Wismar Historical Flags (Germany)

City and Lordship of Wismar, Stadt und Herrschaft Wismar

Last modified: 2023-07-03 by
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• Hanging Flag 15th Century
• Variants reported 1700 and 1750
• Variant reported 1842, 1848 and 1862
• 20th Century
• Reported c.1960-1985 flag
• Pennants 19th Century
• Hansa city of Wismar 1358
• Streamer 1358
• Wismar Hansa pennant
• Wismar before 1700

• City of Wismar (Hansestadt Wismar, Mecklenburg-West Pomerania)
• Historical Flags (Mecklenburg-West Pomerania)
• Hanseatic Cities
• Germany

Hanging Flag 15th Century

Znamierowski 1999 shows several interesting flags of the Port Cities of northern Europe. These are derived from gonfanons, originally red in color. The flags, in a banner form [i.e. hanging flags], were flown from the stern of the vessels, the mast carrying the gonfanon of the colors. One of the final three that Znamierowski 1999 shows is Wismar in the 15th century.
Phil Nelson, 20 Feb 2000

Variants reported 1700 and 1750

Six-striped red and white.
Norman Martin, 3 Mar 1998

image by Jaume Ollé

Five striped red and white.
Norman Martin, 3 Mar 1998

Variant reported 1842, 1848 and 1862

Six striped white and red.
Norman Martin, 3 Mar 1998

An article by Mattern and Neubecker (in Kleeblatt, sometime later than 1985) says the 6 striped flag is mentioned in correspondence of the Dutch Consul dated 10 September 1834. The article also says the flag is shown in the literature frequently as red and white, but is shown as white and red in "more reliable sources".
Norman Martin, 28 Sep 2000

20th Century

Eleven striped red and white.
Norman Martin, 3 Mar 1998

Reported c.1960-1985 flag

Twelve stripes, white and red, counterstriped near the hoist as in Bremen flags.
Norman Martin, 3 Mar 1998

The same article by Mattern and Neubecker (in Kleeblatt, sometime later than 1985) mentions these two flags, the former with the notation "Flag of Wismar as long (zur lange Zeit) flown; this originally existed as 3 white and 3 red stripes" and the latter with "Flag of Wismar as flown by many Wismar ships during the last 25 years, but never legally recognized". Presumably the 25 year reference would mean that its use has been noted starting the 1960s. I cannot think of any historical or political reason why a Bremen-like flag would start being used in the middle of the DDR period.
Norman Martin, 28 Sep 2000

Pennants 19th Century

image by Jorge Candeias

Wismar: pennants in XIX century ships.
Jaume Ollé, 13 Jun 1998

Hansa city of Wismar 1358

Wismar 1358: I found in Schabbelhaus museum a painting of Paul Wallat, made 1907. It shows the capture of Danish pirate Peter Derne on 2 July 1358.
The painting shows a Wismarian battleship with the flag hoisted upon the stern and a small rowing boat, following the battleship with flag topped by a streamer stuck upon the stern.
Flag 1358: It is a 7-stripes flag with alternating horizontal white and red stripes and a small stripe at the hoist in inverted colours.
Streamer: It is a yellow streamer with a black Latin cross at the hoist.
Source: photo taken on 22 August 2008 in Schabbelhaus museum, Wismar
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Mar 2009

Streamer 1358

Streamer: It is a yellow streamer with a black Latin cross at the hoist.
Source: photo taken on 22 August 2008 in Schabbelhaus museum, Wismar
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Mar 2009

Wismar Hansa pennant

Hansa pennant: It is a horizontal 4-stripes white over red over white over red pennant. According to Paschke I'll date the flag before 1700. I believe in the existence of that pennant, because it occurs in the current coat of arms, which is based on an old seal and according to Paschke there existed an equal flag version before 1700. I could see variants of that pennant in various places in the city, being e.g. part of a company flag and depicted on the Wassertor and the old school-building.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 9 Jan 2007

Wismar before 1700

Wismar before 1700: The flag has 4 equal horizontal stripes. The stripes are white(FIAV-code W) over red over white over red. There also existed an equal pennant, which can be seen on the seal of the city. (ed.note: pennant already published on FOTW-page about Wismar)
Source: Poster entitled: "Die geschichtliche Entwicklung der als deutsche Nationalflaggen auf See gefahrenen und von den seefahrenden Nationen anerkannten deutschen Kriegs- und Handelsflaggen", engl: "The historical evolution of those German national flags used on ships and recognized as German war flags or merchant flags by the naval nations", edited by Deutsches Schifffahrtsmuseum Bremerhaven, 1981, based on an original version of Kapitän zur See a.D. Karl SCHULTZ, all flags on the poster are painted by E. PASCHKE.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 15 Oct 2007