Today, the German flag has tri-colored black, red and gold stripes. These colors and the current design were first used in 1848, when all of the feudal states in Germany first united. However, during the reign of Bismarck, the flag was not used. The flag was reinstated in 1919, as the flag of the Weimar Republic and lasted until another turning point when Hitler and the Nazi’s took control of Germany. After World War II, the flag was again reinstated as the national flag in 1949. It was used for both West and East Germany. However, in 1959, Eastern Germany added a coat of arms to the over the tri-colored stripes. The origin of the colors used in the flag date back to the German troops that served in Napoleon’s army. Many people mistakenly claim that the gold color is in fact yellow. However, according to the German constitution, the color is defined specifically as gold.