Last modified: 2023-05-20 by martin karner
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Description of the flag
Per fess argent and azure.
Horizontally divided into equal parts white over blue.
T.F. Mills, 17 October 1997
Symbolism of the flag
The symbolism of the blue and white is lost to history, but there are
several possible explanations. In modern popular culture, the blue
represents lakes and the white represents snow-capped mountains –
which is a handy mnemonic for displaying the flag horizontally. A
second explanation is that these are the colours of the Virgin Mary.
A third explanation is that the Lucerne flag is taken from the arms
of the important von Littau family (per fess dancetty argent and
azure, i.e. identical but divided in zigzag fashion).
T.F. Mills, 17 October 1997
Coat of Arms
image by António Martins-Tuválkin,
3 January 2006
Simple rectangular cantonal flag, as shown in Kannik (1956).
Ole Andersen, 4 August 2002
Flaggen, Knatterfahnen and Livery Colours |
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Flaggen are vertically hoisted from a crossbar in the manner of gonfanon, in ratio of about 2:9, with a swallowtail that indents about 2 units. The chief, or hoist (square part) usually incorporates the design from the coat of arms – not from the flag. The fly part is always divided lengthwise, usually in a bicolour, triband or tricolour pattern (except Schwyz which is monocolour, and Glarus which has four stripes of unequal width). The colours chosen for the fly end are usually the main colours of the coat of arms, but the choice is not always straight forward.
Knatterfahnen are similar to Flaggen, but hoisted from the long side and have no swallow tail. They normally show the national, cantonal or communal flag in their chiefs.
Željko Heimer, 16 July 2000