Question

Meanings of the symbols

Attribute	Significance
Broken chains	Being freed
Breastplate with eagle	Symbol of the German empire – strength
Crown of oak leaves	Heroism
Sword	Readiness to fight
Olive branch around the sword	Willingness to make peace
Black, red and gold tricolour	Flag of the liberal-nationalists in 1848, banned by the Dukes of the German states
Rays of the rising sun	Beginning of a new era

With the help of the chart in the box, identify the attributes of Veit’s Germania and interpret the symbolic meaning of the painting. In an earlier allegorical rendering of 1836, Veit had portrayed the Kaiser’s crown at the place where he has now located the broken chain. Explain the significance of this change.

Answer 1

Germania was an allegory of the German nation. In visual representations, Germania wears an oak leaf crown, as the German oak represents heroism. She is holding a sword and an olive branch, showing both her readiness to battle and her willingness to make peace. The broken chain represents freedom, the breastplate with the eagle represents the might of the German Empire, and the black, red, and gold tricolour was the liberal-nationalist banner in 1848, which was banned by the Dukes of the German states. The rays of the rising sun behind Germania represent the start of a new era. In a previous allegorical rendering from 1836, Veit depicted the Kaiser’s crown, where he now finds the broken chain. This development indicates that the German country is now free of despotic monarchical authority.