The Reichsadler (German pronunciation: [ˈra͜içs|aːdlɐ]; "Imperial Eagle") is the heraldic eagle, derived from the Roman eagle standard, used by the Holy Roman Emperors, later by the Emperors of Austria and in modern coat of arms of Austria and Germany. The term is also translated as "Reich's Eagle."
By the late medieval period, in German heraldry the eagle developed into a symbol of the Holy Roman Empire, and thus became comparatively rare outside of coats of arms derived from the Imperial Eagle. The Imperial Eagle was and is denominated the Reichsadler.
The German Imperial Eagle (Reichsadler) originates from a proto-heraldic emblem believed to have been used by Charlemagne, the first Frankish ruler crowned Holy Roman Emperor by the Pope in 800, and derived ultimately from the Aquila or eagle standard, of the Roman army.
The imperial eagle of the German Empire is black with a red beak and red fangs. On his chest he wears the Prussian coat of arms, whose eagle is topped with the shield of Hohenzollern.
The federal eagle is portrayed not only on the federal coat of arms, but also on the flag of the federal institutions, the standard of the Federal President and on official stamps. These designs are based on those of artists from the Weimar era and differ chiefly in the positioning of the wings.
The Reichsadler ("Imperial Eagle") was the heraldic eagle, derived from the Roman eagle standard, used by the Holy Roman Emperors and in modern coats of arms of Germany, including those of the German Empire, the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany.
In March 1848, the Diet of the German Confederation declared that the "old German imperial eagle" - the double-headed eagle - should form the coat of arms of the German Confederation. In July 1848, the National Assembly in Frankfurt also confirmed the double-headed eagle as the imperial emblem.