Flag of Brittany

The Breton flag is also called the Gwenn -ha -du ', which means in Breton as much as white and black. It is also used in the department of Loire -Atlantique, although this no longer part of Brittany. Nantes ( Naoned ), their prefecture, was the capital of Brittany.

Not only cultural associations or autonomists, but most Britons feel belonging to the flag. Previously the flag was considered as the flag of the autonomists, now it is also used officially, such as in public buildings.

The widespread among Bretons view the Breton flag is the only existing without colors because it consists only of black and white elements, is wrong. The flags of the Swiss canton of Fribourg, the Spanish city of Ceuta or in the English county of Cornwall also consist of black and white.

The flag was designed by Morvan Marchal (1900-1963, architect and member of various political organizations ) in 1923. He was inspired while the coat of arms of the city of Rennes and the U.S. flag.

The nine horizontal stripes represent the nine historic Breton provinces, the traditional duchies. The five black stripes symbolize the French and Gallo - speaking provinces Dol, Nantes, Rennes, Saint -Malo, Saint- Brieuc. The four white stripes stand for the bretonischsprachigen provinces Trégor, Léon, Cornwall and Vannes. The 11 ermine tails reminiscent of the coat of arms of the Duchy of Brittany.

For the first time on public display was the Breton flag in 1925 as part of the Exposition internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris. It was used in the 20s and 30s of different cultural and autonomous organizations. Since 1960, you can see the " Gwenn ha du " more often. Today we consider it as the Breton flag.

Coat of arms in 1316 ( semé d' hermine )

Coat of Arms of Rennes

Coat of arms of Brittany to the gate of Saint- Malo