Germania (personification)

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Germania is the personification of the German Nation or the Germans as whole, most commonly associated with the Romantic Era and the Revolutions of 1848, though the figure was later used by Imperial Germany. She is usually shown wielding Joyeuse, the personal sword of Charlemagne. Additionally, she is sometimes shown as carrying or wearing the Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire. She is often depicted as wearing armor, with long, flowing, reddish-blonde hair, and possesses a medieval-style shield. Sometimes, the shield bears the image of a black eagle on a gold field. In pre-1871 images, she is shown holding the black-red-gold flag of modern Germany, but in post-1871 depictions she is shown holding the black-white-red flag of the German Empire.