List of Swiss flags

Last updated

This is a comprehensive list of flags used in Switzerland.

Contents

National flags

FlagDateUseDescription
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg 1841-present FIAV 111000.svg National flag of Switzerland A square flag with a white cross in the centre and background in red. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]
Civil Ensign of Switzerland (Pantone).svg 1882-present FIAV 000110.svg Civil and state ensign Red flag with a white cross in the centre and background in red. [7] [8]

Ethnic group flags

FlagDateUseDescription
Flag of Arpitans in Piemonte.svg Flag of the Piedmontese Arpitans [9] [10]
Flag of Yeniche people.svg Flag of the Yenish people [11]
Proposed Flag of Romanchia.svg Proposed flag of the Romansh people

Military flags

Rank flags

FlagDateUseDescription
Flag of a Swiss Armed Forces general and Chief of the Armed Forces.svg 1898Flag of a Swiss Armed Forces general and Chief of the Armed Forces [12]
Flag of a Swiss Armed Forces lieutenant general.svg 1898Flag of a Swiss Armed Forces lieutenant general [12]
Flag of a Swiss Armed Forces lieutenant general old.svg Obsolete flag of a Swiss Armed Forces lieutenant general [12]
Flag of a Swiss Armed Forces major general.svg 1898Flag of a Swiss Armed Forces major general [12]
Flag of a Swiss Armed Forces major general old.svg Obsolete flag of a Swiss Armed Forces major general old [12]
Flag of a Swiss Armed Forces brigadier general.svg 1898Flag of a Swiss Armed Forces brigadier general [12]
Flag of a Swiss Armed Forces brigadier general old.svg Obsolete flag of a Swiss Armed Forces brigadier general [12]

Political flags

FlagDateUseDescription
Bandiera del PSA svizzero.png 1966-1992Flag of the Autonomous Socialist Party (Ticino)

Canton flags

Municipal flag

Historical flags

Switzerland Under The Holy Roman Empire

FlagDateUseDescription
Oriflamme of Charlemagne.png 800-888Imperial Orilflamme of Charlemagne A 3 pointed green field with 8 golden crosses and 6 flowers.
Konigsbanner 14Jh.svg 800–1300Banner of the Emperor of the Romans and of the King of Germany An Imperial Eagle displayed with a halo sable armed and langued gules. [13] [14]
War flag of the Holy Roman Empire (1200-1350).svg 1100-1300War flag of the Holy Roman EmpireA non-rectangular flag depicting a white cross on a red field. [15]

Historical National Flags

FlagDateUseDescription
Old flag of Unterwalden.svg 1291-1422Old flag of UnterwaldenA horizontal bicolor of red and white.
Flag of Canton of Uri alt.svg 1291-1422Old flag of UriA yellow field with a black bull, similar to the modern flag.
Flag of Canton of Lucerne.svg 1291-1422Old flag of LucerneA horizontal bicolor of white and blue.
Ancien drapeau de Zurich (XIIIe-XVIe).svg 1291-1422Old flag of ZurichA diagonal bicolor of white and blue with a large red horizontal stripe.
Flag of Canton of Glarus.svg 1291-1422Old flag of GlarusA red field with a monk in the center.
Flag of Canton of Zug.svg 1291-1422Old flag of ZugA horizontal tricolor of white (top), blue and white.
Flag of Canton of Bern.svg 1291-1422Old flag of BernA diagonal tricolor of red (top), yellow and red with a bear inside the yellow stripe.
Old flag of Neuchatel.svg 1350-1836Old flag of NeuchâtelA yellow field with a red stripe in the center which has 3 arrowed white stripes. [16]
Ch-1422a.png 1422-14751st flag of The Old Swiss Confederacy A red triangular field with a white cross off-centered towards the hoist. [17]
Early Swiss cross.svg 1475-17982nd flag of The Old Swiss ConfederacyA square flag with a white cross in the centre and background in red. [18] [19]
Flag of Canton of Valais (1628-1802).svg 1628-1798Flag of The Republic of the Seven Tithings A square field with 2 horizontal stripes of red and white and 7 6-pointed stars.
Ancien drapeau Geneve (1792-1798).svg 1792-1798Flag of the Republic of GenevaA square field of 2 horizontal stripes of red and gold with a thin black line in the center.
Ancien drapeau d'Argovie (1803-1930).svg 1803-1930Old flag of ArgauA horizontal bicolor of black with 3 rivers and blue with 3 5-pointed stars.
Swiss flag Bachmann 1815.png 1814-1822Flag of the Restored Swiss ConfederacyA square flag with a white cross in the centre and background in red with The German words "Für Vaterland und Ehre" which means "For Fatherland and Honor" and a sword intertwined by a laurel plant in the center of the cross. [20]
Flag of Canton of Neuchatel (1836-1848).svg 1836-1848Old flag of NeuchâtelA horizontal tricolor of orange, black and white

Swiss Territories Under Prussian Rule

FlagDateUseDescription
Flag of Prussia (1466-1772) Lob.svg 1707-1772Flag of Royal Prussia
Flag of the Kingdom of Prussia (1701-1750).svg 1707-1750First flag of the Kingdom in Prussia
Flag of the Kingdom of Prussia (1750-1801).svg 1750-1801Second flag of the Kingdom in Prussia and first flag of the Kingdom of Prussia A black eagle holding a sword and rod on a white field, a crown on top.
Flag of the Kingdom of Prussia (1801-1803).svg 1801-1803Second flag of the Kingdom of Prussia
Flag of the Kingdom of Prussia (1803-1892).svg 1803-1805
1815-1848
Third flag of the Kingdom of PrussiaThe same as the previous flag, but the crown in the top of the flag is smaller.

Swiss Territories Under Austrian Rule

FlagDateUseDescription
Flag of Austria.svg 1453-1458Flag of the Archduchy of Austria Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and red. [21] [22]

Swiss Territories Under French Rule

FlagDateUseDescription
Pre-Napoleonic Era
Flag of France (XIV-XVI).svg 1482-1493Flag of The Kingdom of France A Square Blue Field with 3 Fleur de Lis
Royal flag of France.svg 1499-1512Flag of The Kingdom of FranceA Rectangular Blue Field with 3 Fleur de Lis
Royal Standard of the King of France.svg 1604-1790Flag of The Kingdom of Francea white banner with several Fleur de Lis and the royal coat of arms in the center.
Flag of France (1790-1794).svg 1790-1794Flag of The Kingdom of France and The French First Republic A vertical tricolour of red, white, and blue.
Flag of France official.svg 1794-1804Flag of The French First RepublicA vertical tricolour of blue, white, and red. [23]
Flag of the Helvetic Republic (German).svg 1798–1803Flag of The Helvetic Republic (German)a green-red-yellow tricolour with the name of the country in German. [24]
Flag of the Helvetic Republic (French).svg 1798–1803Flag of The Helvetic Republic (French)a green-red-yellow tricolour with the name of the country in French.
Flag of Canton of Valais (1802-1815).svg 1802-1804Flag of The Rhodanic Republic A square field with 2 horizontal stripes of red and white and 12 5-pointed Stars.
Napoleonic Era
Flag of France official.svg 1804-1814Flag of The First French Empire [23]
Flag of Canton of Valais (1802-1815).svg 1804-1814Flag of The Napoleonic Valais

Swiss Territories Under Italian States

FlagDateUseDescription
Flag of Milan (1171).svg 1093-1329Flag of The Commune of MilanA White Field with a Red Maltese cross in the center with 3 sestiere on the fly.
Flag of the Lordship of Milan (XIII century-1395).svg 1329-1395Flag of The Lordship of MilanA white field with a blue snake devouring a man in the center.
Flag of Milan.svg 1395-1512Flag of The Duchy of Milan A white field with centred red cross, similar to The Flag of England.
Flag of the Duchy of Milan (1450).svg 1395-1447
1450-1499
Flag of Milan under The Holy Roman Empirethe Imperial Eagle of the Holy Roman Empire in the first and fourth quarters and the Snake of Milan in the second and third quarters.
Flag of the Golden Ambrosian Republic.svg 1447-1450Flag of The Golden Ambrosian Republic A white field with centred red cross, with the republic's seal.
Flag of the Count of Virtue.svg 1499-1512Flag of Milan under The Kingdom of Francethe French royal flag in the first and fourth quarters and the Snake of Milan in the second and third quarters.
Flag of Savoie.svg 1416-1536Flag of The Duchy of Savoy A red field with centred white cross.

Yacht club flags

FlagClub
Burgee of C N Morcote.svg Burgee of Club Nautico Morcote
Burgee of Cruising Club der Schweiz.svg Burgee of Cruising Club der Schweiz
Flag of societe nautique de geneve.svg Société Nautique de Genève
Ensign of Cruising Club der Schweiz.svg Cruising Club der Schweiz

See also

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References

  1. List of Swiss flags in German , French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland .
  2. Appendix 2, Wappenschutzgesetz (SR 232.21), 21 June 2013 (effective 1 January 2017) [length of an arm: 7 units, width of the cross: 20 units, width of the flag: 32 units; ratio of cross width to field width: 20:32 = 5:8].
  3. "The coat of arms of the federation is, within a red field, an upright white cross, whose [four] arms of equal length are one and a sixth times as long as they are wide." ("Das Wappen der Eidgenossenschaft ist im rothen Felde ein aufrechtes, freistehendes weißes Kreuz, dessen unter sich gleiche Arme je einen Sechstheil länger als breit sind") Bundesbeschluss betreffend das eidgenössische Wappen vom 12. Dezember 1889
  4. Bundesgesetz zum Schutz öffentlicher Wappen und anderer öffentlicher Zeichen vom 5. Juni 1931 (Stand am 1. August 2008).
  5. Art. 3.3: The following remain reserved: a. the Navigation Act of 23 September 1953 [SR 747.30]; b. the Civil Aviation Act of 21 December 1948 [SR 748.0]; c. the Armed Forces Act of 3 February 1995 [SR 510.10].
  6. The compound implies genitive plural, "flag of the Swiss"; other national flags are identified with adjectives, as in französische Fahne "French flag" (German standard: französische Flagge). Swiss Armed Forces, Reglement 51.340 d (Fahnenreglement, 2008), section 4.1: "In unserem Sprachgebrauch hat sich der Begriff Schweizerflagge in diesem Sinn nicht eingebürgert. Das Reglement spricht weiter von der Schweizerfahne. […] Das ‹Aufziehen einer Fahne› wird in der Armee aber weiter zur Umgangssprache gehören." ("In our linguistic usage, the term "Schweizerflagge" in this sense ["Flagge" for a flag attached to a pole by means of a cable]. This reglementation will continue to refer to the Schweizerfahne [...] The "raising of a Fahne" will continue to remain in common usage in the army."
  7. "Swiss yacht flag". flagsforum. 13 September 2010. Archived from the original on 11 March 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  8. The square shape is due to the shape of late medieval and early modern war flags carried by infantry regiments, while most other national flags, following the example of the British Union flag and the Dutch Prince's Flag, hark back to the tradition of rectangular maritime flags used in the Age of Sail. The communes and cantons of Switzerland also have square flags.
  9. Piemonte, C. S. I. "Città metropolitana - Speciali - A Caprie sventola la bandiera francoprovenzale". www.cittametropolitana.torino.it (in Italian). Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  10. "Il Francoprovenzale | Planet Cordola" (in Italian). Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  11. "Yeniche People". www.crwflags.com. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Anhang 3: Fanions als Standortzeichen in der Armee" (PDF). bkmv.ch (in German). p. 62. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  13. "Handschriftencensus | Kassel, Universitätsbibl. / LMB, 2° Ms. poet. et roman. 1". handschriftencensus.de. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  14. Eschenbach>, Wolfram <von (1334). Willehalm-Kodex. Fritzlar (?).
  15. "Holy Roman Empire 962-1806 (Germany)". www.fotw.info. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  16. "Neuchâtel canton (Switzerland)". www.fotw.info. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  17. "Switzerland". www.crwflags.com. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  18. Article 41 (of the draft constitution): "Das Siegel der Eidgenossenschaft ist das Feldzeichen der alten Schweizer: ein weißes freistehendes Kreuz im rothen Felde, sammt der Umschrift: Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft."
  19. "In der Mitte der eidgenössische rothe Schild mit dem weißen Kreuz als gemeineidgenössisches Wappenzeichen; ringsherum eine zirkelförmige einfache gothische Verzierung; außer derselben die Inschrift: Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft, mit der Jahreszahl MDCCCXV; in einem äußern Zirkel alle XXII Kantonswappen in runden Feldern nach ihrer eidgenössischen Rangordnung, und das Ganze mit einem einfachen Siegelkranze in unterschobenen kleinen Blättern geschlossen" (Bd. III, S. 120, G.)
  20. BBl 1889 IV (12 November 1889), p. 635.
  21. "Bundesheer - Uniformen und Abzeichen - Dekorationen, Insignien und Hoheitszeichen". www.bundesheer.at. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  22. GmbH, Typoheads. "Abzeichen". www.bundesheer.at. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  23. 1 2 "Changement de couleur du drapeau français, ce qu'en pensent les fabricants". Graphiline.com (in French). 17 November 2021. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  24. Helvetischer Almanach für das Jahr 1809 (Zürich 1808), p. 194: "So die Schweizer-Fahne: Weisses Kreuz in Roth."