^{This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website}

Peace flag (Netherlands)

image by Tomislav Todorovic, 20 January 2022

Description of the flag

See also:

Description of the flag

The version of the rainbow peace flag used in the Netherlands is "localized" by use of Dutch word for peace - VREDE. Another feature, which makes it differ from most of such flags used elsewhere, is that the inscription is strictly centered upon the field and overlaps three stripes instead of the usual two. The flag is mainly promoted by the association Kerk en Vrede (Church and Peace), which acknowledges the Italian peace flags as the inspiration [1]. The color pattern is: purple, dark blue, light blue, green, yellow, orange and red; the word VREDE is inscribed in white over light blue, green and yellow; the ratio is 2:3 [1]. Numerous photos are found at the association website [2], but their creation date seems to be difficult to trace, although the site is known to have already existed in the late 2000s. The earliest photo which can currently be dated was taken in Utrecht in 2009 and posted at Flickr [3], but the flag must have been created earlier. The other photo which can be dated was taken at an unknown location in the Netherlands in 2011 [4] and displays a bunch of small handheld flags. The flag was announced to be used in Drenthe in 2018, on the International Day of Peace (21st September), although the photo used to illustrate this must have been taken earlier [5], as was the photo which illustrated the announcement of the flag flying in Culemborg in 2021 during the National Peace Week (18th to 26th September) [6].

Sources:
[1] Kerk en Vrede association website - flag presentation: https://kerkenvrede.nl/artikel/Nieuwsitem/64/346/
[2] Kerk en Vrede association website - photo gallery: https://kerkenvrede.nl/artikel/Nieuwsitem/64/346/
[3] Flickr - Photo of peace flags from Utrecht, taken on 2009-09-21: www.flickr.com/photos/92949075@N00/3940680181/
[4] Holland in Pixels website - Photo of peace flags, taken on 2011-05-05: https://hollandinpixels.photoshelter.com/image/I0000fD5Gg9VQmCA
[5] Dagblad van het Noorden newspaper website: https://dvhn.nl/drenthe/Heel-Rolde-in-regenboogkleuren-voor-Dag-van-de-Vrede-23481622.html
[6] Culemborgse Courant website: https://www.culemborgsecourant.nl/nieuws/algemeen/288752/vredesvlag-wappert-in-culemborg-tijdens-nationale-vredesweek

Tomislav Todorovic, 20 January 2022