Vintage East German flag?

[Andi]

I have been searching for place to ask about this, I've got this antique/vintage East German flag.
It has a lot of character, it's center looks as if it has been cut out and then re-sewn back in. It's in good shape, but it has some faint smudges of dirt on it in some places. I'm not sure what type of material it's made of, it looks silky/nylon and has a sheen to it. The center is more shiny. It has really heavy duty hems/seams. I can take a picture and try to post it...

I was just wondering if it had any value as a collectors item? Are these flags extremely common?

I was thinking of maybe donating it where people would see it or maybe even displaying it somewhere myself...I really didn't want to store it away, but really what else is there to do with it? It would look pretty out of place hanging up in my house.

Thanks!

[coasterville]

As I recall, when East Germany and West Germany re-unified, it was common for people to cut the insignia out of the center of the two countries flags, but especially the East German flag. (That's really the only difference between the two, and the common German flag today is plain with no insignia.

So, it would appear that maybe yours got the cut out job, like so many others, then perhaps somebody thought else-wise of it and decided to repair it?

As for value and collectability, I have no idea.

As an aside - I was just looking at some beer steins my mom brought back from Germany in the 1980's - interesting historical note to see inscribed in the base that they were made in West Germany.

[NAVA1974]

Your flag sounds like a period East German national flag. The modern repros are totally printed on polyester. The East Germans tended to sew the emblem in the center separately. If it looks like the emblem was sewn crudely it may be just the lack of quality control. I doubt that anyone would be able to cut the seal out so carefully that they could sew it back into the same hole.


The value of the flag would be anywhere from $15 to $35, in my opinion. If an antiques dealer were to offer it for sale they would likely charge $50 to $100 as being a "rare relic from the cold war." These flags were never "rare" and never will be. The propagandists made sure that plenty were available.

You can buy one right now off eBay for about US$26:
VINTAGE LARGE EAST GERMAN COMMUNIST ARMY FLAG 6'3"x4'2" | eBay

Nick A
Columbia MD

[Andi]

Thank you for the information on the flags history!

The quality control with the center emblem had crossed my mind, the sewing is really crude.
It just it seemed as if the emblem was actually sewn back-to-back over a hole, to feel it. There are two thinner layers of fabric that can be pulled apart where the emblem is while the rest of the flag is solid fabric. I was like, why would they make a flag with a hole in the center just to sew the emblem in, why not just sew it on to the flag.... is this what they did?

If you don't mind me asking here, what do people who collect flags generally do with them? Do they put them out on display somehow, or is that considered disrespectful? I like this flag but I don't really know what to do with it. I really don't want to just put it in storage again.

I may end up trying to donate it, we have a German historical society and a war museum, and I don't recall seeing any East German flags there (of course that may just mean they don't want them lol).

Here's two pictures that kind of show the fabric texture and the sewing...

[NAVA1974]

Thank you for the information on the flags history!

Glad to help.

The quality control with the center emblem had crossed my mind, the sewing is really crude. It just it seemed as if the emblem was actually sewn back-to-back over a hole, to feel it. There are two thinner layers of fabric that can be pulled apart where the emblem is while the rest of the flag is solid fabric. I was like, why would they make a flag with a hole in the center just to sew the emblem in, why not just sew it on to the flag.... is this what they did?

Sorry, but are there three layers of fabric in the center where the seal is? From your description it sounds like just two layers - the seal printed correctly showing on both sides of the flag with no fabric from the body of the flag between those two seals. That would be unlike most flag manufacturing worldwide. Typically the seal is printed on one piece of fabric and it can be seen on both sides. That seal is sewn into a whole in the flag. Another method is sewing two identical seals, one on each side of the flag so that it appears correct on both sides of the flag. The flag of Washington State is supposed to be done this way.

If you don't mind me asking here, what do people who collect flags generally do with them? Do they put them out on display somehow, or is that considered disrespectful? I like this flag but I don't really know what to do with it. I really don't want to just put it in storage again.

This is the fun part. It is only limited by your imagination. Fly it from a pole in front of your house - hang it on a wall - photograph it and post it to a web site for historical reference (This is what I have done to a few hundred of my flags: Flickr: nicka21045's Photostream ) use it in presentations to school children - etc., etc.

I may end up trying to donate it, we have a German historical society and a war museum, and I don't recall seeing any East German flags there (of course that may just mean they don't want them lol).

I think donating it to a historical society would be a good idea if they do not already have a DDR flag. (If they do have one, they will probably just deaccess your flag somday for whatever $$$ it will bring them. You might as well sell it on ebay.)

Nick A
Columbia Maryland

[Andi]

I would have sworn it was two layers of fabric over a hole, but after handling it some more I felt the seams of the tricolor bars through the fabric of the emblem. So it is three layers.

I ended up hanging it up on my wall (I admit I have wanted to do that all along lol). It has no metal rimed holes to put it up on a flag pole, it looks like you are supposed to run a pole through the top and let it hang down like a curtain.

Thanks for all the help.