Stralsund Historical Naval Flags 14th-19th Centuries (Germany)

Stralsunds historische Seeflaggen des 14. bis 19. Jahrhunderts

Last modified: 2020-06-02 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: stralsund | sun(radiant) | arrowhead(white) | cross(white) |
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• Introduction of Stralsund
• Early Flags of the Hanseatic City of Stralsund
• Hanging Flags 14th Century
• Stralsund Flüger 1306
• Flag reported 1329
• Top Pennant reported 1329
• 16th Century Flag
• 17th Century Flag
• Flags of the City of Stralsund under Swedish Rule
• Flag with Sun shifted to hoist
• Swallow Tail Pennant with Sun shifted to hoist
• Flag with centred Sun
• Flag reported 1862
• Flags of the City of Stralsund under Prussian Rule
• Flag reported 1815
• White Flag
• White Number Flag reported 1835

See also:

• City of Stralsund (Mecklenburg-Hitherpomerania, Germany)
• Hanseatic Cities (Germany, Latvia, Netherlands, Poland)
• Prussia Historical Flags
• Mecklenburg-Hitherpomerania (Germany)
• Germany

Introduction of Stralsund

Stralsund is a north German city, in the Land Mecklenburg-Westpomerania (population about 76,000). The flag they used [when I travelled there], was red with a white cross and arrowhead. I think I remember having seen this design in old flag charts.
Jan Oskar Engene, 14 May 1996

Early Flags of the Hanseatic City of Stralsund

All flags from this time had the red colour in common and were charged with one or two white arrowheads, sometimes with an additional white cross patty. The positions on flag changed through the centuries.
Source: based on different primary sources (see below) compiled by Erwin Günther: "Wappen und Flaggen der Kreise und Kreisstädte in Pommern", Usti nad Labem, 2000,pp.51-53
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 12 May 2020

Hanging Flags 14th Century

image by Phil Nelson, 20 Feb 2000

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 12 May 2020

Znamierowski 1999 shows several interesting flags of the Port Cities of northern Europe. These are derived from gonfanons, originally red in colour. 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. The oldest of the series, from the mid-13th century, that of Hamburg, was followed among others by Stralsund in the 14th century.
Phil Nelson, 20 Feb 2000

Based on a seal from 1301 there was indeed a red banner with horizontal white arrowhead. (see left image above).
Source: Hans Horstmann: "Vor- und Frühgeschichte des europäischen Flaggenwesens", p.132
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 12 May 2020

Based on a seal from 1329 there was also a red banner two horizontal white arrowheads pointing to hoist. (see right image above).
Source: Hans Horstmann: "Vor- und Frühgeschichte des europäischen Flaggenwesens", p.132
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 12 May 2020

Stralsund Flüger 1306

A plain red pennant with a white arrowhead shifted and pointing to the hoist.
Source: "Die geschichtliche Entwicklung der als deutsche Nationalflaggen auf See gefahrenen und von den seefahrenden Nationen anerkannten deutschen Kriegs- und Handelsflaggen", poster edited by Deutsches Schifffahrtsmuseum Bremerhaven, 1981, based on an original version of Karl Schultz, all flags painted by E. Paschke
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 28 Nov 2005

The German editors of Norie and Hobbs 1971 added two charts (which were not originally in Norie and Hobbs 1848) with German flags that were important over time. One of them is no. 27, Flüger: Stralsund 1306, as the above flag but arrow-head hoistward, and extended horizontally to a long flying flag. I believe a Flüger is a pennant of which the part near the hoist fixed to a piece of wood, and that is indeed how these are pictured in Norie and Hobbs 1971.
Peter Hans van der Muijzenberg, 12 Nov 2001

Flag reported 1329

Based on a seal from 1329 there was a banner with two white two arrowheads in pale pointing to hoist.
Sources:
"Die geschichtliche Entwicklung der als deutsche Nationalflaggen auf See gefahrenen und von den seefahrenden Nationen anerkannten deutschen Kriegs- und Handelsflaggen", poster edited by Deutsches Schifffahrtsmuseum Bremerhaven, 1981, based on an original version of Karl Schultz, all flags painted by E. Paschke
Sources:
1) Hans Horstmann: "Vor- und Frühgeschichte des europäischen Flaggenwesens", p.132
2) Smith 1975, p. 115
3) Norie and Hobbs 1971 added chart inside the frontpage, image no. 21
Jarig Bakker, 30 Mar 1999, Peter Hans van der Muijzenberg, 12 November 2001 and Klaus-Michael Schneider, 15 Oct 2007

Top Pennant reported 1329

Based on the same seal there was also a 3-pointed red pennant on top of the mast with white arrowhead pointing to hoist.
Sources: Hans Horstmann: "Vor- und Frühgeschichte des europäischen Flaggenwesens", p.132 and Dr. Adler: "Wappen und Flagge der Stadt Stralsund" in "Heimatbuch für Stralsund und Franzburg-Barth", 1939, pp.83-84
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 12 May 2020

16th Century Flag

At the end of the 16th century there was a red flag with a white arrowhead pointing to top.
Source: Dr. Adler: "Wappen und Flagge der Stadt Stralsund" in "Heimatbuch für Stralsund und Franzburg-Barth", 1939, pp.83-84
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 12 May 2020

17th Century Flag

At the beginning of the 17th century there was a red flag with a centred white cross patty and a smaller white arrowhead pointing to and being in canton.
Source: Dr. Adler: "Wappen und Flagge der Stadt Stralsund" in "Heimatbuch für Stralsund und Franzburg-Barth", 1939, pp.83-84
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 12 May 2020

Flags of the City of Stralsund under Swedish Rule

The importance of the Hanseatic League declined and the last Hanseatic Day took place in 1669. Sweden had annexed Stralsund before in 1648 by the Treaties of Münster and Osnabrück, which ended the 30-Years-War. Since 1628, the end of the siege of Stralsund by the Catholic Imperial General Wallenstein, actually Albrecht Wenzel Eusebius von Waldstein (1583 1634), in the minds of the inhabitants the meaning of "Stra(h)l" changed from the Slavic word for "arrowhead" to "brilliant, bright, shining". The flags with arrowhead had been replaced bit by bit by flags displaying a radiant sun with face.
According to Erwin Günther the first evidence of a city flag with sun was depicted in 1693 in the nautical atlas Le Neptune François ou Atlas Nouveau des Cartes Marinesà l'usage des armées du roy de la Grande Bretagne. It is one of the most elaborately decorated atlases ever published. Printed in Amsterdam by Pierre Mortier in 1693, this sea atlas reproduced the latest maps of the coast of Western Europe by the French Académie Royale des Sciences. This monumental atlas was made up of three works: "Le neptune François", "Cartes marines a l'usage des armées du Roy de la Grande Bretagne"; and "Suite du Neptune François". The first two parts were first published by Mortier in 1693, the third was issued by him in 1700. But I couldn't find any flag image of Stralsund from that source in the web.
There are a few basic types, nearly all having in common the red flag colour and a golden radiant sun with face on different positions.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 12 May 2020

Flag with Sun shifted to hoist

A red flag/ensign with radiant sun Or with face shifted to hoist is mentioned within sources below.
Sources:
1) "Die geschichtliche Entwicklung der als deutsche Nationalflaggen auf See gefahrenen und von den seefahrenden Nationen anerkannten deutschen Kriegs- und Handelsflaggen", poster edited by Deutsches Schifffahrtsmuseum Bremerhaven, 1981, based on an original version of Karl Schultz, all flags painted by E. Paschke, row 5 column 6 , year given as 1695 - 1815
2) Peter Schenk: "Schouw-park aller Scheeps-Vlaggen des geheelen Water-Waerelds", Amsterdam 1711, row 10 column 2
3) Henri Abraham Chatelain: "Carte de Pavillons Accompagnée d'Observations pour en Faire Compendre le Blazon et les Differentes Devises Aussy Bien Que d'Une Table Alphabetique pour les Trouver Facilement.", Amsterdam eds. 1705 and 1720, row 3 column 10
4) J.S. de Elcano: "Banderas que las Naciones arbolan en la Mar", 1756, row 8 column 9
5) Denis Diderot and Jean-Baptiste le Rond d'Alembert: "Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers" ,ed. 1769 ed.1780, plate XIX, image no.165
Also:
6) ed.1770, plate11.2, image no.597
7) Robert Benard: "Marine Pavillons", Paris 1772 , plate 19 (following), image no.165
8) Robert Benard: "Marine Pavillons", Paris 1787 ,plate 11/2, row 6 column 4, image no. 898
9) J.W. Norie and J.S. Hobbs: "Illustrations of the maritime Flags of all Nations", London 1848, plate X, image no. 123
10) Traugott Bromme: "Handatlas der Geographie und Statistik", Stuttgart 1862; flag chart 2, row 2 column 5
11) Steenbergen: "Vlaggen van alle Natien", Amsterdam 1862, plate 3, image no.83
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 12 May 2020

Swallow Tail Pennant with Sun shifted to hoist

A red swallow tail pennant with radiant sun Or with face shifted to hoist is mentioned within sources below.
Sources:
1a) Christoph Weigel: "Flagen aller seefahrenden Potenzen und Nationen in der gantzen Weldt", Nürnberg 1720 and
1b) Johann Baptist Homann: "Flaggen aller seefahrenden Potenzen und Nationen in der ganzen Welt", Nürnberg 1750 and 1715 (B/W)and
1c) Cornelis Dankerts: "Nieuwe Tafel van al de Zee vaarende Vlagge des Weerelts", Amsterdam 1750, row 6 column 13 (these three are basically the same charts))
2) "Tableau des pavillons Que la Plûspart Arborent a la Mer", 1756, row 9, column 6
3) George Louis Le Rouge: "Les Pavillons des Mer du Monde Nouvellement Corriges", 1756, row 9, column 16
4) Jaques-Nicolas Bellin: "Tableau de Pavillons e Banniéres que la pluspart des Nations arborent à la Mer", 1756, row 9 column 6
5) H. de Leth: "Nieuwe Tafel van alle de Zee-varande VLAGGE des Werelts", 1765, row 9 column 8
6) "Tableau de tous les pavillons que lon arbore sur les vaisseaux Dans les Quatre Parties du Monde ...",Paris 1781, row 5 column 6
7) Matthieu Albert and Goerge Frederic: "Tableau des Tous le pavillons que lon Arbore sur les vaisseaux Dans le Quatre Parties du Monde", Augsburg 1793, row 5 column 6
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 12 May 2020

Flag with centred Sun

A red flag/ensign with centred radiant sun Or with face is mentioned within sources below.
Sources:
1) 1695 copperplate engraving depicted in: T. Rousseau and I. Chevillard: "L'histoire fixée en drapeaux / Geschichte dokumentiert in Flaggentafeln / History captured in flags", Oldenburg and Hamburg 1974
2) E. Åkerlund: "Tabell Öfver Alla Nationers nu brukeliga Flaggor", 1805 Göteborg, row 1 column 6
3) Ruud Siegel: "Die Flagge", Berlin 1912, plate 20 row 4 column 1
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 12 May 2020

Flag reported 1862

There is only one image of a yellow flag with (yellow) radiant sun with face in centre and broad red bordure.
Source: Steenbergen: "Vlaggen van alle Natien", Amsterdam 1862, plate 3, image no.84
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 12 May 2020

Flags of the City of Stralsund under Prussian Rule

When Prussia acquired the city together with the remained Swedish parts of Vorpommern, there were different flags in use, depicting the radiant sun, which were replaced by mere city flags with arrowhead and cross since 1930, officially since 1938
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 12 May 2020

Flag reported 1815

In 1815 the flag remained red but the radiant sun Or with face moved into a white canton.
Source: Dr. Adler: "Wappen und Flagge der Stadt Stralsund" in "Heimatbuch für Stralsund und Franzburg-Barth", 1939, p.84
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 12 May 2020

White Flag

It was however replaced soon by a white flag with black bordures on three edges except hoist, the radiant sun Or with face remained in the canton but surrounded by a red bordure.
Source: Dr. Adler: "Wappen und Flagge der Stadt Stralsund" in "Heimatbuch für Stralsund und Franzburg-Barth", 1939, p.84
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 12 May 2020

White Number Flag reported 1835

There was also reported a white flag with thin horizontal black stripes on top and bottom edge, in white canton a radiant sun Or with face and canton separated from rest by two red edges, shifted to fly and a little to base a black dotted number "33.".
Source: "Flaggen Charte des Verlags E.Sanne", Stettin 1835, row 8 column 8
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 12 May 2020

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