Explanation: The symbol of German statehood with the richest traditions is the eagle. Its origins can be traced back to the early years of the Holy Roman Empire. In contrast to the King’s one-headed eagle, the Emperor’s emblem was the double-headed eagle. Introduced in 1433, this remained the emblem of the Emperor and the state until the end of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806.

In the course of the 1848 Revolution, It was decided the double-headed eagle should be the emblem of the new Confederation. This was intended to emphasize the continuities with the state symbolism of the Holy Roman Empire. When the German Empire was proclaimed in 1871, the double-headed eagle was removed due to the associations it implied with the Holy Roman Empire and the Revolution of 1848/49. Instead, the Prussian tradition was drawn on in the shape of the one-headed eagle.

In 1950 an announcement by the Federal President concerning the Federal Coat of Arms and the Federal Eagle adopted the text of Friedrich Ebert’s announcement from 1919 almost word for word and the design of the eagle from the Weimar Republic. As far as the artistic rendition of the eagle was concerned, broad scope was therefore allowed with regard to the appearance.