![Federal Cupola](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/Federal_Cupola.jpg)
Each of the 26 modern
cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland (german: Kanton; french: canton ; it, cantone; Sursilvan and Surmiran: ; Vallader and Puter: ; Sutsilvan: ; Rumantsch Grischun: ) are the member states of the Swiss Confederation. The nucleus of the Swiss Con ...
has an official flag and a coat of arms.
The history of development of these designs spans the 13th to the 20th centuries.
List
The cantons are listed in their order of precedence given in the federal constitution. This reflects the historical order of precedence of the
Eight Cantons
The Old Swiss Confederacy began as a late medieval alliance between the communities of the valleys in the Central Alps, at the time part of the Holy Roman Empire, to facilitate the management of common interests such as free trade and to ensure ...
in the 15th century, followed by the remaining cantons in the order of their historical accession to the confederacy.
''Standesfarben'' were used to identify the (historical) cantons when the full banner was not available for display, although there is overlap; Unterwalden and Solothurn share the same colours, as do Basel and Appenzell, and with the accession of the modern cantons, Valais and Basel-City, and St. Gallen and Thurgau.
[
Louis, Mühlemann, ''Wappen und Fahnen der Schweiz, 700 Jahre Confoederatio Helvetica'', Lengnau, 3rd ed. 1991.
]Swiss Armed Forces
The Swiss Armed Forces (german: Schweizer Armee, french: Armée suisse, it, Esercito svizzero, rm, Armada svizra; ) operates on land and in the air, serving as the primary armed forces of Switzerland. Under the country's militia system, re ...
, ''Fahnenreglement'', Reglement 51.340 d (2007
''Standesfarben'' listed for the ''Tagsatzung'' of 1807:
''Der aufrichtige und wohlerfahrene Schweizer-Bote'' 4 (1807)
190f.
/ref>
Heraldic charges
Of the 26 cantons since 1999 (22 cantons in 1848, accession of Jura in 1979, three half-cantons designated "canton" in 1999):
*six flags are simple bicolor designs, ''per fess'' (Lucerne, Fribourg, Solothurn, Ticino), ''per bend'' (Zürich) or with a central ''bend'' (Zug). The coats of arms of Ticino and Lucerne have the peculiarity that they are ''per pale'' even though the flags are ''per fess''.
*eight flags with heraldic animals:
**the bear for Bern
german: Berner(in)french: Bernois(e) it, bernese
, neighboring_municipalities = Bremgarten bei Bern, Frauenkappelen, Ittigen, Kirchlindach, Köniz, Mühleberg, Muri bei Bern, Neuenegg, Ostermundigen, Wohlen bei Bern, Zollikofen
, website ...
and for Appenzell
Appenzell is a historic canton in the northeast of Switzerland, and entirely surrounded by the canton of St. Gallen.
Appenzell became independent of the Abbey of Saint Gall in 1403 and entered a league with the Old Swiss Confederacy in 1411, ...
(both Innerrhoden and Ausserrhoden)
**the bull for Uri Uri may refer to:
Places
* Canton of Uri, a canton in Switzerland
* Úri, a village and commune in Hungary
* Uri, Iran, a village in East Azerbaijan Province
* Uri, Jammu and Kashmir, a town in India
* Uri (island), an island off Malakula Islan ...
**the ram for Schaffhausen
Schaffhausen (; gsw, Schafuuse; french: Schaffhouse; it, Sciaffusa; rm, Schaffusa; en, Shaffhouse) is a list of towns in Switzerland, town with historic roots, a municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in northern Switzerland, and the ...
**the ibex for Graubünden (at the time only one of three coats of arms shown side by side for the Three Leagues
The Three Leagues, sometimes referred to as Raetia, was the alliance of 1471 of the League of God's House, the League of the Ten Jurisdictions, and the Grey League, leading eventually to the formation of the Swiss canton of Graubünden (Grisons) ...
)
**the eagle (Reichsadler
The ' ("Imperial Eagle") is the heraldic eagle, derived from the Roman eagle standard, used by the Holy Roman Emperors and in modern coats of arms of Germany, including those of the Second German Empire (1871–1918), the Weimar Republic (1919 ...
) for Geneva
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
**two lions for Thurgau
Thurgau (; french: Thurgovie; it, Turgovia), anglicized as Thurgovia, more formally the Canton of Thurgau, is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of five districts and its capital is Frauenfeld.
Thurgau is part ...
*three with the bishop's crozier or ''Baselstab'', for Basel
, french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese
, neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS ...
(Basel-City and Basel-Country) and Jura
*three with a key (Keys of Heaven
The Keys of Heaven, also called Saint Peter's keys, refers to the metaphorical keys of the office of Saint Peter, the keys of Heaven, or the keys of the kingdom of Heaven. It is explicitly referenced in the Bible in Matthew 16:19.
In Catholicis ...
), for Unterwalden
Unterwalden, translated from the Latin ''inter silvas''(''between the forests''), is the old name of a forest-canton of the Old Swiss Confederacy in central Switzerland, south of Lake Lucerne, consisting of two valleys or ''Talschaften'', now t ...
(both Obwalden and Nidwalden) and for Geneva
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
*two cantons show the Swiss cross
The national flag of Switzerland (german: Schweizerfahne; french: drapeau de la Suisse; it, bandiera svizzera; rm, bandiera da la Svizra) displays a white cross in the centre of a square red field. The white cross is known as the Swiss cross ...
, for Schwyz
The town of Schwyz (; french: Schwytz; it, Svitto) is the capital of the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland.
The Federal Charter of 1291 or ''Bundesbrief'', the charter that eventually led to the foundation of Switzerland, can be seen at the '' ...
on solid red, and for Neuchâtel
, neighboring_municipalities= Auvernier, Boudry, Chabrey (VD), Colombier, Cressier, Cudrefin (VD), Delley-Portalban (FR), Enges, Fenin-Vilars-Saules, Hauterive, Saint-Blaise, Savagnier
, twintowns = Aarau (Switzerland), Besançon (France), ...
in the corner of the "revolutionary" tricolour
*two with stars, Valais
Valais ( , , ; frp, Valês; german: Wallis ), more formally the Canton of Valais,; german: Kanton Wallis; in other official Swiss languages outside Valais: it, (Canton) Vallese ; rm, (Chantun) Vallais. is one of the cantons of Switzerland, 26 ...
and Aargau
Aargau, more formally the Canton of Aargau (german: Kanton Aargau; rm, Chantun Argovia; french: Canton d'Argovie; it, Canton Argovia), is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of eleven districts and its capita ...
, the latter with additional wavy lines representing rivers
*two with letters
Letter, letters, or literature may refer to:
Characters typeface
* Letter (alphabet), a character representing one or more of the sounds used in speech; any of the symbols of an alphabet.
* Letterform, the graphic form of a letter of the alphabe ...
for Appenzell Ausserrhoden
Appenzell Ausserrhoden (; in English sometimes Appenzell Outer Rhodes) (german: Kanton Appenzell Ausserrhoden; rm, Chantun Appenzell Dadora; french: Canton d'Appenzell Rhodes-Extérieures; it, Canton Appenzello Esterno) is one of the 26 canton ...
(VR for ''Ussere Rhoden'') and Vaud
Vaud ( ; french: (Canton de) Vaud, ; german: (Kanton) Waadt, or ), more formally the canton of Vaud, is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of ten districts and its capital city is Lausanne. Its coat of arms b ...
(inscription 'Liberté et Patrie').
*the image of a pilgrim (Saint Fridolin
In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...
) for Glarus
, neighboring_municipalities= Glarus Nord, Glarus Süd, Muotathal (SZ), Innerthal (SZ)
, twintowns= Wiesbaden-Biebrich (Germany)
}
Glarus (; gsw, Glaris; french: Glaris; it, Glarona; rm, Glaruna) is the capital of the canton of Glarus in S ...
*the ''fasces
Fasces ( ; ; a ''plurale tantum'', from the Latin word ''fascis'', meaning "bundle"; it, fascio littorio) is a bound bundle of wooden rods, sometimes including an axe (occasionally two axes) with its blade emerging. The fasces is an Italian symbo ...
'' for St. Gallen
Distinctively, Swiss cantons use square flags.
History
Historically, the number of cantons was:
* eight from 1352 to 1481, see Eight Cantons
The Old Swiss Confederacy began as a late medieval alliance between the communities of the valleys in the Central Alps, at the time part of the Holy Roman Empire, to facilitate the management of common interests such as free trade and to ensure ...
* thirteen from 1513 to 1798, see Thirteen Cantons
The early modern history of the Old Swiss Confederacy (''Eidgenossenschaft'', also known as the "Swiss Republic" or ''Republica Helvetiorum'') and its constituent Thirteen Cantons encompasses the time of the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) ...
* twenty during the time of the Helvetic Republic
The Helvetic Republic (, , ) was a sister republic of France that existed between 1798 and 1803, during the French Revolutionary Wars. It was created following the French invasion and the consequent dissolution of the Old Swiss Confederacy, ma ...
, from 1798 to 1803, without official flags or coats of arms
* twenty-two from 1848 to 1978, including three cantons divided into two half-canton
The 26 cantons of Switzerland (german: Kanton; french: canton ; it, cantone; Sursilvan and Surmiran: ; Vallader and Puter: ; Sutsilvan: ; Rumantsch Grischun: ) are the member states of the Swiss Confederation. The nucleus of the Swiss Confe ...
s each
* twenty-three from 1979 to 1999, due to the secession of the canton of Jura
The Republic and Canton of Jura (french: République et canton du Jura), less formally the Canton of Jura or Canton Jura ( , ), is the newest (founded in 1979) of the 26 Swiss cantons, located in the northwestern part of Switzerland. The capita ...
from Bern.
Nidwalden and Obwalden form traditional subdivisions of Unterwalden
Unterwalden, translated from the Latin ''inter silvas''(''between the forests''), is the old name of a forest-canton of the Old Swiss Confederacy in central Switzerland, south of Lake Lucerne, consisting of two valleys or ''Talschaften'', now t ...
. Basel-Stadt and Basel-Landschaft, as well as Appenzell Inner- and Ausserrhoden, are half cantons, resulting from the division of Basel
, french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese
, neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS ...
and Appenzell
Appenzell is a historic canton in the northeast of Switzerland, and entirely surrounded by the canton of St. Gallen.
Appenzell became independent of the Abbey of Saint Gall in 1403 and entered a league with the Old Swiss Confederacy in 1411, ...
, respectively.
The Swiss Federal Constitution
The Federal Constitution of the Swiss Confederation (SR 10; german: Bundesverfassung der Schweizerischen Eidgenossenschaft (BV); french: Constitution fédérale de la Confédération suisse (Cst.); it, Costituzione federale della Confederaz ...
of 1999 abandoned the use of the term "half-canton" as an official designation, so that the official number of cantons became 26 - the former half-cantons being now referred to as "cantons with half a cantonal vote" officially, even though they are still commonly referred to as" half-cantons".
With the exception of Lucerne, Schwyz and Ticino, the cantonal flags are simply transposed versions of the cantonal coats of arms. In case of Lucerne and Ticino, whose flags consist of fields of different colours divided per fess (horizontally), the coats of arms are of the same colours divided per pale (vertically). The coat of arms of Schwyz has the cross moved from the (hoist) canton to the sinister canton with respect to the flag.
The coats of arms of the Thirteen Cantons
The early modern history of the Old Swiss Confederacy (''Eidgenossenschaft'', also known as the "Swiss Republic" or ''Republica Helvetiorum'') and its constituent Thirteen Cantons encompasses the time of the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) ...
are based on medieval signs, originating as war flag
A war flag, also known as a military flag, battle flag, or standard, is a variant of a national flag for use by a country's military forces when on land. The nautical equivalent is a naval ensign. Under the strictest sense of the term, few countri ...
s and as emblems used on seals.
For war flags, a distinction was made between ''Banner'' and ''Fähnlein'', the former was the large war flag used only in the case of a full levy of cantonal troops for a major operation. The latter was a smaller flag used for minor military expeditions. The ''Banner'' was considered a sacred possession, usually kept in a church. Losing the banner to an enemy force was a great shame and invited mockery from other cantons.
Pope Julius II
Pope Julius II ( la, Iulius II; it, Giulio II; born Giuliano della Rovere; 5 December 144321 February 1513) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1503 to his death in February 1513. Nicknamed the Warrior Pope or the ...
in recognition of the support he received from Swiss mercenaries
The Swiss mercenaries (german: Reisläufer) were a powerful infantry force constituted by professional soldiers originating from the cantons of the Old Swiss Confederacy. They were notable for their service in foreign armies, especially among th ...
against France
in 1512 granted the Swiss the title of ''Ecclesiasticae libertatis defensores'' and gave them two large banners, besides a blessed sword and hat
The blessed sword ( la, ensis benedictus, it, stocco benedetto or ') and the blessed hat (also: ducal hat, la, pileus or ', it, berrettone pontificio or ') were a gift offered by popes to Catholic monarchs or other secular recipients in recogni ...
. Papal legate Matthias Schiner in addition gave to the Swiss cantons and their associates a total of 42 costly silk banners with
augmentations, the so-called ''Juliusbanner
The ''Juliusbanner'' ("Julius banners") are elaborate silk banners given to the cantons and other entities of the Old Swiss Confederacy by Pope Julius II in 1512, in recognition of the support he received from Swiss mercenaries against France in ...
''.
Some of these banners survive, of the cantonal ones notably those of Zürich and Solothurn.
The fashion of arranging cantonal insignia in shields ('' escutcheons'') as coats of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its wh ...
arises in the late 15th century.
The ''Tagsatzung
The Federal Diet of Switzerland (german: Tagsatzung, ; french: Diète fédérale; it, Dieta federale) was the legislative and executive council of the Old Swiss Confederacy and existed in various forms from the beginnings of Swiss independen ...
'' in Baden was presented with stained glass representations of all cantons in ca. 1501.
In these designs, two cantonal ''escutcheons'' were shown side by side, below a shield bearing the Imperial Eagle
The eagle is used in heraldry as a charge, as a supporter, and as a crest. Heraldic eagles can be found throughout world history like in the Achaemenid Empire or in the present Republic of Indonesia. The European post-classical symbolism of the ...
and a crown, flanked by two banner-bearers.
Based on these, there arose a tradition of representing cantonal arms in stained glass ('' Standesscheiben''), alive throughout the early modern period and continued in the modern state.
File:Ingeram Codex 082.jpg, Depiction of the coat of arms of six of the Eight Cantons (omitting Zürich and Bern, but adding Solothurn and Appenzell) in a 1459 manuscript made for Albert VI, Archduke of Austria
Albert VIKonstantin Moritz A. Langmaier: Erzherzog Albrecht VI. von Österreich (1418–1463). Ein Fürst im Spannungsfeld von Dynastie, Regionen und Reich (= Forschungen zur Kaiser- und Papstgeschichte des Mittelalters. Bd. 38). Böhlau, Köln ...
. The text denounces "the Swiss" as "faithless vassals" who hold their territories illegally.
File:Patenpfennig Stampfer 1547 obv.jpg, The coats of arms of the Thirteen Cantons
The early modern history of the Old Swiss Confederacy (''Eidgenossenschaft'', also known as the "Swiss Republic" or ''Republica Helvetiorum'') and its constituent Thirteen Cantons encompasses the time of the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) ...
as shown on the "baptismal medal" or ''Patenpfennig'' presented by the Confederacy to Princess Claude of Valois (by Jacob Stampfer
Hans Jakob Stampfer (1505/6– 2 July 1579) was a gold smith and medalist of Zürich in the age of Heinrich Bullinger, Bullinger (antistes 1531–1575).
He was the son of gold smith Hans Ulrich Stampfer and of Regula Funk and learned the sa ...
of Zürich (1547).
File:Muzeum Sułkowskich - Zabytkowy Witraż.jpg, ''Standesscheibe'' of Unterwalden
Unterwalden, translated from the Latin ''inter silvas''(''between the forests''), is the old name of a forest-canton of the Old Swiss Confederacy in central Switzerland, south of Lake Lucerne, consisting of two valleys or ''Talschaften'', now t ...
(1564)
File:13 cantons 1577.png, Depiction of the coats of arms of the Thirteen Cantons
The early modern history of the Old Swiss Confederacy (''Eidgenossenschaft'', also known as the "Swiss Republic" or ''Republica Helvetiorum'') and its constituent Thirteen Cantons encompasses the time of the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) ...
(title page of ''La Republique des Suisses'' by Josias Simmler
Josias Simmler (Josiah Simler; la, Iosias Simlerus) (6 November 1530 – 2 July 1576) was a Swiss theologian and classicist, author of the first book relating solely to the Alps.
Life
The son of the former prior of the Cistercian convent of ...
, printed in 1577)
File:Siebmacher222.jpg, Coats of arms of the Thirteen Cantons as part of a larger collection of coats of arms of free cities by Johann Siebmacher (1605).
File:Merian Topographia 1642 title.png, Depiction of the coats of arms of the thirteen cantons and their associates, printed in 1642.
File:Zentralbibliothek Solothurn - SCHWEIZERISCHE EIDGENOSSENSCHAFT MDCCCXV - aa0710.tif, Print of a ''Wappenscheibe'' of the 22 coats of arms of the restored Swiss Confederacy
The periods of Restoration and Regeneration in Swiss history lasted from 1814 to 1847. "Restoration" is the period of 1814 to 1830, the restoration of the ''Ancien Régime'' ( federalism), reverting the changes imposed by Napoleon Bonaparte on ...
(1815)
File:Stammbaum CH Kantone.jpg, Depiction of the coats of arms (including half-cantons) as they stood in 1912.
Zürich
The flag of Zürich is derived from a blue-and-white design attested since the 1220s, the diagonal division of the flag is first attested 1389.
The flag of Zürich was adorned by a red Schwenkel since 1273. This was regarded as a mark of sovereignty and honour by the people of Zürich, but the Schwenkel was otherwise used as a mark of "shame", identifying replacement flags used after a real flag was captured by an enemy
This led to a misunderstanding after the Battle of Nancy
The Battle of Nancy was the final and decisive battle of the Burgundian Wars, fought outside the walls of Nancy on 5 January 1477 by Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, against René II, Duke of Lorraine, and the Swiss Confederacy.
René's ...
, when the Duke of Lorraine removed the Schwenkel from the Zürich flag, stating that with the present victory, Zürich had "erased its shame". The perplexed Zürich troops later quietly re-attached the Schwenkel.
Zürich attached the Swiss cross
The national flag of Switzerland (german: Schweizerfahne; french: drapeau de la Suisse; it, bandiera svizzera; rm, bandiera da la Svizra) displays a white cross in the centre of a square red field. The white cross is known as the Swiss cross ...
in the red Schwenkel rather than in the main flag, and this may have contributed to the development of the flag of Switzerland
The national flag of Switzerland (german: Schweizerfahne; french: drapeau de la Suisse; it, bandiera svizzera; rm, bandiera da la Svizra) displays a white cross in the centre of a square red field. The white cross is known as the Swiss cross ...
(placing the white cross in a red field by default).
File:Banner Zuerich 1585.jpg, Depiction of the flag with Schwenkel ( Humbert Mareschet, 1585)
File:Wappen Zuerich farbig.jpg, Heraldic depiction of Zürich as an imperial city
In the Holy Roman Empire, the collective term free and imperial cities (german: Freie und Reichsstädte), briefly worded free imperial city (', la, urbs imperialis libera), was used from the fifteenth century to denote a self-ruling city that ...
(Murerplan
The Murerplan is a map of Zürich, printed in 1576 by Jos Murer (1530-1580).
It was combined from six pearwood plates measuring 45 cm squared each. A smaller extra plate was made for the Grossmünster, which would otherwise have been divided ...
, 1576)
Bern
The city of Bern
german: Berner(in)french: Bernois(e) it, bernese
, neighboring_municipalities = Bremgarten bei Bern, Frauenkappelen, Ittigen, Kirchlindach, Köniz, Mühleberg, Muri bei Bern, Neuenegg, Ostermundigen, Wohlen bei Bern, Zollikofen
, website ...
is a Zähringer foundation of 1160. In the 13th century, its flag showed a black bear in a white field, changed to the current red-and-yellow diagonal arrangement in 1289.
Bern also had a war flag with a simple red-and-black horizontal division. The cantonal colours remain red and black.
Lucerne
The blue-and-white flag is attested from 1386.
The vertical division of the coat or arms has been explained as due to a gonfalon
The gonfalon, gonfanon, gonfalone (from the early Italian language, Italian ''confalone'') is a type of heraldic flag or banner, often pointed, swallow-tailed, or with several streamers, and suspended from a crossbar in an identical manner to t ...
type of banner used by Lucerne, hung from a horizontal crossbar, which was also used as a flagstaff, so that the flag was turned by 90 degrees when carried in battle.
Uri
The flag originates in the 13th century. It was carried in the battles of Morgarten (1315) and Laupen (1339). One 14th century flag is preserved in the town hall of Altdorf.
Schwyz
Schwyz used a solid red war flag (Blutbanner
High, middle and low justices are notions dating from Western feudalism to indicate descending degrees of judicial power to administer justice by the maximal punishment the holders could inflict upon their subjects and other dependents.
Low just ...
) from 1240.
From the 14th century, a depiction of the crucifixion was sometimes shown on the flag.
Pope Sixtus IV
Pope Sixtus IV ( it, Sisto IV: 21 July 1414 – 12 August 1484), born Francesco della Rovere, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 August 1471 to his death in August 1484. His accomplishments as pope include ...
confirmed this addition in 1480, stating explicitly that the crown of thorns and the nails (Arma Christi
Arma Christi ("weapons of Christ"), or the Instruments of the Passion, are the objects associated with the Passion of Jesus Christ in Christian symbolism and art. They are seen as arms in the sense of heraldry, and also as the weapons Christ ...
) should be shown.
The coat of arms remained solid red throughout the 16th to 18th centuries, but from the 17th century in depictions in print (in black and white), the cross was sometimes shown.
The modern design of flag and coat of arms with the cross in one corner dates to 1815. The precise definition of the proportions of the cross dates to 1963.
File:Blutfahne.svg, The Blutbanner
High, middle and low justices are notions dating from Western feudalism to indicate descending degrees of judicial power to administer justice by the maximal punishment the holders could inflict upon their subjects and other dependents.
Low just ...
File:Museum SH Wappenscheibe 5.jpg, Standesscheibe of Schwyz (1586), showing the solid red coat of arms
Unterwalden
The flag Unterwalden
Unterwalden, translated from the Latin ''inter silvas''(''between the forests''), is the old name of a forest-canton of the Old Swiss Confederacy in central Switzerland, south of Lake Lucerne, consisting of two valleys or ''Talschaften'', now t ...
, as the canton itself, has a complicated history, on one hand due to the rivalry of the constituent half-cantons Obwalden
Obwalden, also Obwald (german: Kanton Obwalden, rm, Chantun Sursilvania; french: Canton d'Obwald; it, Canton Obvaldo), is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of seven municipalities and the seat of the govern ...
and Nidwalden
Nidwalden, also Nidwald (german: Kanton Nidwalden, ; rm, Chantun Sutsilvania; french: Canton de Nidwald; it, Canton Nidvaldo) is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of eleven municipalities and the seat of the ...
, and on the other because its historical flag was identical to that of Solothurn
Solothurn ( , ; french: Soleure ; it, Soletta ; rm, ) is a List of towns in Switzerland, town, a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality, and the Capital (political), capital of the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. It is located in the n ...
.
The war flag of Obwalden was plain red and white, first recorded in 1309.
Nidwalden tended to be dominated by Obwalden and usually fought under the same banner.
A single key was used in the seal of Nidwalden from the mid 13th century.
This seal was used for both Obwalden and Nidwalden (i.e. the united canton of Unterwalden) during the early 14th century. The addition et vallis superioris "and the upper valley" was scratched into the seal to reflect this.
At this point, there was a seal (with the key) and a war flag (red-and-white), but no coat of arms.
From ca. 1360, Obwalden and Nidwalden were separated into two independent territories, while keeping a single vote in the confederate diet. Because of the "and the upper valley" addition scratched into the seal, Nidwalden began using a new seal of its own, and the seal of Unterwalden, formerly the seal of Nidwalden, now was used by Obwalden. The seal of Nidwalden now showed St. Peter with his keys.
Nidwalden began using the double-key as a design on its war flag from the early 15th century.
The red-and-white flag of Unterwalden was now also the flag of Obwalden if both half-cantons were to be represented separately.
This was the situation as the fashion of coats of arms was introduced in the late 15th century.
The early Standesscheiben of the first decade of the 16th century show
the double-key as the coat of arms and flag of Nidwalden, while Obwalden has the red-and-white design in both its flag and its coat of arms.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the coat of arms of the combined canton of Unterwalden came to be depicted as a superposition of the red-and-white flag of Obwalden and the double-key of Nidwalden.
Only in the mid 18th century does the single-key symbol (taken from the 13th-century seal) appear occasionally in coats of arms of Obwalden.
This design was introduced as the official coats of arms of Obwalden in 1816, and the same design came gradually into use also for the flag of Obwalden, which also resolved the problem of the Obwalden flag being identical to that of Solothurn.
Glarus
The flag of Glarus
, neighboring_municipalities= Glarus Nord, Glarus Süd, Muotathal (SZ), Innerthal (SZ)
, twintowns= Wiesbaden-Biebrich (Germany)
}
Glarus (; gsw, Glaris; french: Glaris; it, Glarona; rm, Glaruna) is the capital of the canton of Glarus in S ...
ultimately goes back to a banner of Saint Fridolin
In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...
used in the Battle of Näfels
The Battle of Näfels was fought on 9 April 1388 between the Canton of Glarus, supported by its allies of the Old Swiss Confederation, and the Duchy of Austria ruled by the House of Habsburg. It was a decisive victory for Glarus, which achieved i ...
in 1388, because the former banner of Glarus had been captured by the people of Rapperswil
Rapperswil ( Swiss German: or ;Andres Kristol, ''Rapperswil SG (See)'' in: ''Dictionnaire toponymique des communes suisses – Lexikon der schweizerischen Gemeindenamen – Dizionario toponomastico dei comuni svizzeri (DTS, LSG)'', Centre de dia ...
in a previous raid.
After this, Glarus used the image of the saint in its banners. During the 15th and 16th century, these images varied considerably. Only by the beginning 17th century a standard design was established, showing the Saint as a pilgrim in silver on a red field.
The modern design shows the pilgrim in black, inspired by a banner shown in Glarus claimed as the original banner of 1388.
The current official design dates to 1959.
File:Fridolins-Banner.jpg, Flag of St. Fridolin, on exhibit in the Glarus cantonal museum, Näfels
Näfels is a former municipality in the canton of Glarus in Switzerland. Effective from 1 January 2011, Näfels is part of the municipality of Glarus Nord.
History
Näfels is first mentioned in 1240 as ''Nevels''.
In 1388, the Swiss Confederate ...
.
File:Glarus coa 1605.jpg, Coat of arms of Glarus in 1605
Zug
First recorded in 1319.
Fribourg
The oldest seal of the city dates to 1225 and shows the Zähringer coat of arms.
Fribourg became independent from the Duchy of Savoy
The Duchy of Savoy ( it, Ducato di Savoia; french: Duché de Savoie) was a country in Western Europe that existed from 1416.
It was created when Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, raised the County of Savoy into a duchy for Amadeus VIII. The duc ...
in 1477.
The adoption of the black and white banner dates to this period, first recorded in 1478.
In the 17th century, the city coat of arms is shown as quartered, with the city's black and white
in the 1st and 4th quarters, and three towers in white on a blue field in the 2nd and 3rd quarters.
The cantonal colours in the 17th and 18th century, and into the early 19th century, are black and blue, while the coat of arms is shown as white and black.
In 1830, the canton of Friburg adopts black and white for the cantonal coat of arms and as cantonal colours.
Solothurn
1443 (1394?)
Basel
The peculiar heraldic shape of the crozier (the ''Baselstab'' or "Basel staff") dates to the 13th century, used in the seals of the bishops of Basel
The beginning of the succession of bishops of Basel is shrouded in legend. The first, St. Pantalus, eludes historical documentation. He is supposed to have been martyred at Cologne with Saint Ursula, who is herself difficult to locate historica ...
.
It was introduced as heraldic emblem in 1385. From this time, the Baselstab in black represented the city, and the same emblem in red represented the bishop.
The staff represented was based on an actual artefact, a gilded staff recorded for the 12th century.
It is of unknown origin or significance (beyond its obvious status of bishop's crozier), but it is assumed to have represented a relic, possibly attributed to Saint Germanus of Granfelden
Saint Germanus of Granfelden (* ca. 612 in Trier; † 675 near Moutier (today in canton of Bern, Switzerland) was the first abbot of Moutier-Grandval Abbey.
''Vita''
The "Life" of Saint Germanus appears in the eleventh century " Codex of Saint-Gal ...
.
The banner of the city of Basel with the same design was introduced in the early 15th century, as the city gained greater independence from the ruling bishops of Basel
The beginning of the succession of bishops of Basel is shrouded in legend. The first, St. Pantalus, eludes historical documentation. He is supposed to have been martyred at Cologne with Saint Ursula, who is herself difficult to locate historica ...
.
The flag and coat of arms of Basel-Landschaft
Basel-Landschaft or Basel-Country informally known as Baselland or Baselbiet (; german: Kanton Basel-Landschaft ; rm, Chantun Basilea-Champagna; french: Canton de Bâle-Campagne; it, Canton Basilea Campagna), is one of the 26 cantons forming ...
was introduced in 1834, from the coat of arms of Liestal
Liestal (, Standard ), formerly spelled Liesthal, is the capital of Liestal District and the canton of Basel-Landschaft in Switzerland, south of Basel.
Liestal is an industrial town with a cobbled-street Old Town.
The official language of Li ...
.
It represents red Baselstab historically used by the bishops, but with the addition of seven crockets
A crocket (or croquet) is a small, independent decorative element common in Gothic architecture. The name derives from the diminutive of the French ''croc'', meaning "hook", due to the resemblance of crockets to a bishop's crosier.
Description
...
(''Krabben'', in local dialect also dubbed ''Siebedupf'') and turned to face sinister, representing the secession and "facing away" from the city.
Schaffhausen
The flag is documented from 1218. The crown was added to the ram in 1512. The ram was originally rampant
In heraldry, the term attitude describes the ''position'' in which a figure (animal or human) is emblazoned as a charge, a supporter, or as a crest. The attitude of an heraldic figure always precedes any reference to the tincture of the figure ...
with only the rear left hoof on the ground, but in the 1940s this was changed to the salient position with both rear hooves on the ground.
Appenzell
The flag is based on that of the Abbot of St. Gallen, who was the feudal lord of Appenzell until 1403. The flag of the abbey showed a bear on a yellow field, and the independent territory Appenzell changed the field to white for its own flag.
Before its independence, Appenzell had a flag of a bear statant (on all fours) on a honeycombed field, attested from 1377.
Appenzell split into its two half-cantons as a result of the Swiss Reformation
The Protestant Reformation in Switzerland was promoted initially by Huldrych Zwingli, who gained the support of the magistrate, Mark Reust, and the population of Zürich in the 1520s. It led to significant changes in civil life and state matte ...
, in 1597.
The letters
Letter, letters, or literature may refer to:
Characters typeface
* Letter (alphabet), a character representing one or more of the sounds used in speech; any of the symbols of an alphabet.
* Letterform, the graphic form of a letter of the alphabe ...
V and R in the Ausserrhoden flag stand for ''Ussere Rhoden'' "outer districts" (V representing /u/).
The oldest representation of the letters is found on a flag, presumably of the 17th century and known to have been in use in 1743.
On this flag, the bear is facing away from the hoist, with the letters V and R on the hoist side, behind the bear's back. Above the V is the inscription ''SOLI'', corresponding to a lost ''DEO GLORIA'' on the reverse side. Other military flags with the V and R on either side of the bear are known from the late 18th century.
St. Gallen
The coat of arms of the city of St. Gallen
, neighboring_municipalities = Eggersriet, Gaiserwald, Gossau, Herisau (AR), Mörschwil, Speicher (AR), Stein (AR), Teufen (AR), Untereggen, Wittenbach
, twintowns = Liberec (Czech Republic)
, website ...
like the cantonal coat of arms of Appenzell since the 14th century has shown the bear taken from the flag of the abbot of St. Gall. But the canton of St. Gallen is unrelated to the historical territory of its eponymous capital, having been patched together from eight unrelated territories of other Cantons in 1798.
The cantonal arms and flag are an original design by David von Gonzenbach, created in 1803.
In the original design, the weapon contained in the fasces was a halberd
A halberd (also called halbard, halbert or Swiss voulge) is a two-handed pole weapon that came to prominent use during the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries. The word ''halberd'' is cognate with the German word ''Hellebarde'', deriving from ...
, but this was changed to the axe in 1843. There were a number of other design changes during the 20th century; from the 1930s until 1951, a black Swiss cross was placed on the axe blade to avoid association with the fasces as used as a symbol of Italian fascism.
Grisons
The flag of Grisons
The Grisons () or Graubünden,Names include:
*german: (Kanton) Graubünden ;
* Romansh:
** rm, label= Sursilvan, (Cantun) Grischun
** rm, label=Vallader, (Chantun) Grischun
** rm, label= Puter, (Chantun) Grischun
** rm, label=Surmiran, (Cant ...
was adopted in 1933.
From 1815 to 1933, the canton had used various combinations of the three coats of arms of the historical Three Leagues
The Three Leagues, sometimes referred to as Raetia, was the alliance of 1471 of the League of God's House, the League of the Ten Jurisdictions, and the Grey League, leading eventually to the formation of the Swiss canton of Graubünden (Grisons) ...
. The modern design combines simplified versions of the historical coats of arms.[Pieth, F., Coaz, C., Jörger, J.B., "Die Bündner Wappenfrage : Gutachten der Historisch-Antiquarischen Gesellschaft, des Kunstvereins und der Vereinigung für Heimatschutz", ''Bündnerisches Monatsblatt : Zeitschrift für bündnerische Geschichte, Landes- und Volkskunde'' 10 (1931), .]
A combined coat of arms with the same division of the shield as in the modern version (but with the position of the leagues of God's House and of the Ten Jurisdiction reversed) is already found on the ''Patenpfenning'' minted by Jacob Stampfer
Hans Jakob Stampfer (1505/6– 2 July 1579) was a gold smith and medalist of Zürich in the age of Heinrich Bullinger, Bullinger (antistes 1531–1575).
He was the son of gold smith Hans Ulrich Stampfer and of Regula Funk and learned the sa ...
in 1547.
File:Wappen Gotteshausbund.svg, Arms of the League of God's House
The League of God's House (German: ''Gotteshausbund'', Italian: ''Lega Caddea'', rm, ) was formed in what is now Switzerland on 29 January 1367, to resist the rising power of the Bishopric of Chur and the House of Habsburg. The League allied wi ...
File:Wappen Grauer Bund2.svg, Arms of the Grey League
The Grey League (german: Grauer Bund, it, Lega Grigia, rm, Ligia Grischa or ), sometimes called ''Oberbund'', formed in 1395 in the ''Vorderrhein'' and '' Hinterrhein'' valleys, Raetia. The name Grey League is derived from the homespun grey cl ...
File:Wappen Zehngerichtebund2.svg, Arms of the League of the Ten Jurisdictions
The League of the Ten Jurisdictions was the last of the Three Leagues founded during the Middle Ages in what is now Canton Graubünden of Switzerland. The League was created in the County of Toggenburg after the counts of Toggenburg died out. ...
Aargau
Aargau (Argovia
Aargau, more formally the Canton of Aargau (german: Kanton Aargau; rm, Chantun Argovia; french: Canton d'Argovie; it, Canton Argovia), is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of eleven districts and its capita ...
) is the ancient name of the march between Alemannia and Burgundy
Burgundy (; french: link=no, Bourgogne ) is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. The c ...
, but it never was an independent canton historically. Since 1712, the territory of the modern canton had been divided between Zürich and Bern. The canton of Aargau was created as an administrative division of the Helvetic Republic
The Helvetic Republic (, , ) was a sister republic of France that existed between 1798 and 1803, during the French Revolutionary Wars. It was created following the French invasion and the consequent dissolution of the Old Swiss Confederacy, ma ...
, and its flag is an original design by Samuel Ringier-Seelmatter of Zofingen
Zofingen (french: Zofingue) is a city in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. It is the capital of the district of Zofingen. Zofingen is a walled city and home of an ancient monastic settlement.
History
In ancient times Zofingen was a settleme ...
(1767–1826), dating to 1803.
The current official design, specifying the stars as five-pointed, dates to 1930.
Thurgau
Like Aargau, Thurgau ( Turgovia) was historically a subject territory of the confederacy, and was created as a canton of the Helvetic Republic.
The flag design is an ad hoc creation of 1803, based on the two lions in the coat of arms of the House of Kyburg
The Kyburg family (; ; also Kiburg) was a noble family of ''grafen'' (counts) in the Duchy of Swabia, a cadet line of the counts of Dillingen, who in the late 12th and early 13th centuries ruled the County of Kyburg, corresponding to much of wha ...
which ruled Thurgau in the 13th century.
The green-and-white were regarded as "revolutionary" colours in 1803, also introduced in the coats of arms of St. Gallen and Vaud, but the placement of a yellow lion on white is a violation of heraldic principles, and also creates a visibility problem. There have been suggestions to correct this, including a 1938 suggestion to use a solid green field divided by a diagonal white line, but they were not successful.
Ticino
The flag is an 1803 design, but its designer or intended symbolism have not been recorded.
The convention of displaying the flag ''per fess'' is apparently inspired by Lucerne.
Vaud
The design dates to 1803, based on the flag used in the Vaudois insurrection against Bernese rule in the 1790s, which was green and inscribed with Liberté, Egalité in white lettering. From this, the white and green became the "revolutionary" colours of cantons newly created from former subject territories of the confederacy, also used in the flags of the cantons of St. Gallen and Thurgau, and a green flag was also briefly used by Aargau.
The lettering in the Vaudois flag was in black or in green during 1803–1819, the gold was introduced with the military flag as Vaud organised its army in 1819. As such, it violates the heraldic rule of tincture
The most basic rule of heraldic design is the rule of tincture: metal should not be put on metal, nor colour on colour (Humphrey Llwyd, 1568). This means that the heraldic metals or and argent (gold and silver, represented by yellow and white) s ...
which states that gold (or yellow) may not be placed upon silver (or white).
Valais
The Bishop of Sion
The Diocese of Sion ( la, Dioecesis Sedunensis, french: Diocèse de Sion, german: Bistum Sitten) is a Catholic ecclesiastical territory in the canton of Valais, Switzerland. It is the oldest bishopric in the country and one of the oldest north of ...
used a vertically divided red-and-white war flag from ca. 1220. The coat of arms of Valais originates in 1613, as the subject territories of the bishop were united into a republic, the stars representing the individual Dixains. There were six stars in 1613, augmented to seven in 1628. In the 1803 Act of Mediation
The Act of Mediation () was issued by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the French Republic on 19 February 1803 establishing the Swiss Confederation. The act also abolished the previous Helvetic Republic, which had existed since the invasion ...
, Napoleon separated the Valais from the restored Swiss Confederacy, and in 1810 he annexed it into the Department of Simplon
Simplon () was a departments of France, department of the First French Empire. It was named after the Simplon Pass (). It was formed in 1810, when the Rhodanic Republic was annexed by France. Its territory corresponded with that of the present-day ...
. At this point the number of Dixains and the number of stars in the flag was increased to twelve. The thirteenth star was added as the Valais joined the restored Swiss Confederacy
The periods of Restoration and Regeneration in Swiss history lasted from 1814 to 1847. "Restoration" is the period of 1814 to 1830, the restoration of the ''Ancien Régime'' ( federalism), reverting the changes imposed by Napoleon Bonaparte on ...
in 1815, with the creation of Conthey
Conthey is a municipality in the district of Conthey in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.
History
Conthey is first mentioned about 800 as ''curtis Contextis''. In 1146 it was mentioned as ''ecclesiam de Plano Contesio''.
Geography
Cont ...
as the thirteenth Dixain.
Neuchâtel
The flag is unrelated to the historical flag of the town of Neuchâtel
, neighboring_municipalities= Auvernier, Boudry, Chabrey (VD), Colombier, Cressier, Cudrefin (VD), Delley-Portalban (FR), Enges, Fenin-Vilars-Saules, Hauterive, Saint-Blaise, Savagnier
, twintowns = Aarau (Switzerland), Besançon (France), ...
, which had been in use from 1350, and as cantonal flag from 1815 until 1848, and which remains part of the town's coat of arms.
The canton of Neuchâtel was admitted to the restored Swiss Confederacy
The periods of Restoration and Regeneration in Swiss history lasted from 1814 to 1847. "Restoration" is the period of 1814 to 1830, the restoration of the ''Ancien Régime'' ( federalism), reverting the changes imposed by Napoleon Bonaparte on ...
in 1815, but with the peculiar reservation that it owed nominal fealty to the king of Prussia
The monarchs of Prussia were members of the House of Hohenzollern who were the hereditary rulers of the former German state of Prussia from its founding in 1525 as the Duchy of Prussia. The Duchy had evolved out of the Teutonic Order, a Roman C ...
. This lingering monarchism led to a republican coup in 1848, under the flag that would later become the cantonal flag.
The conflict between monarchists by 1856 threatened to devolve into full civil war, but in 1857, Frederick William IV of Prussia
Frederick William IV (german: Friedrich Wilhelm IV.; 15 October 17952 January 1861), the eldest son and successor of Frederick William III of Prussia, reigned as King of Prussia from 7 June 1840 to his death on 2 January 1861. Also referred to ...
renounced all claims to Neuchâtel, and the 1848 revolutionary banner was made the official cantonal flag.
Use of the flag remained disputed, and during the 20th century there were three unsuccessful attempts to reintroduce the historical flag of 1350 by popular vote.
Geneva
The flag of Geneva is the historical flag of the city of Geneva
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
, showing the Imperial Eagle and a Key of St. Peter (symbolizing the status of Geneva as Reichsstadt
In the Holy Roman Empire, the collective term free and imperial cities (german: Freie und Reichsstädte), briefly worded free imperial city (', la, urbs imperialis libera), was used from the fifteenth century to denote a self-ruling city that ...
and as episcopal seat, respectively), in use since the 15th century.
The flag of the medieval bishopric of Geneva
The Catholic Diocese of Geneva was a Latin Catholic diocese in part of Switzerland and Savoy from 400 to 1801 when it merged with the Diocese of Chambéry. The merged diocese later lost Swiss territory to the Catholic Diocese of Lausanne, Geneva ...
showed two golden Keys of Peter
Papal regalia and insignia are the official items of attire and decoration proper to the Pope in his capacity as the visible head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State.
Regalia
The regalia of the papacy include the ...
in the red field of the imperial Blutbanner
High, middle and low justices are notions dating from Western feudalism to indicate descending degrees of judicial power to administer justice by the maximal punishment the holders could inflict upon their subjects and other dependents.
Low just ...
since 1293.
The full coat of arms of Geneva includes a crest in the form of half a sun inscribed with JHS (for Jesus Hominum Salvator), and a scroll below the shield with the motto Post Tenebras Lux.
The coat of arms of the city of Geneva was adopted as the cantonal coat of arms the accession of Geneva as a city-canton to the restored Swiss Confederacy
The periods of Restoration and Regeneration in Swiss history lasted from 1814 to 1847. "Restoration" is the period of 1814 to 1830, the restoration of the ''Ancien Régime'' ( federalism), reverting the changes imposed by Napoleon Bonaparte on ...
in 1815.
Jura
The separatist movement
Separatism is the advocacy of cultural, ethnic, tribal, religious, racial, governmental or gender separation from the larger group. As with secession, separatism conventionally refers to full political separation. Groups simply seeking greate ...
which eventually led to the canton's creation emerged in the 1940s, and the flag is a design by Paul Boesch, dated to 1943. The crozier symbolizes the former Prince-Bishopric of Basel
The Prince-Bishopric of Basel (german: Hochstift Basel, Fürstbistum Basel, Bistum Basel) was an ecclesiastical principality within the Holy Roman Empire, ruled from 1032 by prince-bishops with their seat at Basel, and from 1528 until 1792 at Po ...
, the seven stripes represent the seven districts of the Bernese Jura.
It was officially recognized as a regional flag by Bern from the early 1950s.
The canton of Jura was created in 1979 after a referendum, but only three of the seven districts opted to join. The seven stripes were retained in the cantonal flag regardless, and there remains some irredentism calling for a restored unity of all seven districts.
See also
* Flag of Switzerland
The national flag of Switzerland (german: Schweizerfahne; french: drapeau de la Suisse; it, bandiera svizzera; rm, bandiera da la Svizra) displays a white cross in the centre of a square red field. The white cross is known as the Swiss cross ...
* Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland (german: Kanton; french: canton ; it, cantone; Sursilvan and Surmiran: ; Vallader and Puter: ; Sutsilvan: ; Rumantsch Grischun: ) are the member states of the Swiss Confederation. The nucleus of the Swiss Con ...
References
Bibliography
*Walter Angst, ''A Panoply of Colours: The Cantonal Banners of Switzerland and the Swiss National Flag'', 1992.
External links
Flags of the World
{{Lists of flags, collapsed
*Flags
Switzerland, Cantons
Cantons
A canton is a type of administrative division of a country. In general, cantons are relatively small in terms of area and population when compared with other administrative divisions such as counties, departments, or provinces. Internationally, t ...
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...