European flag
| European flag | |
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| Vexillological symbol : |
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| Aspect ratio: | 2: 3 |
| Officially accepted: | December 8, 1955 |
The European flag consists of a wreath of twelve golden five-pointed stars on an ultramarine blue background. It was introduced by the Council of Europe as its flag in 1955 and adopted in May 1986 as a symbol for all institutions of the European Communities . Today it is best known as the symbol of the European Union .
The number of stars, twelve , is traditionally a symbol of perfection, completeness and unity. The number of EU member states has not been and is not referred to. It was pure coincidence that when this flag was adopted in 1986, the EC consisted of twelve countries. Since the enlargement in 1995 the number of member states has grown, but the number of flag stars has remained unchanged - in line with the intended purpose.
history
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The Euro Europe sought since its inception in 1949 for an appropriate symbol for the growing together of Europe. On August 18, 1950, the Council of Europe first discussed the idea of an official flag for Europe. In the period that followed, more than 200 proposals reached the Council of Europe. The General Secretariat later submitted ten colored drafts for discussion, including:
- The flag of the Paneuropean Union of Count Coudenhove-Kalergi , which shows a golden sun (symbol for the Enlightenment) with a red cross (symbol for humanity) on a blue background. It was favored by most of the members, but could not be enforced against the resistance of Turkey , which rejected every draft with a cross.
- A design by Duncan Sandys , Winston Churchill's son-in-law , showing a green (originally red) "E" on a white background. The flag was first hoisted at a European economic conference in London in 1949 and was increasingly used as the European symbol and perceived as the official symbol. It was rejected because too little emotional binding power was ascribed to a pure letter symbol. Moreover, they were referred to by scoffers as "Churchill's underpants". Today it is the emblem of the Europa-Union Germany and some sister organizations in the Union of European Federalists . From July 1984 the "green E" could be used as a sticker for the windshield of a motor vehicle to indicate that only citizens from the EEC are in the vehicle and that no goods to be cleared are being carried; this sticker has been obsolete since the Schengen Agreement came into force .
- A draft by a committee made up of politicians and heraldists, which, in connection with the Olympic symbol, shows eight silver, interlaced rings. It was compared to a chain of all zeros and a telephone dial and ultimately also rejected.
- A design by Carl Weidl Raymon , which provides a single gold star on a blue background and was initially favored by Paul MG Lévy , who, as Director of the Information and Press Service at the Council of Europe, viewed the proposals. It was discarded because of its resemblance in particular to the flag of the Congo (Leopoldville) at the time .
The Union of European Federalists used the so-called when it was founded in 1946 Hertensteiner Cross , which the European Union Swiss had introduced at its inception 1934th In February 1949, however, the design of Duncan Sandys was adopted along with the rest of the European Movement . Today the European movement uses the European flag. As already mentioned, the green E is still used by the European federalists .
On September 25, 1953, the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe first decided on a flag made up of fifteen gold stars on a blue background to represent the number of members of the Council of Europe at that time. Germany opposed this, however, because it would symbolically have recognized the Saarland, one of the 15 members, as a separate state. The Saarland and France, on the other hand, did not want to accept 14 stars, as there were still strong tendencies towards state independence in Saarland. The number of 13 stars was ruled out, as 13 was seen by many as an unlucky number. Likewise, ten stars were ruled out because they were viewed as a symbolization of the ten founding states, which was also not desired. So it was finally agreed on the number twelve as a purely symbolic sign.
The Consultative Assembly recommended the adoption of this draft by the Committee of Ministers on October 25, 1955 (Recommendation 88 (1955)). The Committee of Ministers adopted the flag and the heraldic inscription on December 8, 1955 (resolution (55) 32), and was officially introduced in Paris on December 13, 1955 .
With the adoption decision of 1955, the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe called on the other European institutions to adopt the same flag; On the initiative of Ingo Friedrichs , CSU member of the European Union and longstanding Vice-President of the European Parliament , on October 31, 1979, 18 members of the European Parliament submitted the motion “to create a European flag for the European Community”.
In November 1979 the European Parliament commissioned the CDU MEP Kai-Uwe von Hassel in an official parliamentary report to solve the flag problem. The aim should be to eliminate the existing inconsistencies. Up to this point in time, almost all European institutions had their own flag in use.
On April 11, 1983, a corresponding resolution was adopted in the European Parliament with an overwhelming majority to adopt the flag previously used by the Council of Europe . The final report of the Adonnino Committee also proposed the adoption of the Council of Europe flag, which was adopted by the Milan European Council in June 1985 .
After the Council of Europe had signaled its approval and the other organs of the European Community had given their consent, the new flag was ceremoniously hoisted for the first time on May 29, 1986 in front of the European Commission building to the sound of the European anthem .
In the European constitution , which has since been rejected , the European flag was set as the official symbol of the Union. At the instigation of the United Kingdom , however, neither an official anthem nor other official symbols such as this flag appear in the EU Reform Treaty, which the European Council agreed on in October 2007. However, as before, the European flag continues to act as a (almost official) symbol of the EU.
With the consent of the German Bundestag, the President of the Bundestag Norbert Lammert changed the service instructions for the flagging of the office buildings. Since May 9, 2011, in addition to the federal flag, a European flag has been hoisted in front of the west and east entrances of the Reichstag building. Another European flag is hoisted on the southeast tower of the Reichstag building, while the other three towers are flagged with the federal flag.
Flag of the coal and steel union
The European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC or Mining Union for short) used its own flag, as today's European flag was specifically assigned to the Council of Europe. The ECSC flag consisted of a blue and a black stripe, each with a row of stars. The blue stripe stood for the iron, the black for the coal and the stars for the members. The latter led to their number changing over the years.
Flag of the ECSC when it was founded in 1951
Flag of the ECSC from 1973 accession of Denmark , Ireland and the United Kingdom
Flag of the ECSC from 1981 accession of Greece
The flag has been obsolete since the expiry of the ECSC Treaty in 2002 .
Flag of the Western European Union
The Western European Union , founded in 1948 as the Brussels Pact (also known as the Western Union ), also had its own flag. When it was founded, it used a flag that showed a red, a gold, a black, a white and a blue square in one another. In the blue, inner square there were also five intertwined rings, which stood for the five founding members ( France , United Kingdom , Belgium , Netherlands , Luxembourg ). With the expansion to the Western European Union, a new flag was also introduced. This now had a purely blue flag cloth with the French and English abbreviations for Western European Union in the middle. That is why nine stars were arranged in a semicircle, which stood for the now nine members. A tenth star was added when Greece joined in 1995.
Flag of the Brussels Pact or the Western Union when it was founded in 1948
Flag of the WEU until 2011 after Greece joined in 1995
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Since the dissolution of the Western European Union at the end of June 2011, this flag has also become obsolete.
Authorship
Arsène Heitz , a member of the Postal Service of the Council of Europe, who had submitted a number of drafts, is sometimes named as the originator of the flag and also claimed to be the author in an interview. There are many designs by Heitz with stars in the archives, but with 15, 16, 11 and 13 stars in different arrangements. However, Paul MG Lévy challenged Heitz's authorship in an interview, claiming that he himself had proposed the twelve-star flag before it was so decided by the Council of Europe, and that he had also made the final drawing.
It is clear that Heitz and Lévy together and Hanno F. Konopath apparently submitted the 15-star draft, which was initially approved by the Consultative Assembly, almost at the same time. Whether Heitz or Lévy was ultimately the originator of the twelve-star flag is still unclear.
In addition, Arthur Eisenmenger , the former chief graphic artist of the European Union, claims to have designed the blue EU flag with a white wreath of stars.
Official symbolism
In the official explanation of the decision of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe of December 9, 1955 on the adoption of the flag, it says on symbolism:
“Against the blue sky of the western world, the stars represent the peoples of Europe in a circle, the sign of unity. The number of stars is fixed at twelve, this number symbolizes perfection and completeness ... Like the twelve signs of the zodiac embody the entire universe, the twelve golden stars represent all the peoples of Europe, including those who are not yet able to participate in the construction of Europe in unity and peace. "
Unofficial interpretations
Occasionally the flag is interpreted against a Christian- Biblical background. In contrast to the official justification, which generally refers to the twelve as a symbol of perfection and completeness and blue as the color of the sky, a certain Christian symbolism is said to have been the inspiration. Arsène Heitz, one of the possible designers of the flag (see above), stated in an interview in the magazine "Lourdes" in 2004 that he was inspired by the Revelation of John , in which a crown of twelve stars is described.
The passage in the Bible addressed in the interview reads:
"And a great sign appeared in the sky: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet and on her head a crown of twelve stars."
Since December 8th, on which the Council of Ministers adopted the flag, is the feast day of the Immaculate Conception of Mary , the color blue is traditionally the color of the Mother of God and the apocalyptic woman named in the biblical passage quoted above is often equated with Mary (cf. . Crescent Moon Madonna ), some Catholic circles refer to this symbolic content of the flag.
It is also reported that Paul MG Lévy, a Belgian of Jewish descent, made a vow that, if he did, he would, in view of the numerous train trains passing by in Leuven , on which the German Gestapo transported the Jews to an uncertain future Survived the war alive , wanted to convert to the Catholic faith, which he did. Lévy, then director of the information and press service at the Council of Europe, passed a statue of the Virgin Mary with a star wreath in 1955. Lit by the sun, the golden stars shone against the blue sky. Lévy then proposed to the then Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Lodovico Benvenuti, a Venetian Christian Democrat, that twelve gold stars on a blue background be put to the vote as a motif for the European flag. Benvenuti was enthusiastic about the proposal and a little later the proposal was generally accepted. Previously, in 1955, in the Council of Europe, all drafts that contained a cross based on the pattern of Scandinavian flags had been rejected by the socialists for ideological reasons as too Christian.
According to another report, the then Secretary-General, Léon Marchal , noticed Lévy that the European flag was by chance as he left the meeting room, in which he had previously passed the flag with reference to the twelve signs of the zodiac and the twelve months of the year wear a wreath of stars called the Apocalypse .
Lévy himself did not confirm these theories. In an interview Lévy explained that for him the symbolism of perfection and completeness was the only decisive factor. Let it show itself in the zodiac signs, the twelve apostles , the twelve sons of Jacob , the hours of the day and the months of the year. Only years later was his attention drawn to the crown in the Revelation of John. The decision on the feast day of Mary's Immaculate Conception, which was brought forward by one day, was also a coincidence. Another coincidence later happened: In the hall of Palazzo Barberini , in which the European Convention on Human Rights was signed on November 4, 1950, there is a depiction of the wreath of twelve stars from the 17th century in the middle of the ceiling.
In addition, there are a number of other interpretations that may have played a role and some have now appeared in the official descriptions of the Council of Europe and the EU: The twelve Olympic gods that come from Greek mythology , according to which, in addition to the name of the continent itself, others as well European projects are named like the Ariane rocket or the Atalanta anti-piracy mission ; the twelve tribes of Israel , the twelve tables of the first written Roman law as an expression of the European legal community, twelve months of a year, twelve hours of the clock, the legendary twelve deeds of Hercules , and the product of "three times four", the three for the Trinity and the four stand for the four elements or cardinal points .
Similarities with other flags
The top corner on the mast side ( jack ) in the so-called " Betsy Ross version" of the flag of the USA from 1776 to 1795 had a similar wreath of stars on a blue background, but with 13 white stars. As the flag resolution of the then 13 colonies was not special The arrangement of the thirteen stars provided, there were different versions and only in the Betsy-Ross version the stars were arranged in a circle. On the "Stars and Bars" flag of the Confederate States of America from March 4, 1861, seven five-pointed stars were arranged in a circle on a blue background. Furthermore, the flag of Cape Verde with its 10 five-pointed yellow stars on a mostly blue background is very similar.
In addition to state flags, subordinate local authorities also have flags that are similar to the European flag and have a wreath of stars, such as B. the Turkish city of Bursa .
Betsy Ross version of the US flag
Stars and Bars Flag of the Confederate States of America
The flag of Cape Verde
Flag of the big city of Bursa in Turkey
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reproduction
The European emblem of the flag can be used freely. Its geometrical description can be found in the adjacent drawing and the associated official explanation of the European Union:
“The emblem consists of a blue rectangular flag, the width of which is one and a half times its height. On an invisible circle, the center of which is the intersection of the diagonals of the rectangle, twelve golden stars are evenly spaced. The circle radius is one third of the height of the rectangle. Each star has five points, the tips of which touch an invisible perimeter with a radius of 1/18 the height of the rectangle. All stars are vertical, i.e. H. one point points upwards, while two more rest on an invisible straight line that is perpendicular to the flag shaft. The stars are arranged like the hours on the face of a clock. Their number is unchangeable. "
The emblem has the following colors: Pantone Reflex blue for the background and Pantone Yellow for the stars. Pantone was chosen because this color definition is widely used. In four-color printing , the colors must be formed as follows: 100% Process Cyan plus 80% Process Magenta for the blue and 100% Process Yellow for the yellow. The RGB color values are for the background (blue): 0/51/153 ( hexadecimal : 003399) and for the stars (yellow): 255/204/0 (hexadecimal: FFCC00).
| blue | yellow | |
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| RGB | Blue (003399) | Yellow (FFCC00) |
| CMYK | 100.87.0.20 | 0.0.100.0 |
| Pantone | Reflex Blue | Yellow |
Use of the flag
copyright
The Council of Europe permits the use of the European flag by any person, unless the impression is given that there is a connection between the user and the institutions, bodies, offices, agencies and institutions of the European Union or the Council of Europe or that their objectives are contradicted. However, it is not a registered trademark.
Official flags
In addition to the institutions of the European Union, many EU member states also use the European flag as an EU flag alongside their own national flag . In addition, the flag is also used in all countries of the Council of Europe , so the flag can be found all over Europe (with the exception of Belarus ).
In Germany, for example, the European flag is to be used when flagging public buildings by federal authorities . In front of and on top of the Reichstag building, the German Bundestag places both the German flag and the European flag, as well as in its plenary hall.
As the EU does not have its own ships or armed forces, the European flag is not currently used as the primary trade or war flag . However, some use them as an unofficial, additional sign. In the case of EUFOR soldiers, for example, it supplements the national badge . Official ships that control fishing rights in European territorial waters on behalf of the EU also carry a pennon derived from the European colors as an identification mark.
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Other uses
The flag can be found on many official everyday objects within the European Union , for example on the common currency, the euro, or car license plates .
Artistic contributions
Artists have repeatedly made suggestions for redesigning or redesigning the European flag in order to question its symbolism.
In 2002 Rem Koolhaas, together with his architectural office OMA, designed a proposal for a new European flag in response to the invitation from Romano Prodi , the then President of the European Commission , to develop a new branding for a Europe of “diversity and unity”. The design consists of vertical stripes in the colors of the flags of the member states. It is based on the appearance of a barcode and is also referred to as such by Kohlhaas. In 2002, Koolhaas' design consisted of 45 colored strips; In 2006 it was expanded to include the colors of the 10 new members.
Critics noted that the barcode reduced the economic union to a simple list of nation states, the meaning and purpose of which only existed in economic cooperation.
See also
literature
- Roland Bieber: The flag of the EC. In: Wilfried Fiedler, Georg Ress: Constitutional law and international law: memorial for Wilhelm Karl Geck. Carl Heymanns, Cologne / Berlin / Bonn / Munich 1989, ISBN 3-452-21362-5 , pp. 59-77.
- Carlo Curti Gialdino: I Simboli dell'Unione europea, Bandiera - Inno - Motto - Moneta - Giornata . Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato SpA, Roma 2005, pp. 80-85. (On the authorship of the flag)
- Parlement européen: Résolution sur l'adoption d'un drapeau pour la Communauté européenne (11 avril 1983). In: Journal officiel des Communautés européennes (JOCE). May 16, 1983, No. C 128, p. 18.
Web links
- European Union graphic references to the European emblem
- Information from the Council of Europe on the European flag including extensive documents on the history of its creation and the alternative designs
- The symbols of the Council of Europe
- “Europe shows its flag”: Well-founded historical report on the European flag by Markus Kutter
- History of the European flag
- Statement by Hans August Lückers, a member of the Consultative Assembly at the time, on the history of the European flag ( memento from July 14, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
- Under Special Dossiers | The symbols of the European Union | The flag numerous historical documents on the European flag
- The symbols of Europe
Individual evidence
- ↑ Pan-European Manifesto, page 7 (PDF; 359 kB)
- ↑ Safe through intuition. In: DIE Zeit, No. 48/1984. November 23, 1984. Retrieved December 8, 2010 .
- ↑ Flags and symbols of the European movement
- ↑ PDF at blogfraktion.de
- ^ Flag of the ECSC at Flags of the World
- ↑ WEU flag at Flags of the World (English)
- ↑ a b CVCE. The history of a united Europe on the Internet (multilingual)
- ↑ Contribution by Paul MG Lévy to the creation of the European flag on CVCE website (multilingual)
- ↑ Carlo Curti Gialdino: I Simboli dell'Unione europea, Bandiera - Inno - Motto - Moneta - Giornata . Roma: Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato SpA, 2005, pp. 80-85.
- ↑ Roland Kirbach: How the euro got its symbol . In: Die Zeit , 14/1999. Retrieved April 19, 2011
- ↑ "The European Commission and Religious Values" , The Economist , October 28, 2004
- ↑ Kath.net : The twelve stars of the Revelation of John May 6, 2007
- ↑ The wreath of stars is the result of a vow - Die Welt, August 26, 1998
- ↑ a b The European flag. Accessed June 10, 2019 (German).
- ^ The Image of Europe. OMA , accessed on July 14, 2018 (archived as a precaution at https://screenshots.firefox.com/Wfj4P9QgjdGi9AvK/oma.eu ).
States:
Albania |
Andorra |
Belgium |
Bosnia and Herzegovina |
Bulgaria |
Denmark |
Germany |
Estonia |
Finland |
France |
Greece |
Ireland |
Iceland |
Italy |
Kazakhstan |
Croatia |
Latvia |
Liechtenstein |
Lithuania |
Luxembourg |
Malta |
Moldova |
Monaco |
Montenegro |
Netherlands |
North Macedonia |
Norway |
Austria |
Poland |
Portugal |
Romania |
Russia |
San Marino |
Sweden |
Switzerland |
Serbia |
Slovakia |
Slovenia |
Spain |
Czech Republic |
Turkey |
Ukraine |
Hungary |
Vatican City |
United Kingdom |
Belarus
Dependent areas:
Åland |
Athos |
Azores |
Faroe Islands |
Gibraltar |
Guernsey |
Isle of Man |
Jersey |
Madeira
Disputed Territories:
Kosovo |
Transnistria
Flags of the States of:
Africa |
Asia |
North America |
South America |
Oceania