Editing Flag of Germany (section)

=== Government flag ===
[[File:State flag of Germany.jpg|thumb|left|{{lang|de|Bundesdienstflagge}} at the [[German Embassy, Canberra]], Australia]]
The [[government flag]] of Germany is officially known as the {{lang|de|Dienstflagge der Bundesbehörden}} (state flag of the federal authorities) or {{lang|de|Bundesdienstflagge}} for short. It was introduced in 1950. It is the civil flag [[defacement (flag)|defaced]] with the {{lang|de|Bundesschild}} ("Federal Shield"), which overlaps with up to one fifth of the black and gold bands.<ref name="flag1950"/> The {{lang|de|Bundesschild}} is a variant of the [[coat of arms of Germany]], whose main differences are the illustration of the eagle and the shape of the shield: the {{lang|de|Bundesschild}} is rounded at the base, whereas the standard coat of arms is pointed.

The government flag may only be used by federal government authorities and its use by others is an offence, punishable with a fine.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bundesrecht.juris.de/owig_1968/__124.html |title=§ 124 OWiG: Benutzen von Wappen oder Dienstflaggen |author=Federal Government of Germany |language=de |trans-title=Administrative Offences Act § 124: Use of crest or official flags |date=24 May 1968 |access-date=24 February 2008 |archive-date=23 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110623203849/http://bundesrecht.juris.de/owig_1968/__124.html |url-status=live }}</ref> However, public use of flags similar to the {{lang|de|Bundesdienstflagge}} (e.g. using the actual coat of arms instead of the {{lang|de|Bundesschild}}) is tolerated, and such flags are sometimes seen at international sporting events.
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Not all federal authorities use the state flag. Some of the highest federal authorities—the [[Bundestag]], the [[Bundesrat of Germany|Bundesrat]], the [[Bundesversammlung (Germany)|Bundesversammlung]], the [[Chancellor of Germany (Federal Republic)|Chancellery]], and the [[Federal Constitutional Court of Germany|Constitutional Court]]—use the national flag. -->
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