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.
List of German flags
The flag with the "Hakenkreuz" and white disc centered was used throughout (1920–45) as the NSDAP party flag (). Between 1933 and 1935, it was used as the national flag () and merchant flag () - interchangeably with the black-white-red horizontal tricolour last used (up to 1918) by the German Empire. In 1935, the black-white-red horizontal tricolour was scrapped again, and the flag with the "off-center" "Hakenkreuz" and disc was instituted as the only national flag (and was to remain as such until 1945). The flag with the centered disc only continued to be used as the "Parteiflagge" after 1935.