The flag of Saarland is based on the flag of Germany and is a black, red, and gold (yellow) horizontal tricolor. In the center of the flag is the

coat of arms of Saarland This article is about the coat of arms of the German state of Saarland. Description The coat of arms of Saarland is parted per cross: *The first quarter shows the coat of arms of the prince of Nassau-Saarbrücken, a silver lion with golden cro ...

. The flag of Saarland is both the

civil flag A civil flag is a version of the national flag that is flown by civilians on nongovernmental installations or craft. The use of civil flags was more common in the past to denote buildings or ships not crewed by the military. In some countries, ...

(), as well as the state service flag ().

History

Territory of the Saar Basin

The Saar region was formed by the Treaty of Versailles, which ended

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. It was decided that the area belonged to Germany, but would be administered by France on behalf of the

League of Nations The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference that ...

. On 28 July 1920, it was decided that the area would use a blue, white, and black horizontal tricolour flag. This was used until 1 March 1935, when the area again came under German administration. In 1935, when Germany once again assumed control of the Saarland, it is assumed no new flag was created since the Saarland was absorbed into the area known as Westmark.

Saar Protectorate

At the conclusion of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the French assumed control of the Saar as a

protectorate A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over most of its int ...

. The flag used at this time was a design with a

Scandinavian cross A Nordic cross flag is a flag bearing the design of the Nordic or Scandinavian cross, a cross symbol in a rectangular field, with the centre of the cross shifted towards the hoist. All independent Nordic countries have adopted such flags in t ...

. Left of the vertical bar of the cross was blue, and to the right was red. The colors are derived from the colors of the

French flag The national flag of France (french: link=no, drapeau français) is a tricolour featuring three vertical bands coloured blue ( hoist side), white, and red. It is known to English speakers as the ''Tricolour'' (), although the flag of Ireland ...

Saarland

When the

Saar Protectorate The Saar Protectorate (german: Saarprotektorat ; french: Protectorat de la Sarre) officially Saarland (french: Sarre) was a French protectorate separated from Germany; which was later opposed by the Soviet Union, one side occupying Germany lik ...

rejoined the

Federal Republic of Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated between ...

in 1957, it adopted its current flag. This is based on the flag of Germany, defaced by the

. The four quarters of the shield of the state coat of arms represent the historic areas of Nassau-Saarbrücken, Archbishopric and Electorate of Trier,

Duchy of Lorraine The Duchy of Lorraine (french: Lorraine ; german: Lothringen ), originally Upper Lorraine, was a duchy now included in the larger present-day region of Lorraine in northeastern France. Its capital was Nancy. It was founded in 959 following th ...

, and Palatinate-Zweibrücken.Law on State Symbols of 2001 (Saar, Germany)
/ref>

References

{{GermanFlags

Saarland The Saarland (, ; french: Sarre ) is a state of Germany in the south west of the country. With an area of and population of 990,509 in 2018, it is the smallest German state in area apart from the city-states of Berlin, Bremen, and Hamburg, and ...

Culture of Saarland

History

Territory of the Saar Basin

Saar Protectorate

Saarland

See also

References