Editing Flag of Germany (section)

=== Vertical flags ===
[[File:Flag of Germany (Hanging).svg|thumb|left|upright=0.25|{{FIAV|Vertical exclusive}} Civil banner]]
[[File:Flag of Germany (Hanging state flag).svg|thumb|upright=0.25|{{FIAV|Vertical exclusive}} Government banner]]
In addition to the normal horizontal format, many public buildings in [[Germany]] use [[vertical flag]]s. Most town halls fly their town flag together with the national flag (and usually the flag of the state they are in and the flag of the [[European Union]]) in this way; many town flags in Germany exist only in vertical form.{{cn|date=September 2024}} The proportions of these vertical flags are not specified<!-- (commented out until supporting evidence can be found), although a ratio of 5:2 is the most common-->. In 1996, a layout for the vertical version of the government flag was established, that coincidentally matched the pattern of the "conventional" black-red-gold flag of the [[Principality of Reuss-Gera]] ({{lang|de|Fürstentum Reuß-Gera}}) from 1806 to 1918: the {{lang|de|Bundesschild}} is displayed in the centre of the flag, overlapping with up to one fifth of the black and gold bands.<ref name="flag1996">{{cite web |author=Federal Government of Germany |url=http://bundesrecht.juris.de/flaggano_1996/BJNR172900996.html |title=Anordnung über die deutschen Flaggen |work=Gesetze im Internet |language=de |trans-title=Arrangement of the German Flag |date=13 November 1996 |access-date=26 February 2008 |archive-date=13 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100613050933/http://bundesrecht.juris.de/flaggano_1996/BJNR172900996.html |url-status=live }}</ref> When hung like a banner or draped, the black band should be on the left, as illustrated. When flown from a vertical flagpole, the black band must face the staff.<ref name="hangingflag">{{cite web |url=https://www.fotw.info/flags/de_hoist.html |title=Flag hoisting formats and terminology (Germany, Austria, and adjacent countries) |work=[[Flags of the World (website)|Flags of the World]] |date=26 October 2001 |access-date=24 February 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080209123942/https://www.fotw.info/flags/de_hoist.html |archive-date=9 February 2008}}</ref> The only type of vertical flag that can be flown under the Federal Government Decree is a banner. Flags in vertical format, vertical flags with outrigger and hanging flags are not permitted.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.protokoll-inland.de/Webs/PI/EN/flag-displays/general-information/types/types-node.html | title=Kinds of flags | access-date=15 October 2022 | archive-date=15 October 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221015233956/https://www.protokoll-inland.de/Webs/PI/EN/flag-displays/general-information/types/types-node.html | url-status=live }}</ref>