Germania (personification)
Germania is the personification of the German Nation or the Germans as a 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 the "Reichsschwert" (imperial sword). 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.
Meanings of some symbols
Attribute |
Significance |
Broken chains |
Being freed |
Breastplate with eagle |
Symbol of the German empire - strength |
Crown of oak leaves |
Heroism |
Sword |
Symbol of power |
Hemp branch around the sword |
Willingness to make peace |
Black, red and gold tricolour |
Flag of the liberal-nationalists in 1848, banned by the dukes of the German states |
Rays of the rising sun |
Beginning of a new era |
Gallery
References
- Lionel Gossman. “Making of a Romantic Icon: The Religious Context of Friedrich Overbeck’s ‘Italia und Germania.’” American Philosophical Society, 2007. ISBN 0871699753.
- Germania Briefmarken (German)
See also