Berlin flag 10 x 15 cm

The flag of Berlin has three stripes of red-white-red, the two outer stripes each occupying a fifth of its height, the middle the remaining three fifths. It is defaced with a bear in the case of the civil flag, and the coat of arms of Berlin on the state flag.

The civil flag of West Berlin was adopted on 26 May 1954. Designed by Ottfried Neubecker, it came was second place in the contest of 1952, the winner being rejected by the Senate. The emblem of the bear is certainly a pun on the city's name (Bär meaning Bear), and there have been suggested that it is a little bear (Bärlein bearing a resemblance to Berlin). The bear, the coat of arms with escutcheon, is aligned slightly to the left. It became the flag of the whole city after the unification of Germany in 1990.

The state flag replaces the bear in the centre of the flag with the full coat of arms, with escutcheon. Being the state flag for West Berlin, it similarly became the flag for unified Berlin in 1990. Previously to that, it had been also a naval ensign on the basis that either German one could not be used. It is in the proportion 3:5.

reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Berlin