Behold the Reichsadler Sculpture. It stands as a powerful symbol, its history deeply entwined with Germany’s past.
The Reichsadler, or Imperial Eagle, has ancient roots. It evolved from the Roman eagle standard. This emblem was first used by Holy Roman Emperors. Later, it was adopted by Austrian Emperors and now appears in the coat of arms of both Austria and Germany. Interestingly, the same design continues to be used by the Federal Republic of Germany since 1950. Today, it’s known as the Bundesadler or Federal Eagle.
Let’s journey back to the Holy Roman Empire. The Reichsadler emerged from a proto-heraldic emblem. People believed Charlemagne used it. He was the first Frankish ruler crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 800 AD. The emblem itself came from the Aquila. That was the eagle standard of the ancient Roman army.
Imagine an eagle statue atop Charlemagne’s Carolingian palace. Picture Emperor Otto III placing an eagle on his orb. Emperor Frederick Barbarossa popularized the eagle as an imperial symbol. He used it on banners, coats of arms, coins, and insignia.
Before the mid-13th century, the Imperial Eagle stood alone. It wasn’t yet part of a heraldic coat of arms. But an early depiction of a double-headed Imperial Eagle exists. It’s in Matthew Paris’s Chronica Majora around 1250. Segar’s Roll, around 1280, also shows the double-headed Imperial Eagle. It appears as the coat of arms for the King of Germany.
Free Imperial cities also used the Imperial Eagle. Cities like Kaiserswerth, Lubeck, and Cheb displayed it on their seals. The Imperial Eagle’s use in the Imperial coat of arms dates back to after the interregnum. Sigismund of Luxembourg used a black double-headed Imperial Eagle after his coronation in 1433. Afterward, a single-headed eagle represented the King of the Romans. The double-headed eagle symbolized the Emperor.
The Teutonic Order, under Hermann von Salza, gained a special privilege. Emperor Frederick II allowed them to display the Imperial Eagle. This black Imperial Eagle was later adopted by the Duchy of Prussia in 1525. A modified version appeared in the arms of Royal Prussia from 1466 to 1772.
In 1804, Holy Roman Emperor Francis II created the Austrian Empire. He adopted the double-headed eagle as its coat of arms. The Holy Roman Empire dissolved in 1806. Since 1919, Austria’s coat of arms features a single-headed eagle. The Reichsadler evoked loyalty to the empire.
After the German revolutions of 1848, the Reichsadler returned. It symbolized national unity. It became the coat of arms of the short-lived German Empire. Later it was the German Confederation’s symbol from 1850 to 1866. In 1871, it was restored again. A single-headed eagle with a Prussian shield became the insignia of the German Empire. The single head represented “Kleindeutschland,” excluding Austria. The Weimar Republic adopted a plain Reichsadler after World War I. This version remained until 1935.
During Nazi rule, Hitler made a stylized eagle with a swastika the national emblem in 1935. This Nazi-era version is commonly associated with the term “Reichsadler”. The Nazi Party used a similar symbol, the Parteiadler. The Reichsadler faces its right shoulder. The Parteiadler faces its left shoulder.
After World War II, West Germany re-implemented the Weimar Republic’s eagle in 1950. The Reichsadler stands as a testament to Germany’s complex and evolving identity. It reflects centuries of imperial power, national aspirations, and ultimately, democratic renewal.