Flag of Schleswig-Holstein (Prussian Province)

Schleswig-Holstein became Prussian after two wars had been fought over the duchies: in 1864 Prussia and Austria took them from Denmark, and in 1866 Prussia prevailed against its former ally. In 1867 Schleswig, Holstein and — added in 1876 — Lauenburg were formed into the Province of Schleswig-Holstein. The provincial administration first sat in the town of Schleswig and later in Kiel, which grew into the largest city of the region with its imperial naval base and shipyards; the Kiel Canal opened in 1895. After the plebiscite of 1920 North Schleswig passed to Denmark, while the Danish minority south of the new border remained. In 1946 the province became the state of Schleswig-Holstein.

Meaning

The flag shows three horizontal bands: blue, white, red. The colours come from the arms of the two duchies — blue from Schleswig's two lions, white and red from Holstein's silver nettle leaf on a red field. As blue-white-red they became, in the rising of 1848, the sign of the movement that wanted Schleswig and Holstein held together and released from Denmark; the Prussian province later carried them on. The flag itself bears no device, only the three bands. Depictions do exist with the armorial shield on the stripes; that was not the official version of the provincial flag — lions and nettle leaf belong to the coat of arms, from which only the colours were taken here.