FLAG OF BELGIUM: HISTORY AND MEANING - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2024

The flag of Belgium is a tricolor ensign that is made up of the colors black, yellow and red, which constitute three bands distributed vertically. The first time this flag was used was in 1831, making it one of the oldest active flags in the world, with 189 years of history.

Likewise, the Belgian flag was the first banner that included the colors black and yellow. Later, other countries implemented them, such as Germany (a flag much younger than its Belgian sister, with only 70 years of use).

The flag of Belgium is a tricolor ensign that is made up of the colors black, yellow and red, which constitute three bands distributed vertically. Via wikimedia commons.

On the other hand, in article 193 of the Belgian constitution, it is established that both the coat of arms and the flag of this country are governed by the motto: “in unity is strength”. Regarding the dimensions of the flag, it is stated that they are 2.60 meters high and 3 meters wide, so it uses the same proportion of the old banners.

However, in the Royal Palace of Brussels a flag whose proportions are 4: 3 is hung; This occurs for aesthetic reasons, as these measurements are more suitable for the perspective of passers-by who observe it from the street.

History

The colors of this flag were taken from the coat of arms of the Duchy of Brabant, an ancient territory located between Belgium and the Netherlands. Within this duchy were included important cities such as Antwerp, Louvain, Brussels, Bolduque and Breda.

On the shield of this town you can see a bright yellow lion, superimposed on a black background; This lion has both its claws and its tongue of an intense red color. The image of this feline can also be seen on the coats of arms of Flemish Brabant, Walloon Brabant and North Brabant.

Flag of the Duchy of Brabant. Via wikimedia commons.

At the beginning, the Belgian flags had horizontal stripes and were used for the first time during the Brabant Revolution in 1789. In this event, the Belgians carried out an uprising against the Habsburgs - the Austrians - as they disagreed with the reforms progressives implemented by Archduke Joseph II.

In 1790, this uprising led to the creation of the United Belgian States, a confederation made up of the Southern Netherlands. However, this union did not reach the year of trajectory. Despite this failure, it is considered that the Brabanzone Revolution was one of the seeds of the French Revolution.

Causes of the Brabanzone Revolution

In 1780, José II succeeded the monarch Maria Teresa I of Austria, after her tenure on the throne for forty years. Joseph II was Emperor of Austria, so he owned several lands in the Austrian Netherlands, including the Duchy of Brabant.

As soon as he came to power, the monarch decided to implement a list of secular reforms within his territories, but without going through the usual process, which consisted of consulting the provisional states on the proposal. This decision resulted in strong opposition from the people.

Among the reforms that the new king aspired to, the introduction of freedom of worship (which allowed Jews and Protestants to hold public office) and the reduction of ecclesiastical power in political decisions stood out; he also wanted the establishment of divorce and civil marriage.

Stages of the flag of Belgium

In political terms, Belgium has only existed as a nation since 1830. Before that date, there was talk of the Netherlands of Burgundy, whose locality used the Burgundy Cross as a standard; It was a red cross superimposed on a white background, which stood out for its pointed reliefs.

Burgundy Netherlands flag. Via wikimedia commons.

Later, the Netherlands of Burgundy became the Spanish Netherlands, which brought about a slight modification in the flag; the red cross got a little thinner.

Spanish Netherlands flag. Via wikimedia commons.

Then, the flag of the Austrian Netherlands was used, which had three stripes of red, white and yellow. On top of this banner, a two-headed black eagle rested.

Flag of the Austrian Netherlands. Via wikimedia commons.

In 1789 (in the course of the Revolution), the United Belgian States began to use a tricolor flag inspired by the colors of Brabant. However, this is not the current flag, since the banner of this period had horizontal stripes and the order of the colors was not the same either.

Flag used during the Revolution. Via wikimedia commons.

Meaning

Although the colors of the Belgian flag were taken from the coat of arms of Brabant, some have decided to attribute a meaning to each color. In this case, the black color represents each person or citizen who fought for the independence of the country.

On the other hand, the yellow color represents the riches of the region, while the red is associated with the blood that the martyrs and heroes shed during the emancipation of Belgium.

Likewise, the arrangement of the colors at the beginning was taken from the French flag, since the independence of France had inspired the Belgians in their quest to free themselves from the Netherlands. For this reason, in the beginning the flag began with the color red, then yellow and finally black.

On September 15, 1831, the Department of the Navy indicated that from that moment on, the black color would be located in the first skirt, while the yellow would be located in the center and the red would be the last.

Curiosities and other information about the flag

Some claim that the manager and seamstress Marie Abts-Ermens (1767-1853) was the one who sewed the first copies of the Belgian flag. This commission was requested by Edouard Ducpétiaux, a patriot who was a doctor of law and worked as an editor.

This first flag fired by Marie Abts was raised during the presentation of the De Stomme de Portici opera, where the new tricolor was premiered. Previously, the French flag used to be placed at the town hall.

As a curious fact, in 2016 the Eiffel Tower was decorated with the colors of the Belgian flag; This was an act of solidarity and empathy on the part of the French in the face of the terrorist attacks that occurred in the metro and the airport of the city of Brussels.

References

1. SA (2019) Flags of Europe: Flag of Belgium. Retrieved on February 1, 2020 from Banderade.info
2. SA (sf) Duchy of Brabant. Retrieved on February 1, 2020 from Wikipedia: es.wikipedia.org
3. SA (sf) Brabanzona Revolution. Retrieved on February 1, 2020 from Wikipedia: es.wikipedia.org
4. Sahores, J. (sf) History of the flag of Belgium. Retrieved on February 1, 2020 from sobrebelgica.com
5. Yanez, D. (sf) Flag of Belgium: history and curiosities. Retrieved on February 1, 2020 from Lifeder: lifeder.com
6. Deschouwer, K. (2012) The politics of Belgium. Retrieved on February 2, 2020 from Springer.