Why does Berlin have a bear on its flag?

According to Wikipedia, the bear on the Flag of Berlin may be a play on words, along the lines of bear-lin. read more

According to Wikipedia, the bear on the Flag of Berlin may be a play on words, along the lines of bear-lin. This page may be out of date. Save your draft before refreshing this page. read more

Whatever the reason, the Berlin Bear remains. The bear pit behind the museum was built as a present to the people of Berlin on the city’s 700th birthday. Today’s coat of arms still has these features. The Bear still stands proud as the city symbol and mascot, and appears on its flag. read more

The flag of Berlin has three stripes of red-white-red, the two outer stripes each occupying a fifth of its height, the middle the remaining three fifths. It is emblazoned with a bear on the civil flag, while it bears the coat of arms of Berlin on the state flag. The civil flag of West Berlin was adopted on 26 May 1954. read more