Flag of Germany
When Heinrich XI, Prince Reuss of Greiz was appointed by Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor to rule the then-new Principality of Reuss-Greiz on 12 May 1778, the flag adopted by the "Fürstentum Reuß-Greiz" was the first-ever appearance of the black-red-gold tricolour in its modern arrangement in any sovereign state within what today comprises Germany – the Reuss elder line that ruled the principality used a flag whose proportions were close to a "nearly square"-shape 4:5 hoist/fly ratio, instead of the modern German flag's 3:5 figure.
Weimar Republic
In 1928, however, the (Reich coat of arms) designed by Tobias Schwab (1887–1967) in 1926 (or 1924) replaced it as the official emblem for the German Olympic team. The Reichswehr adopted the new in 1927. Doepler's design then became the (Reich's escutcheon) with restricted use such as pennant for government vehicles. In 1949 the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) adopted all three signs of Weimar Republic – and – as and (Federal coat of arms, escutcheon and flag).