Hamburger & Germania (German rowing club)

Der Hamburger und Germania Ruderclub

Last modified: 2026-02-06 by german editorial team
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• Der Hamburger und Germania Ruderclub
• Flag
• Blade
• Der Hamburger Ruderclub
• Germania-Ruderclub
• Germania-Ruderclub

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Der Hamburger und Germania Ruderclub

Name: Der Hamburger und Germania Ruderclub
Located in: Hamburg
Established: 16 July 1836.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 16 May 2006

Flag

It is a plain white flag. In the centre of the flag is a closed blue belt, yellow edged, with an inscription of yellow capital letters: "DER HAMBURGER UND GERMANIA RUDER-CLUB". In the centre of the belt is a yellow edged red shield bordered yellow with a white Hamburg-castle, superimposed by a pair of crossed yellow oars.
Source: Rudersportalmanach 1977 For further information click: club webpage.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 16 May 2006

Blade

It is a white blade with a vertical ribbon divided four times horizontally into black and red. The red stripes are clearly broader. White was the colour of former Der Hamburger Ruder-Club, while red and black had been the colours of former rowing club . Source: club webpage
Klaus-Michael Schneider 15 Dec 2008

Together with the Leander Boat Club Henley (U.K.) the club was said to be the second oldest rowing club in the world. Der Hamburger Ruder Club was established in July 1836, the Germania Ruder Club was established in April 1853. Both clubs merged in 1934, forming the Der Hamburger und Germania Ruder Club.

Der Hamburger Ruderclub

It was a plain white flag. In the centre of the flag is a closed blue belt, edged by a yellow rope, with an inscription of yellow capital letters: "DER HAMBURGER RUDER-CLUB". In the centre of the belt is a modified coat of arms of the city of Hamburg, the castle is superimposed by a pair of crossed yellow oars.
Source: own photo 2006
Klaus-Michael Schneider 26 Dec 2008

Germania-Ruderclub

Flag

The flag was red charged with a black double-headed eagle armed golden under a golden impending imperial crown.
Source: Wassersport (weekly) 1888, no.19, p.204
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 5 Jan 2026

Streamer

The streamer had the same pattern and was a swallow tail pennant.
Source: club webpage
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 5 Jan 2026

Ceremonial Flag 1901

Very first flag of Germania-Ruderclub in Hamburg.
Unfortunately it is not, as I promised, the very first flag of a rowing club in Germany, for the Germania-Ruder-Club was that part of Der Hamburger und Germania Ruder Club, which was established later.
It is a square flag. Its basic colour might have been purple but today it looks like a dim rose. In the centre of the flag is a two-headed black eagle armed golden. He holds an imperial globe in his sinister claw and a golden sceptre and a black cord in his dexter claw. The eagle wears a bendy divided inescutcheon upon its breast. The colours are black, red and yellow from sinister to dexter. The inescutcheon has a narrow yellow border. The whole is topped by a crown.
You can see this flag in the boat-house of Der Hamburger und Germania Ruder Club in Hamburg. Below the flag there is a small copperplate with the following engraving:
My translation: "First flag of the GRV, handmade by the ladies Auguste Fülleber, Madeleine Witt, Georgine Delaval and Auguste Lorenzen, and handed over on 28 August 1853  on the occasion of the 1st Alster rowing race, in which the GRV took part."
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 22 Apr 2006

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