Flag of Schleswig-Holstein

The flag of Schleswig-Holstein is a longitudinally striped blue -white-red tricolor. It is used as a national symbol since at least the 19th century, but received only with the law on the emblem of the State of Schleswig- Holstein on January 18, 1957 official character.

Origin

The flag is supposed to express the relationship between the two parts of the country Schleswig and Holstein. The coat of arms of the Duchy of Schleswig were two blue lions on yellow ground, while the Duchy of Holstein Holstein wore the silver nettle leaf on a red background in the coat of arms. In the new flag of the Slesvig Holstein blue with red and white, is connected. The second Slesvig color yellow was not included because the Schleswig-Holstein movement of the 19th century a tricolor French model with only three colors aspired. From the early days of the flag / banner but also four color variations ( blue-gold -red-white ) have survived.

The earliest traditions of the color combination of blue, white and red are from the so-called Couleur images of the Kiel students Corps " Slesvico - Holsatia " (now " Holsatia " ) of 1829th At that time possessed the colors but only country team performance - regional significance and were not applicable as opposition colors for Danish Dannebrog. In the 1830s, as the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein were part of the Danish monarchy, the flag came on as a symbol of German independence movement. The exact circumstances of its formation are not known. The Schleswiger Song Festival on 24 July 1844 at which the national anthem, the Schleswig -Holstein - song was presented, is sometimes credited as the source. The women of the singers attending the event had created the flag, which then spread throughout the country. In the climate of the liberal- national awakening of the revolution of 1848 the tricolor was popular rapidly.

On 31 July 1845, the flag was banned by the Danish government for its apparent anti- Danish character. During the survey, the Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein army led alongside black-red- gold colors, the blue-white- red flag; official troops flags did not exist. Schleswig -Holstein merchant ships also led the blue-white- red flag while the ships of the Navy's small Schleswig-Holstein black -red-gold flag war led as part of the German Empire fleet with the double-headed eagle in the upper Lieck. Especially after the end of the Schleswig- Holstein survey (1848-1851) the colors were then prohibited the return of the Danish authorities again. With the invasion of Prussian and Austrian troops in winter 1863, the Schleswig-Holstein flags were brought out again. During the prohibition period 1845-1848 was shown from 1696 as a surrogate for national festivals occasionally Gottorfer Nautical Flag. It is a 1696 specific for the ships of the Duchy of Schleswig -Holstein - Gottorp red Spitz flag with silver nettle leaf and the coat of arms of Schleswig and a ducal crown in the middle. As a rectangular flag - and often without crown - this flag was also 1848-1851 provisional replacement trade Flag of Schleswig-Holstein, as the blue -white-red tricolor as well as the German black-red- gold colors were not recognized by the maritime nations.

The Kingdom of Prussia, Schleswig -Holstein in 1867 to winning that after 1851 still popular blue-white- red flag officially adopted not on, even though they never got as a regional symbol in the time Prussian province completely forgotten. Even in the era of National Socialism, the colors were rarely used because the National Socialist dictatorship wanted to prevent regional identity formation in favor of a " Greater Germany " attitude by any means. The blue-white- red colors were therefore not until 1949 - it was unofficial - adopted as flag of the state of Schleswig -Holstein. The Law on the emblem of the State of Schleswig- Holstein on January 18, 1957 confirmed the official status of the flag.

Use

The simple tricolor is used by the municipalities, but also by the population. Except for North Friesland, where Frisian colors are popular, the Schleswig-Holstein flag is widespread throughout the country, in part. In Lübeck and Dithmar next to consist own flag traditions. Many in the Danish minority reject the flag for historical reasons from to this day; until recently it was still in the minority conservative circles as " oprørsfane " - designated according to the survey of 1848 - " riot Flag". The country's authorities, however, raise the official flag. It bears the coat of arms in the center. In general, the service flag is raised next to the flag of Germany and the European Union. Vehicles of the (national ) water police lead the service flag as a naval jack on the bow, ships and boats of the IFM- GEOMAR Kiel Institute hand lead as Gösch the simple country colors without coat of arms.

Others

After the reunification of the neighboring country Mecklenburg- Vorpommern chose a very similar (blue-white - yellow-white- red ) flag.

The flag of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia used in other aspect ratio the same colors (see also Panslavic colors). Also the flags of the Netherlands and Luxembourg are very similar, only the order of the colors reversed.

The connection often made ​​between the Schleswig-Holstein flag and the famous French tricolor is only very distantly. The use of the same colors is random, since the French tricolor, the Paris city colors blue and red and the white of the Bourbon royal family underlie the Schleswig- Holstein flag but three of the four colors or metals of the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. Since then, the French tricolor was the end of the 18th century, which is about 3 decades before the Schleswig -Holstein flag. The only similarity is the fact that both flags " tricolors " - ie three colored flags - are.

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