The Nazi Eagles of Berlin

Reichsadler. The word (unfairly) conjures up images of a Nazi Eagle and the Third Reich. Yet the Eagle as a symbol of Power has existed in the Germanic Realm for centuries. The Reichsadler (the Imperial Eagle) made its first Heraldic Appearance on the Banner of the Holy Roman Empire under Karl dem Großen aka Charlemagne. From that point on his various successors – as well as the Imperial Cities attributed their flags with the Reichsadler.

The Reichsadler – From Teutonic Order to the German Empire

The privilege to use the Reichsadler wasn’t solely bestowed on the Reichsstädte (the Imperial Cities). The Teutonic Order – granted by Emperor Frederick II. – was allowed the privilege of using the Reichsadler in their Coat of Arms. When the Teutonic Order was transformed into the Duchy of Prussia in 1525, it took over its Heraldic symbols.

The German Reichsadler survived throughout the turbulent years of the Holy Roman Empire (of Germanic Nations) until it was dissolved in 1806. The empire didn’t survive Napoleons victory, but the Reichsadler did. It wasn’t until 1848 when the German States revolted and were seeking national unity, that the Imperial Eagle became a prominent symbol again.

20 years later, thanks to Bismarcks “Kleindeutsch Lösung” (unifying the Kingdom of Prussia with the Northern German States) the Prussian Reichsadler became the Heraldic Symbol of the German Empire in 1871. After facing defeat in WWI and mounting social and political pressure, the German Emperor abdicated in 1918 and the Empire transformed into the Weimar Republic (yet still officially being called Deutsches Reich).

Interestingly enough, the variations of the Prussian flag can be found on the facade of a building (whose original purpose is yet to be revealed to me) dating back to the mid to late 1930s. A minor detail worth pointing out is that it seems like the last eagle might be holding the sword and the scepter in the wrong talons.

A new Reichsadler for the Weimar Republic

To reflect this Political Shift, the Flag and Coat of arms were changed, adopting the German tricolor which had been created by the Frankfurt Constitution in 1849. Picking up where the Frankfurt Constitution left off, Emil Doepler designed a new German Crest creating a modernised Reichsadler (cutting off one of the two heads) and changing the colors to match German Tricolor. Freidrich Ebert, President of the German Reich declared the design to be the Official Coat of Arms on the 12th of November 1919.

In 1926, a new Coat of Arms was created by the graphic designer Karl-Tobias Schwab. This Reichswappen replaced the previous version by Doepler in 1928. If you’re beginning to think – “wow, that looks a lot like todays Bundesadler!” – you’re right, because it is! Doepler’s design became the Reichsschild which was used from then on as the pennant for government vehicles.

Two eagles for the Nazis

After the Nazis were elected into power in 1933, the Prussian Reichsadler received the Swastika as an addendum. The Nazi Party had their own version of the Reichsadler, the “Parteiadler”, which was more prominently displayed throughout the years. In 1935, one year after Adolf Hitler’s coronation as Führer – the Nazi Party declared the stylised version of the Parteiadler as the new Reichsadler.

In the beginning, there wasn’t a unified or regulated style for the Reichsadler. Dozens of different versions, even within the same Departments and Ministries appeared. To ensure the full control of its symbols, the NSDAP enacted the “gleichschaltung der symbole” in 1936. This officially regulated how the Reichsadler appeared, and anyone who wished to use the Eagle with the Swastika now had to apply for permission. This meant that:

The notable exception to the rule was the Wehrmacht. All Eagles of the Wehrmacht, “out of solidarity to the NSDAP” were allowed to keep facing Right, though with the stipulation that the eagle had to be perched on a wreath and its wings spread. Or so the myth goes.

The most popular myth as to why the “Parteiadler” faces to the Right – is because it apparently represents the “back” of the Reichsadler, cementing the hegemony of Party and State. Despite the “gleichschaltung der symbole” in 1936, various styles of the Eagle kept on appearing until 1944.

From Reichsadler to Bundesadler

With the collapse of yet another German Reich, all (affiliated) symbols of the Nazi Party and Third Reich were declared illegal. With the creation of (West) Germany, the German state adopted the Flag used during the Weimar Republic. In 1950, President Theodor Heuss officially reinstated the Weimarer Reichsadler, now titled Bundesadler, to create an ideological connection to the values of the Weimar Republic – and to prevent East Germany from laying any claim to it. Along with the Flag, the Eagle designed by Schwab and the eagle designed by Doepler was carried over to the newly founded Bundesrepublik.

Wandering through Berlin, you are constantly reminded of its history. Regardless if you stroll through the Royal Charlottenburg, the Industrial Reinickendorf, or the Hipster Mitte, if you pay close enough attention you will always find a trace of Germanys Imperial Past. Reichsadler can be found everywhere, but most of them date back to the 19th Century.

By off-chance I wandered past the Finanzamt (Tax Office) in Charlottenburg and had to do a double take. Right above the door was a massive Reichsadler. One from the Third Reich. The Swastika had been removed and subtly replaced with a house number. Practical Germans.

This piqued my interest, I was curious to see how many “Nazi Eagles” were left in Berlin. After scouring the city for several weeks I’ve compiled a (what I believe to be far from complete) list of the remaining Reichsadler of the Third Reich in Berlin. It is very interesting to note that all the Eagles I’ve discovered so far have been located in what was once West-Berlin. Seems like the Western Allies had less of a problem with the rather obvious remnants of the Third Reich. Check out the Map at the bottom of the Article to see where they are located.

All newly added eagles will always be added to the bottom of the list.

As our list of Nazi Eagles outside of Berlin, specifically in Brandenburg is steadily growing, we’ve decided to decouple them from this list, and give them their own separate article: The Nazi Eagles of Brandenburg. We have done the same thing for the Nazi Eagles that we’ve found in Hamburg as well as Cologne. To keep things simple, we have added their locations into the same map as the Nazi Eagles in Berlin.

Nazi Eagles FAQ

Disclaimer

Which eagle is which

The Nazi Eagles of Berlin

32 locations · new finds are added to the end of the list

Remaining Swastikas in Berlin

While finding Reichsadler is comparatively “easy” in Berlin – spotting Swastikas is thankfully a far more difficult task. I’d wager and say that 99% of Swastikas dating back to the Third Reich have been removed or defaced (Note: Not every swastika found in Berlin is a “Nazi Swastika”) – though every now and then one seems to catch the public’s attention. We’ve decided to add the ones that we’ve found at the bottom of this article as more often than not, we tend to find the eagles and swastikas in pairs.

Nazi Eagles | Reichsadler Location Map

We’ve created this map to help those of you who are interested in finding/looking at some of these Nazi Eagles in Berlin for yourself. If you are interested in the other Nazi Eagle locations that we’ve collected, feel free to check out the map at the bottom of these articles: Brandenburg | Hamburg | Cologne | Nuremberg | Munich