FLAG OF LIECHTENSTEIN: HISTORY AND MEANING - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The flag of Liechtenstein is the symbol that identifies this principality of central Europe. It is composed of two horizontal stripes of equal size, blue and red. In the upper left corner, a golden crown was added to distinguish the flag from others that were the same, such as that of Haiti.

The symbols that have identified the territory of Liechtenstein have been those of the European powers that have occupied it, such as Rome. It was not until the rule of the Holy Roman Empire that the first shields of the area emerged, until the founding of Liechtenstein established the yellow and red flag.

Liechtenstein flag. (by Nightstallion via Wikimedia Commons).

In 1852, during the Germanic Confederation, the flag adopted the colors of the prince's shield, which were blue and red. Since then they have been maintained, although in another structure. In 1937 the prince's crown was added because after the Olympic Games they realized that the flag of Haiti was the same as that of Liechtenstein.

Since that modification in 1837, blue is considered to represent the sky, while red does the same with the embers that heat the country's nights. The crown is the symbol of the monarchy and national unity.

History of the flag

The current territory of Liechtenstein is considered to have had human settlements for 5,300 years. Different cultures converged under Etruscan and Greek influence, until the Romans extended their rule in the area and occupied it from 58 BC after the Battle of Bibracte. The Roman province of Raetia was the political entity of which the territory was part.

The Roman Empire did not maintain a single symbol, but over time a vexillum, which was a vertical banner, became popular. This used to be composed of colors such as light brown or garnet, and maintained the SPQR inscription, which in Latin was the initials of the phrase Senate and Roman People, which synthesized the form of government of the empire.

Vexillum of the Roman Empire. (Ssolbergj)

Holy Roman German Empire

Germanic peoples haunted the area in the Middle Ages. In 504, the territory came under the domain of the Kingdom of the Franks, in the Merovingian era. After the death of Charlemagne, the territory became part of Eastern France, but later it was unified to end up forming the Holy Roman Empire at the beginning of the 12th century.

One of the first flags of the Holy Roman Empire was a red flag with a white cross that divided the flag into four quarters. This was used mainly in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.

Flag of the Holy Roman Empire. (XIV and XV centuries). (User: Madden).

From about 1410, the flag of the Holy Roman Empire changed, as it became more related to Germanic symbols. A yellow cloth on which a great imperial double-headed black eagle was imposed was the chosen flag. This became the best known flag of this European macro-state.

Flag of the Holy Roman Empire (since 1400). (I, N3MO).

Dynasties in Liechtenstein

Within the Holy Roman Empire itself there were different dynasties that held possession of the territory of Liechtenstein. First, there were the Savoys, then the Habsburgs, and finally the Hohenems. Later, the Liechtenstein dynasty was formed, whose name came from the Liechtenstein Castle in Austria.

This family became feudatory and by the 17th century, Charles I of Liechtenstein became a prince of the empire. Both the County of Vaduz and the Manor of Schellenberg achieved a status of broad autonomy.

Coats of arms of the County of Vaduz and Manor of Schellenberg

One of the first symbols referring directly to the territory of Liechtenstein were the shields that specifically represented the subnational entities maintained by the Holy Roman Empire.

In the case of Vaduz County, this was a predominantly red shield with a white symbol superimposed. This kept a rectangle in the upper part with three horizontal stripes that descend, the central one being the longest. Above the symbol and parallel with each of the descending stripes, three white circles were present.

Vaduz County Coat of Arms. (Nomadic1).

For its part, the shield of the Lordship of Schellenberg was much simpler. Although it also had the same traditional shape, its composition was thick horizontal stripes, alternating black and yellow.

Shield of the Manor of Schellenberg. (Nomadic1).

Birth of Liechtenstein

It was not until 1719, after the purchase of land from the emperor, that the County of Vaduz and the Lordship of Schellenberg approved their union within the empire to have a principality. The dynasty ruled the territory from outside and its hegemony remained until the Napoleonic Wars, in which France occupied it.

Since its inception in 1719, Liechtenstein has had a flag displaying the colors of the ruling monarchy. This consisted of a bicolor flag with two horizontal stripes, yellow and red.

Liechtenstein flag. (1719-1852). (arz).

Confederation of the Rhine

Later, in 1813, they were incorporated into the French-influenced Confederation of the Rhine. The Prince of Liechtenstein was part of it. This was a puppet state of the First French Empire that had formed around the figure of Napoleon Bonaparte.

It is assumed that the main symbol used by the Confederation of the Rhine was its commemorative shield or medal. In it, the figure of several warriors gathered in black is shown on a white background. At the bottom, the inscription Conféderation du Rhin, in French, was added.

Commemorative medal of the Confederation of the Rhine. (By Finanzer via Wikimedia Commons).

Germanic Confederation

The reduction of the Napoleonic dominion made shipwreck the project of the Confederation of the Rhine. After the establishment of the Congress of Vienna, in the year 1815, Liechtenstein was gotten up to the Germanic Confederation, governed by Austrian emperor.

The princes of Liechtenstein did not live there, as the first visit by a member of the prince's family occurred in 1818 by Louis II of Liechtenstein, who would become prince in 1836.

The Germanic confederation remained in force until 1866. After the revolutions of 1848, the monarchical absolutism that reigned was slightly modified. Formally, the Germanic Confederation did not maintain an official flag, although the origin of the current German tricolor is usually associated with the flag of this confederative entity.

Rise of the German tricolor in the Germanic Confederation

The rise of the German tricolor flag paralleled the growth of the ideal of the unification of Germany into one state. War veterans founded the Urburschenschaft fraternity in Jena in 1815.

Its flag was a tricolor of red, black and red bands, with a golden oak branch in the central part. That was the origin of the three colors of the German flag.

Those colors became the ones that symbolized German unification, but they were repressed, although at times like the Hambach Festival they became quite popular. It was not until the revolutions of 1848 that the colors became official, approved by the Parliament of Frankfurt am Main.

Flag of the Germanic Confederation. (1848-1852). (Sir Iain).

This parliament collapsed and with the restitution of the Germanic Confederation, the flag was once again suppressed. Later, the symbol was used in the war between Austria and Prussia.

Flag change of Liechtenstein during the Germanic Confederation

The colors blue and red to identify Liechtenstein were already common since the 18th century. These colors were first used by Prince Joseph Wenceslas in 1764. However, it was during the period of the Germanic Confederacy that the yellow and red flag was replaced by a blue and red one, arranged vertically.

This occurred because in 1852, the colors of the coat of arms were transferred to the flag. The origin of these colors could have been inspired by the uniform of the military of the princely court in the 18th century.

Liechtenstein flag. (1852-1921). (arz).

Horizontal stripes on the flag

As early as the 20th century, Liechtenstein remained neutral in both world wars. Its close relationship with Austria, which was defeated in World War I, made Liechtenstein more closely linked with its other neighbor, Switzerland, which has since pursued its diplomatic policy. After the First World War, the stripes of the country's flag change, going from being vertical to horizontal.

Liechtenstein flag. (1921-1937). (arz).

Change by coincidence with the flag of Haiti

The interwar period saw the most significant event related to the Liechtenstein flag in its history. Although the flag was officially established in the constitution approved in 1921, it changed in 1937. This was as a consequence of Liechtenstein's participation in the Olympic Games that were held in Berlin in 1936.

As a result of the competition, the European principality realized that its flag was the same as that of Haiti, a republic located in the Caribbean Sea. Given that, the government added the crown of the prince in the upper left corner in gold. The purpose and objective of this was to distinguish it from the Haitian and reinforce the monarchical character of the country's principality.

Liechtenstein flag. (1937-1982). (Own work).

Modifying the crown design

In 1982 the last change of the country's flag took place. The stripes and colors were retained, but the crown design changed. This happened to have more black contrasts that gave it more depth, even though its structure was maintained. Since then, the flag has not received any modifications.

Meaning of the flag

As with much of the European flags of monarchical origin, it is difficult to determine the meaning of the colors that led to them being incorporated into a national flag. In the case of Liechtenstein, the colors blue and red identified the ruling princes from their establishment.

However, over time, these have been redefined. In this way, with the approval of the new flag in 1937, the Prime Minister of Liechtenstein, Josef Hoop, declared that the blue color would represent the sky, while the red would be the embers of the country's chimneys that illuminate and heat their cold nights and late-night gatherings.

Finally, predictably, the crown added that year represents the country's monarchy and the nation itself. More specifically, this symbol is identified with the prince, his dynastic house, the unified heart of the country and the spirit of his people.

References

1. Crouch, A. (nd). Flag of Liechtenstein. Flag Institute. The UK's National Flag Charity. Recovered from flaginstitute.org.
2. Rainey, V. (July 24, 2012). Flag bearing: a potted history. Reuters. Recovered from reuters.com.
3. Smith, W. (2013). Flag of Liechtenstein. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. Recovered from britannica.com.
4. The Principality. (sf). Flag and coat of arms. The Principality. Liechtenstein. Recovered from liechtenstein.li.
5. The Principality. (sf). History: Early History, Creation of Liechtenstein, 20 ^th Century. The Principality. Liechtenstein. Recovered from liechtenstein.li.