1999 shows an incorrect image of this flag with the arms on a white panel.

Santiago Dotor, 16 October 2001


Car Flag of the Head of the Prime Minister's Office, the State's Representative to the Federal Government, the President of the Audit Office and the President of the Bavarian Constitutional Court

Kraftfahrzeugflagge des Leiters der Staatskanzlei, des Bevollmächtigten des Freistaates Bayern beim Bund, des Präsidenten des Obersten Rechnungshofes und des Präsidenten des Bayerischen Verfassungsgerichtshofes

[Car Flag of the Head of the Prime Minister's Office etc. (Bavaria, Germany)] 18:25 18×25cm
by Marcus Schmöger
Flag first adopted 24th July 1964

On a horizontally divided white-blue field, size 18 × 25 cm, the Bavarian greater coat-of-arms shifted to the hoist. Car flag of:

  • the Head of the Bavarian Minister President's Office (Leiter der Staatskanzlei) (1964-present),
  • the State's Representative to the Federal Government (Bevollmächtigter des Freistaates Bayern beim Bund) (1964-present),
  • the President of the Audit Office (Präsident des Obersten Rechnungshofes) (1971-present) and
  • the President of the Bavarian Constitutional Court (Präsident des Bayerischen Verfassungsgerichtshofes) (1964-present).

Marcus Schmöger, 26 January 2001


Car Flag of Other High Authorities

[Car Flag of Other High Authorities (Bavaria, Germany)] 3:5 15×25cm
by Marcus Schmöger
Flag first adopted 24th July 1964

On a horizontally divided white-blue field, size 15 × 25 cm, the Bavarian greater coat-of-arms shifted to the hoist. Currently used as car flag of:

  • the Ministerial Directors (Ministerialdirektoren) (1964-present),
  • the President of the Insurance Chamber (Präsident der Versicherungskammer) (1964-present),
  • the President of the Supreme State Court (Präsident des Oberstes Landesgerichts) (1964-present),
  • the President of the Administrative Court (Präsident des Verwaltungsgerichtshof) (1964-present),
  • the District Presidents (Regierungspräsidenten) (1971-present),
  • the Presidents of the Courts of Appeal (Oberlandesgerichtspräsidenten) (1971-present),
  • the Presidents of the Upper Finance Offices (Oberfinanzpräsidenten) (1971-present),
  • the President of the State Labour Court (Präsident des Landesarbeitsgerichts) (1971-present) and
  • the President of the State Social Court (Präsident des Landessozialgerichts) (1971-present).
Also used as car flag of the President of the Audit Office (Präsident des Obersten Rechnungshofes) from 1964 until 1971).

Marcus Schmöger, 26 January 2001


Car Pennant of Other High Authorities 1953-1971

[Car Pennant of Other High Authorities 1953-1971 (Bavaria, Germany)] 3:5 15×25cm
by Marcus Schmöger
Flag first adopted 16th November 1953, abolished 16th February 1971

Triangular pennant, size 15 × 25 cm, showing on a horizontally divided white-blue field the Bavarian greater coat-of-arms shifted to the hoist. Used as car flag of:

  • the Head of the Bavarian Prime Minister's Office (Leiter der Staatskanzlei) (1953-1964),
  • the State's Representative to the Federal Government (Bevollmächtigter des Freistaates Bayern beim Bund) (1953-1964),
  • the District Presidents (Regierungspräsidenten) (1953-1971),
  • the President of the Bavarian Police (Präsident der Bayerischen Landpolizei) (1953-1971),
  • the President of the Bavarian Border Police (Präsident der Bayerischen Grenzpolizei) (1953-1971),
  • the President of the Bavarian Mobile Police (Präsident der Bayerischen Bereitschaftspolizei) (1953-1971),
  • the Presidents of the Courts of Appeal (Oberlandesgerichtspräsidenten) (1964-1971) and
  • the Presidents of the Upper Finance Offices (Oberfinanzpräsidenten) (1964-1971).

Marcus Schmöger, 26 January 2001

Znamierowski 1999 shows an incorrect image of this flag with the arms on a white panel and a ratio ca. 1:2. It is also incorrectly labelled as the current flag of the chief of the state secretariat.

Santiago Dotor, 16 October 2001


Relative Size of the Car Flags

[Car Flag of the Prime Minister and the Vice Prime Minister (Bavaria, Germany)] 30×30cm     [Car Flag of Ministers and State Secretaries (Bavaria, Germany)] 25×25cm     [Car Flag of the Head of the Prime Minister's Office etc. (Bavaria, Germany)] 18×25cm     [Car Flag of Other High Authorities (Bavaria, Germany)] 15×25cm     [Car Pennant of Other High Authorities 1953-1971 (Bavaria, Germany)] 15×25cm
all five by Marcus Schmöger


Comparative Chart of Car Flags and Dates

Rank 1953-1964 1964-1971 1971-present
Ministerpräsident [Car Flag of the Prime Minister and the Vice Prime Minister (Bavaria, Germany)]
Stellvertretender Ministerpräsident
Minister [Car Flag of Ministers and State Secretaries (Bavaria, Germany)]
Staatssekretäre
Präsident des Obersten Rechnungshofes [Car Flag of Other High Authorities (Bavaria, Germany)] [Car Flag of the Head of the Prime Minister's Office etc. (Bavaria, Germany)]
Präsident des Bayerischen Verfassungsgerichtshofes [Car Flag of the Head of the Prime Minister's Office etc. (Bavaria, Germany)]
Leiter der Staatskanzlei [Car Pennant of Other High Authorities 1953-1971 (Bavaria, Germany)]
Bevollmächtigter des Freistaates Bayern beim Bund
Präsident der Bayerischen Landpolizei [Car Pennant of Other High Authorities 1953-1971 (Bavaria, Germany)]
Präsident der Bayerischen Grenzpolizei
Präsident der Bayerischen Bereitschaftspolizei
Regierungspräsidenten [Car Flag of Other High Authorities (Bavaria, Germany)]
Ministerialdirektoren
Präsident der Versicherungskammer
Präsident des Bayerischen Obersten Landesgerichts
Präsident des Verwaltungsgerichtshofes
Oberlandesgerichtspräsidenten [Car Pennant of Other High Authorities 1953-1971 (Bavaria, Germany)] [Car Flag of Other High Authorities (Bavaria, Germany)]
Oberfinanzpräsidenten
Präsident des Landesarbeitsgerichts
Präsident des Landessozialgerichts
Rank 1953-1964 1964-1971 1971-present