A Nazi flag that sat for decades in a Polish museum’s storeroom has been identified as Adolf Hitler’s personal banner.
Thought to be the only such object in the world, the flag had been kept in a storage space belonging to the National Museum in Poznań inside the City Hall.
Measuring one meter by one meter, the flag was identified by art historian Dr. Aleksandra Paradowska while she trawled the region for artefacts for an exhibition about life under German occupation.
While the flag’s existence was no secret, for years it was believed to have belonged to the district’s Nazi governor, Arthur Greiser, and had been modestly labeled as being nothing more than a ‘German banner from the Second World War.’
Speaking to TVN, Paradowska said: “The banner is in perfect condition, maybe only a few threads are frayed.
Measuring one meter by one meter, the flag was identified by art historian Dr. Aleksandra Paradowska while she trawled the region for artefacts for an exhibition about life under German occupation.
While the flag’s existence was no secret, for years it was believed to have belonged to the district’s Nazi governor, Arthur Greiser, and had been modestly labeled as being nothing more than a ‘German banner from the Second World War.’
Speaking to TVN, Paradowska said: “The banner is in perfect condition, maybe only a few threads are frayed.
Do niedawna uważano, że nie zachował się ani jeden sztandar Führera. Te, które sporadycznie wypływały na aukcjach, to zapewne fałszywki. Odkryty w Poznaniu jest unikatem na skalę światową. Tak jak unikalny jest ból głowy, o który przyprawia on muzealników.https://t.co/EpUDqyFPEF
— Beata Biel (@beatabiel) December 4, 2024
“When I saw it for the first time, I was struck by the quality of the materials used. Velvet, silk, gold threads, all of which strongly indicated that we were dealing with an object intended for an important person and an important place.”
Initially, Paradowska suspected that the banner had belonged to Heinrich Himmler, who gave two wartime speeches in the city’s Imperial Castle.
After this theory was dispelled, the historian used archival photos to identify it as Hitler’s.
Paradowska said: “Modern historians have the comfort that many old photos and documents have been digitized.
“What would have required deep knowledge of vexillology or tedious research a few decades ago, is today done much faster.
“A few clicks were enough for me to find comparative material and determine who the banner belonged to.”
Initially, Paradowska suspected that the banner had belonged to Heinrich Himmler, who gave two wartime speeches in the city’s Imperial Castle.
After this theory was dispelled, the historian used archival photos to identify it as Hitler’s.
Paradowska said: “Modern historians have the comfort that many old photos and documents have been digitized.
“What would have required deep knowledge of vexillology or tedious research a few decades ago, is today done much faster.
“A few clicks were enough for me to find comparative material and determine who the banner belonged to.”
Featuring a swastika at its center, and four eagles set in its corners, the banner was displayed whenever Hitler appeared in public to denote his presence and would often have been held aloft by a standard bearer.
While several such banners were produced, researchers believed none of the larger flags had survived.
In the case of the Poznań banner, the item was hidden during the German retreat above the stage of the city’s opera house.
While the building was later used by the Red Army’s Major General Afanasy Shemenkov as his base, the object was not discovered until the 1960s.
While several such banners were produced, researchers believed none of the larger flags had survived.
In the case of the Poznań banner, the item was hidden during the German retreat above the stage of the city’s opera house.
While the building was later used by the Red Army’s Major General Afanasy Shemenkov as his base, the object was not discovered until the 1960s.
Quite why the flag was originally hidden in the opera house remains unexplained, though Paradowska theorizes it had been kept there in case Hitler visited the city and attended a performance.
“The materials [of the flag] were not suitable for outdoor display, so we are certain that if Hitler had visited the opera, the banner would have been hung on the parapet of the honorary box, which had already been rebuilt and enlarged with Hitler in mind,” she said.
Handed over to the National Museum in Poznań in 1970, for the next few decades the flag was left in storage and only occasionally brought out for display.
“The materials [of the flag] were not suitable for outdoor display, so we are certain that if Hitler had visited the opera, the banner would have been hung on the parapet of the honorary box, which had already been rebuilt and enlarged with Hitler in mind,” she said.
Handed over to the National Museum in Poznań in 1970, for the next few decades the flag was left in storage and only occasionally brought out for display.
However, despite its historical value, there are no plans to present it to the public. Talking to the Polish Press Agency (PAP), the museum’s Paweł Oses said: “Like other items from City Hall, which is undergoing renovation, the banner will be placed in a warehouse in Rogalin and will not most likely leave the warehouse anytime soon—we are not planning to conduct any further research on it or to display it.”
He added: “The fact that this may be the only such banner in the world does not particularly fill us with pride.”
Neither will the flag appear at Paradowska’s exhibition, which is currently taking place in Poznań’s Imperial Castle, a building that was significantly remodeled by Hitler’s favorite architect, Albert Speer, to serve as one of the Fuhrer’s future residences.
“An object so strongly associated with Hitler could become an object of neo-Nazi worship,” City Hall’s Magdalena Mrugalska-Banaszak told PAP. “Therefore, any exhibition in which it is presented should be very well thought-out.”
He added: “The fact that this may be the only such banner in the world does not particularly fill us with pride.”
Neither will the flag appear at Paradowska’s exhibition, which is currently taking place in Poznań’s Imperial Castle, a building that was significantly remodeled by Hitler’s favorite architect, Albert Speer, to serve as one of the Fuhrer’s future residences.
“An object so strongly associated with Hitler could become an object of neo-Nazi worship,” City Hall’s Magdalena Mrugalska-Banaszak told PAP. “Therefore, any exhibition in which it is presented should be very well thought-out.”
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