Don't burn it, but lets make money

[abaris]

While the black-red-golden color scheme of the current German flag has occurred already back in the middle ages, the choice for the flag is inspired by the uniform colors of the all-German army fighting back Napoleon at the beginning of the 19th century. Germany as a nation state hasn't really existed for that long.

Rather to the Prussian voluntaries and their homemade uniforms. Later on the colors were used by the first half democratic attempt at the parliament at Frankfurt in 1848.