 | |
| "Landesflagge" | |
| Use | Civil flag |
|---|---|
| Proportion | 3:5 (or 1:2) |
| Adopted | Approved 4 August, 1948 |
| Design | A bicolour of red over white |
| Landesdienstflagge des Landes Hessen | |
.svg) | |
| Use | State flag |
| Proportion | 3:5 (or 1:2) |
| Adopted | Approved 4 August, 1948 |
| Design | The civil flag with the addition of thecoat of arms |
The civilflag ofHesse, Germany, consists of a bicolour of a red top and a bottom white stripe, in the proportion 3:5. The state flag is similar, except it is emblazoned with thestate coat of arms in the centre, and may only be used by government departments and services.
The colours red and white are based on that of theLudovingian coat of arms, showing a lion with a ninefold horizontal white and red division. The coat of arms was inherited by theHouse of Hesse upon its split from theDuchy of Thuringia in 1247, and the flag came into use in the early modernLandgraviate of Hesse; the modernGrand Duchy of Hesse used a flag with two red stripes, as did thePeople's State of Hesse until 1933.
Theflag of Thuringia was introduced in 1920, with its formation out of the fragmentedThuringian states (the Duchy of Thuringia had been absorbed into Saxony in 1400), as the reverse of the flag of Hesse.[1]
The civil flag of Hesse resembles that ofMonaco and, particularly,Indonesia.
It also resembles one of theflags of Alsace.
The Hessian ministry of the interior designated several official flag days. On these days, the flag of Hesse (alongside the flags of the European Union and Germany) must be flown on all official buildings.[2] These days include:
| Date | Name | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 27 January | Commemoration Day for the Victims of National Socialism | Anniversary of the Liberation ofAuschwitz concentration camp (1945) |
| 1 May | Labour Day | Established for German labour unions to demonstrate for the promotion of workers' rights |
| 9 May | Europe Day | Anniversary of theSchuman Declaration (1950) |
| 23 May | Constitution Day | Anniversary of theGerman Basic Law (1949) |
| 17 June | Anniversary of 17 June 1953 | Anniversary of theuprising of 1953 in the GDR |
| 20 July | Anniversary of 20 June 1944 | Anniversary of thefailed assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler byClaus von Stauffenberg (1944) |
| Second Sunday in September | Hessian Memorial Day for Victims of Deportation | To honour all persons living in Hesse who suffered from deportation |
| 3 October | Day of German Unity | Anniversary ofGerman reunification (1990) |
| The second Sunday before Advent | People's Mourning Day | In memory of all killed during wartime |
| 1 December | Hessian Constitution Day | Anniversary of the Hessian Constitution (1946) |
On the Commemoration Day for the Victims of National Socialism and on People's Mourning Day, flags are flown athalf-mast. Additionally, flags must be flown on days to the election to the European Parliament, the Bundestag, the Hessian Landtag and municipal elections.
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