From 1959 until the country's dissolution in 1990, it was charged with the national emblem, consisting of a hammer and compass inside a wreath of wheat, centered on a red background.

While the use of black-red-gold had been suggested in the Soviet zone in 1946, the Second People's Congress in 1948 decided to adopt the old black-white-red[1] tricolour as a national flag for East Germany.

This choice was based on the use of these colours by the National Committee for a Free Germany,[2] a German anti-Nazi organisation that operated in the Soviet Union in the last two years of the war.

In 1949, following a suggestion from Friedrich Ebert Jr., the black-red-gold tricolour was instead selected as the flag of the German Democratic Republic upon the formation of this state on 7 October 1949.

As a compromise, a new flag was used by the United Team of Germany from 1960 to 1964, featuring the black-red-gold tricolour defaced with white Olympic rings in the red stripe.

On the centenary of the Berlin March days in March 1948, the second People's Congress was convened in Berlin, seen as a German People's Council on the reorganization of the entire state in addition to the drafting of a constitution creating a national flag for the state of the German Democratic Republic.

As in Germany, the decision was made in favor of the black, red and gold flag of the Weimar Republic.

[citation needed] As a symbol of the Weimar Republic it was a reminder of an era of weakness, crises, and unemployment.

The Third People's Congress 1949, set up by the Soviet occupation in 1948, brought Mayor of East Berlin Friedrich Ebert yet again, and the proposal for the black-red-gold flag.

It was only on 22 July 1969 ordered the federal government (Grand Coalition), that the police everywhere should take more no action against the use of the flag and coat of arms of the GDR.

Since the situation regarding the recognition of the GDR under international law was complicated as a result of the Hallstein Doctrine, it started to be in 1968 in sporting contests, such as in Olympic Games, teams with athletes from both parts of Germany.