Liechtenstein

Last modified: 2000-01-14 by antonio martins
Keywords: liechtenstein | europe | principality | haiti | olympic games | vertical hoisting | error | government flag | princely flag | coat of arms |
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• History and description of the flag
• Government flag
• Prince Standard
• Vertical variant
• Coat of arms

• Communes (gemeinden) of Liechstenstein
• Clickable map of Liechstenstein communes

• Flags at the Government site of the Liechtenstein
  reported by Arnaud Palac, 20 Aug 1998

The Lietchtensetein flag is both civil and national.
Jaume Ollé, 20 Aug 1998

This flag was adopted on 24 June 1937, when the crown was added. The plain blue over red was adopted on 5 October 1921. On 25 July 1957, a new law changed slighty the crown design. On 18 September 1982 the crown was modernised a little. Some sources say the proportions are 2:3, some say 3:5. In an alternate version the crown is turned 90 degrees (anti-clockwise) so it can be hung from a horizontal flag-staff.
Mark Sensen, 07 Nov 1995, and Jaume Ollé, 20 Aug 1998

It is regulated with four sizes: 2:3, 1:1, 1:1-pennant, and 4:13 swallow tail. (Source: [tfb])
Jaume Ollé, 24 Dec 1998

In the official flag book of Liechstenstein [kra82], the blue is the same for all flags, and the prince and government flags also 3:5, just like the national flag.
Pascal Vagnat, 12 Oct 1999

The state of Liechstenstein itself has a 3:1 (approx.) banner (two vertical stripes blue and red) and the crown appears on it, in the canton, and is still "horizontally".
Pascal Vagnat, 13 Apr 1999

During the 1936 Olympic games, the people of Liechtenstein saw a Haitian flag which looked like their own banner ... So, they decided to change their flag with the addition of the Prince’s crown.
Zeljko Heimer, 06 Dec 1997

On 18 September 1982 was created a flag with full arms in the center, for use of the royal family but with golden border in all the sides. Without border the flag is used by the government and dignataries.
Jaume Ollé, 20 Aug 1998

In first reports was named state flag, but later is clear that is not a State flag, but a flag for the government members. The state and the government are two different things.
Jaume Ollé, 21 Aug 1998

This flag is wrongly reported as the national flag of the Principality of Liechtenstein in a supplement to the National Geographic Atlas of the World, fifth edition, 1983.
Phillip Nelson, 20 Aug 1998, and Rickey Owens-Smith, 19 Aug 1998

In Dorling-Kindersley Pocket Book (1997) [udk97], the Prince Standard is shown as an horizontally divided blue/red with a golden border and the great coat of arms in the center. It is the only source mentioning it. Ivan Sache, 22 Dec 1998

If the height of the flag is 1, the width of the yellow border is ¹/₉th of the height of the flag, if the top and the bottom of the coat of arms touch or nearly touch the yellow border, then: the height of the coat of arms is equal to ca 1–¹/₉–¹/₉=⁷/₉ths of the height of the flag.
Pascal Vagnat, 14 Oct 1999

This flag is shown in Grossen Flaggenbuch (1939-1942) [neu39], Smith (1975) [smi75b], and Album des Pavillons (1998) [pay] as the Prince Standard. It is described in the official Liechtenstein site (http://www.firstlink.li/regierung/farben_land.htm) as the colours of the Princely Household: «Das Fürstenhaus führt mit Gold-Rot eigene Farben»
Ivan Sache, 22 Dec 1998

The yellow and red flag was established 1957 as the Royal flag, but was in use previously. In fact seems that it was the first flag of the principality, before the adoption of the blue-red (before 1800) and the colors are of the Royal house. It is regulated with four sizes: 2:3, 1:1, 1:1-pennant, and 4:13 swallow tail (same categories that the national flag). In 1982 was created a new royal flag (national one with yellow border and full arms in center) and the old royal flag was after this, for the rest of the members of Royal Family. (Source: [tfb])
Jaume Ollé, 24 Dec 1998

In the Grand Larousse Encyclopedique du XX^ème siècle (1929), the flag of Liechtenstein is shown as a vertically divided red/blue.
Ivan Sache, 22 Dec 1998

Previous to 1921 the national flag was used in vertical or horizontal but more frequently in horizontal, position adopted 1921. The vertical flag is not forbidden, but changed to a banner in windows and then the crow is rotated 90 degrees, the blue to right of the obsever; the official ratio for vertical use was 1:4. In 1957 (with the new crown rendition) the vertical flag was maintened but the blue was changed to the left of the observer (the crown must be always rotated 90 degrees). (Source: [tfb])
Jaume Ollé, 24 Dec 1998

Translated from http://www.firstlink.li/regierung/gr_kl_wappen.htm:

Shield quartered: first, or an eagle sable, crowned and armed gold, [langued gules], charged with a trefoiled crescent and a cross formy all argent (Silesia); second, fessy of eight or and sable, a crancelin in bend vert (Kuenringe); third, per pale argent and gules (Troppau); fourth, or a virgin eagle [approx. a crowned harpy] sable, crowned and armed or, headed argent (East Friesland or Rietberg). On a point azure, a [hunting] horn or (Jaegerndorf). Inescutcheon: per fess or and gules (Princely House of Liechtenstein). Mantle: prince’s mantle purpure [it looks gules though] doubled ermine, crowned with a prince’s crown [rimmed in ermine].