Bavaria |
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historical Flags: | ||
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Meaning/Origin of the Flag: |
The colours of Bavaria are white and blue. They correspond to the colours of the former Bavarian sovereign lineage of Wittelsbach. In the constitution of the country from the 2nd of December in 1946 became white and blue confirmed as colours of the country. |
The Bavarian flag was officially first and always the white-blue lozenged flag. However, in the in practice stripe-flags were used, even in the military, and especially from the era of Napoleon, where striped national or state flags became popular. But the striped flag with two equally wide horizontal stripes in white and blue was not formally introduced until the 11th of Sepmtember in 1878. The lozenge-flag has compulsory 21 diamonds and begins in the upper corner with a white lozenge. |
The lozenges are descended from the heraldry of the Counts of Bogen and are known since 1204. In the year 1242 they were given to the Wittelsbachers. In the year 1953 became the striped flag and the lozenged flag designated as state flags. There are none special official flag. Reproduction with coats of arms on the flags are not official. |
For Bavaria are officially approved two shades of blue: dark blue CMYK 100-60-0-0, light blue CMYK 100-15-0-0. On this website are just to express the difference the current flags are coloured in dark blue, and the historical flags in light blue. |
Source: World Statesmen, Discovery '97, Volker Preuss |
unofficial Flags: | |||
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The below flags are historically handed down, perhaps because they appeared in paintings and had been mentioned in descriptions, but they were never officially. Bavaria used officially (officially defined) always the lozenge-flag, and from 1878 the flag with two horizontal stripes in white and blue. | |||
Coats of Arms: | ||
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Source by: Heraldique Europeenne, Wikipedia (D), www.stmi.bayern.de, Volker Preuss | ||
Meaning/Origin of the Coats of Arms: |
The coat of arms of the
Kingdom of Bavaria is quartered with a heart shield in the middle. The first field shows a
golden lion with a red crown on black and stands for the Palatinate. The second field is
white and red in a zigzag cut divided (named "Frankish Rake") and stands for
Franconia. The third field shows two red-white posts a golden field between. It stands for
the Margrave County of Burgau. The fourth field shows a blue lion with a golden crown on
white ground. This is the Lion of Veldenz. It characterizes the finally ruling line of the
Wittelsbach dynasty and points out the origin of the royal family from a middle rhenish
dynastic lineage. The heart shield in the middle shows the blue and white lozenges. As shield holders serve until today two Bavarian lions, albeit they must have hand over their crowns after the year 1919. |
The coat of arms of the Free State of Bavaria was designed in 1923. The central shield with the lozenges was removed, and the lozenges were placed into the first field of the quartered blazon. The Palatinatian lion enters in this way from the first field into the second, the Frankish Rake changes from the second field into the third, the Spannheim lion was completely deleted, and instead of the poles of the ;argraveship of Burgau appear now the Hohenstaufen's black lions (Suebia) on golden ground. A crown covers the whole topside of the shield and is named "people's crown". |
The today's Bavarian arms is determined by the "Law on the coat of arms of the Free State of Bavaria" from 1950. There is only one lesser state emblem (lozenge shield with people's crown) and a large coat of arms (fourfold divided shield with heart shield and people's crown). The great coat of arms of the stete is always accompanied by two lions as supporters and shows since 1923 the "people's crown". |
The today's blazon equals now more the royal blazon from before the year 1919 because the central shield with the lozenges appears again, and field 1 (Palatinate, although ceded in 1945, stands now for the Upper Palatinate) and field 2 (Franconia) correspond. In the third field became adoped the Lions of Hohenstaufen (Suebia). In the fourth field a blue "Lion" on silver which actually is none. It is not a lion and not a panther but a "Pantier", a fable creature, a kind of dragon which shows in the mouth no red tongue but a red flame. The Pantier is often named "Lion of Sponheim". It has its roots in the sovereign lineage of Sponheim (=> hier klicken) and appears also in the coat of arms of Ingolstadt City. In the year 1260 the "Lion of Sponheim" was transfered to the House of Wittelsbach. In the todays Bavarian coat of arms it stands for Upper and Lower Bavaria (Old Bavaria). |
Source: Volker Preuss, Stephan Gorski |
Map: clickable map |
FRG and its countries: |
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Today's Bavaria appears on the map in blue, and the yellow border shows the boundaries of the Duchy of Bavaria at the end of the 10th century. |
Numbers and Facts: |
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Source: Wikipedia (D), Der Michel, Volker Preuss |
History: |
6th century to
788 · first Duchy of Bavaria 907937 · renewal of the Duchy of Bavaria 976 · the southeast of the Duchy of Bavaria is separated as Duchy of Carinthia 1070 · the House of the Guelphs (Welfen) gets the title of duke 1180 · Styria is separated from Bavaria as a duchy under the House of the Ottokars 1180 · beginning of the regency of the Wittelsbach Dynasty over the Duchy of Bavaria (to 1918) 1329 · division by heritage (inheritance) into Palatinate and (old) Bavaria 1356 · 'Golden Bull', the Palatinate becomes an electorate 14291503 · inheritances followed by divisions 1506 · introduction of primogeniture for the prevention of divisions of inheritances 1620 · Battle at the White Mountain, the Bavarian General Tilly suggests the Protestants and occupies soon after it the Palatinate 1623 · Duke Maximilian I. becomes levied to Elector, Upper Palatinate comes to Bavaria 1776 · the Bavarian line of the Wittelsbach Dynasty extincts, the Wittelsbach line of the Palatinate inherits the Electorate of Bavaria 1800 · invasion of French troops under Napoléon 1803 · unification of Bavaria and Palatinate under the Wittelsbach Dynasty (Palatinate line) 1805 · invasion of French troops under Napoléon, the Electorate of Bavaria comes on the side of France 1805 · the Austrian territories of Salzburg, Tyrol and Vorarlberg become annexed to Bavaria 1st of January 1806 · the Electorate of Bavaria becomes levied to a kingdom by Napoléon 12th of July 1806 · founding of the Rhine Confederation by Napoléon, Bavaria joines the Rhine Confederation and leaves among other members the Holy Roman Empire of German Nation on 1st of August in 1806 1810 · the Austrian Inn-River-Area becomes annexed to Bavaria 1813 · Bavaria turns away from Napoléon, Napoléon defeats at Leipzig in October 18141815 · Vienna Congress, reorganization of Europe after the Napoleonic era, Bavaria has to cede back its aqusitions from 1805 and 1810 1815 · Bavaria joines the German Confederation 1866 · Fratricidal War of Prussia against Austria, Bavaria is on the side of Austria and subjects 1871 · Bavaria joines the German Empire, with a special status (special rights for its own mail service, railway and army, and the right for own foreign representatives they were abolished in 1921, that at the Holy See in 1934) 1918 · overthrow of the monarchy 8th of November 1918 · proclamation of the Free State of Bavaria 1919 · communist coup, civil war 1920 · the Free State of Coburg becomes annexed to Bavaria after a referendum 1934 · the territorial structure of the states of the German Empire becomes replaced by the districts of the NSDAP, the countries become meaningless 1945 · USA occupation zone, separation of Palatinate 1949 · Bavaria becomes a state of the FRG |
Source: Atlas zur Geschichte, Wikipedia (D), Volker Preuss |
Origin of the Country's Name: |
The name "Bavaria" is derived from that in earlier times here living tribe of the "Bajuwaren". |
Source: Volker Preuss |
Kindly supported by: | Stephan Gorski (D) |