Die Flagge "Flagge des Kanton St. Gallen" ist bei fahnenversand.de erhältlich.Klicken Sie hier, um den Artikel anzuzeigen.
Last modified: 2024-09-28 by martin karner
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![[Flag of Sankt Gallen]](../images/c/ch-sg.gif)
image by Ben Cahoon/António Martins, 31.7.2023/21.2.2024
Description of the flag
Vert, a judge's axe palewise facing dexter enfiled by a lictorial
fasces of five visible shafts the two outermost reduced in width all
argent, bound fess- and saltire-wise with a ribbon of the field.
On a green field, a white upright axe facing the hoist. The shaft of
the axe is bound by five white staffs, the outermost ones being
slightly narrower, and the bundle is bound with green ribbon. The
fasces are fimbriated in black so they don't appear as a solid block.
T.F. Mills, 2 November 1997
Since the decision of August 17, 2010 (in force since March 1, 2011),
which is valid today, has the ax in the St. Gallen cantonal coat of arms [and flag] now been shown without
a thorn, at least officially. The shade of green used was also redefined. [For more information see below
at History of the flag]
Ben Cahoon, 31 July 2023
Symbolism of the flag
The lictoral fasces was an ancient Roman symbol carried in front of
magistrates as a symbol of their authority and power over life and
death. According to the designer of the St. Gallen arms and flag,
the fasces represented authority, justice, sovereignty and unity.
Green was at the time the colour of revolution and freedom, and
sometimes referred to as the "light green of the new order" (Cf.
Vaud and Thurgau created at the same time). If the fasces were
three-dimentional there would be eight staffs, but only five are
visible. The eight represent the original districts of the Canton.
The ribbon tying the fasces represents the unity and strength of the
canton. According to Roman symbolism, a single stick was easily
broken, but a fagot (same root as fasces) was indestructible.
The flag has undergone several minor modifications, several of them
provoking uproar about unnecessary bureaucratic tinkering, and
leading one critic to call the fasces a "salami pinched by its
lacing".
T.F. Mills, 2 November 1997
History of the flag
The monastery of St. Gallen was founded in the 7th century and was
gradually surrounded by little colonies which evolved into a
city-state. The city eventually gained its independence within the
Holy Roman Empire, and by the 13th century the Abbott of St. Gallen
had his own battle flag consisting of a bear (see Appenzell), and in
the 14th century the bear became the seal of the city. The
city-state became allied with the Swiss Confederation in 1412, and an
"associated state" in 1454.
St. Gallen was one of eight new Cantons created in 1798 for the
Helvetic Republic, patched together from eight unrelated territories
of other Cantons. The Act of Mediation of
1803 restored the Swiss Confederation, and reorganised St. Gallen from eleven districts.
David von Gonzenbach, governor of St. Gallen, designed the arms and
flag in 1803 with no reference to any symbolism of the former
city-state of St. Gallen or the other constituent territories of the
new Canton. The weapon was originally a halberd, but this was
changed in 1843 to a battle-axe. The flag underwent seven more
minor modifications in 1848, 1925, 1931, 1942, 1951 and 1981. The
1951 "hatchet" had a spike opposite the blade providing better
artistic balance, but the weapon was designated a "judge's axe"
(i.e. executioner's tool) in 1981, and the spike was removed.
Pre 1981 versions also included a black Swiss cross on the blade.
This might have been introduced as a reaction to the adoption of the
fasces as a symbol of Italian fascism.
T.F. Mills, 2 November 1997
St. Gallen's flag was most recently updated in March 2011, changing the back part of the axe and
defining green color. Over time the number of rods in the fasces, the profile, the direction of the Axe,
and the shape of the Axe head have all changed.
It looks like the major Government Council resolutions were: April 5, 1803; July 31, 1848; April 28, 1925;
November 26, 1946; July 28, 1951; July 7, 1981 (effective January 1, 1982); and August 17, 2010
(effective March 1, 2011).
There is an excellent presentation here: Das Wappen des Kantons St. Gallen by Ernst Walter Alther
gives more details (see link above), and
Fahne und Wappen des Kantons St. Gallen (Wikipedia):
(with Google Translate)
Flag and coat of arms of the Canton of St. Gallen (axe without thorn,
officially used form since 2011).
The shade of green used was also redefined ("For the shade of green applies the Pantone designation 355 C")
– Government resolution on the cantonal coat of arms of August 17, 2010 (in effect since March 1, 2011).
The 1803 decree established a coat of arms and a seal, but no flag yet. Early canton infantry ensigns
(1804) show a solid white cross in a green field, with the gold inscription CANTON SANCT GALLEN. The flag
of the "Volunteer Legion", also from 1804, shows the coat of arms with a laurel wreath in the
center of the white cross, similar to an infantry flag from 1817.
In 19th-century depictions the fasces is represented very differently, often the bundle was drawn in
perspective so that the eight staves were visible, sometimes four in front and four behind, sometimes
seven staves arranged around a central eighth. The ax was also different to the left, sometimes to the
right. On the earliest representations from 1804 and 1806 as well as on the cantonal coins (from 1807),
the ax appears heraldic to the left. In 1848, the cantonal government expressly decided that both
directions were permissible. [Only in 1946 the government decreed that the axe be turned to the heraldic
right (towards the hoist).]
Since 1946, a non-perspective representation of the fasces has been officially used, in which only five of
the eight rods are visible at all. The depiction with five staffs was created by Anton Blöchlinger, who in
1942 commissioned the cantonal government to produce a plaque for the town hall of Schwyz. Its depiction
was prescribed for official use in 1946. A ratio of 11:4 was also specified for the bundle of rods for
official printed matter. The reason for the change was that the canton had not been divided into eight
districts anymore since 1831 (only since 2002 have there been eight districts again). The ax or hatchet
continued to be represented in different forms, often with a Swiss cross in the ax head, the ax sometimes
with and sometimes without a thorn.
In the government council decision of 1946, the ax was re-designated
as a "battle ax"; the heraldists consulted for the decision of 1981 objected to this as wrong and
supported the return to the designation "axe"; the ax in the bundle of lictors symbolizes
jurisdiction, and not military capability, so it should be presented as a hangman's ax [without spike],
and not as a battle axe. Contrary to this recommendation, the official depictions continued to use the
spike. After the government council decision of 1981 on the blazon, a series of government council
decisions followed that included a graphic representation of the coat of arms for uniform official use in
the sense of a logo (April 26, 1983, April 10, 1984). Only since the decision of August 17, 2010
(in force since March 1, 2011), which is valid today, has the ax in the St. Gallen cantonal coat of arms
[and flag] now been shown without a thorn, at least officially. The shade of green used was also redefined
(Pantone designation see above).
The ax was also different to the left, sometimes to the right. On the earliest representations from
1804
and 1806 as well as on the cantonal coins (from 1807), the ax appears heraldic to the left. In 1848, the
cantonal government expressly decided that both directions were permissible.
Since 1946, a non-perspective representation of the fasces has been officially used, in which only 5 of
the 8 rods are visible at all.
The shape of the axe head for 1925 was shown in a stamp
and differs from the one on FOTW.
Ben Cahoon, 31 July 2023
[Military flag after the regulation of 1804. The inscription
of all flags was on the obverse "Canton Sanct Gallen", on the reverse "Eintracht und Vaterland"
(concord and fatherland) (source: [ges43]). [mue91]
reports that the flags from 1803 had the same design and writings, but with the cantonal CoA in the center
of the cross. According to [ges43] the flags since 1817 had green and white
flames in the quarters (see infantry flag below). –
Flag of the Freiwillige Legion (volunteer legion)
from 1804. Watercolour painting from D.W. Hartmann (source). –
Title page of an annual newspaper from 1806. In the 19th c. the
emblem was often depicted three-dimensional, and the hatchet with changing directions, the latter was even
allowed by a government decree of 1848. –
Infantry flag after the regulation of 1817 (b/w photo). The colours are green and white,
with golden oak and laurel wreath and red-white cravat (source: [b7b42]). –
Stained glass pane (1961) by August Wanner. In the middle the first
governor of the newly founded canton, Karl Müller-Friedberg, holding a copy of the constitution. He
is flanked by a French soldier (Napoleonic order) and Gallus (St. Gall) with the bear
(legend), the heraldic animal of
the city of St. Gallen. Location: Government building, Frauenfeld TG
(source)]
image by António Martins, 21 February 2024
Angst (1992), "A Panoply of Colours: The Cantonal Banners of
Switzerland and the Swiss National Flag" reported the axe with a black cross on the blade,
introduced before WWII and kept until 1951 (to stress the "Swissness" of the symbol, avoiding
connections with fascism).
António Martins, 25 October 1998
image by António Martins, 21 February 2024
In the government council decision of 1946, the ax was re-designated
as a "battle ax"; the heraldists consulted for the decision of 1981 objected to this as wrong and
supported the return to the designation "axe"; the ax in the bundle of lictors symbolizes
jurisdiction, and not military capability, so it should be presented as a hangman's ax [without spike],
and not as a battle axe. Contrary to this recommendation, the official depictions continued to use the
spike. [For more information see above at History of the flag]
Ben Cahoon, 31 July 2023
![[Colour Flag SG]](../images/c/ch-sg_56.gif)
image
by Ole Andersen
Simple rectangular cantonal flag, as shown in Kannik (1956) [So-called
colour flag (Farbenfahne in German)].
Ole Andersen, 4 August 2002
See also: STATE COLOURS in Dictionary of Vexillology
Flaggen, Knatterfahnen and Livery Colours |
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![[Knatterfahnen]](../images/c/ch-sg_kf.gif)
|
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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
See also: HANGING FLAG, VERTICALLY HOISTED FLAG, LIVERY COLOURS in Dictionary of Vexillology
![[Flamed flag of St. Gallen canton]](../images/c/ch-sg_fl_ov.jpg)
![[Flamed flag of St. Gallen canton]](../images/c/ch-sg_fla2.jpg)
images located by Martin KarnerOn an auction platform this flamed flag of St. Gallen is being offered (left image). In the early 20th century this
kind of decorative flags with flames in cantonal colours and a cantonal shield in the center was in vogue
until World War II. Today they are being produced again (see right image). The fasces on the old flag are
drawn in perspective which was
common until 1946, when the non-perspective representation of the fasces was officially introduced. As was the
custom, the fasces bundle is depicted with eight staves. On this flag the axe is turned to the heraldic
left (towards the fly). From 1848 to 1946 the position of the axe was expressly free to choose. In 1946
the government decreed that the axe be turned to the heraldic right (towards the hoist).
Martin Karner, 1 November 2023
![[Flamed flag of St. Gallen canton]](../images/c/ch-sg_fla.jpg)
image located by
Martin Karner
Postcard from early 20th century (source).
See also: • National flag and other cantonal flags with "Early 20th century flag design"
• Modern flamed flags
• FLAMMES in Dictionary of Vexillology
logo.jpg)
image located by Martin Karner (8 May 2024)
![[Knatterfahnen]](../images/c/ch-sg_f.gif)
![[livery colours]](../images/c/ch-sg_ff.gif)
1806.jpg){kind=link}
1961.jpg){kind=link}