![[Flag of Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia 1939-1945]](../images/c/cz-bm39.gif)
by Mark Sensen
used between 15 Mar and 6 Oct 1939
Last modified: 2018-05-25 by kryštof huk
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by Mark Sensen
used between 15 Mar and 6 Oct 1939
The Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia had a flag which was white,
red, blue - quite rare pan-Slavic combination. The white over red was the
traditional flag of Bohemia (same as Poland) with blue for Moravia. I wonder
if this is the reason why the Czechs reneged on the agreement they had
with the Slovaks not to use any Czechoslovak emblems after separation:
the only alternative to the old Czechoslovakian flag was one tainted by
a particularly dark episode in their history?
Roy Stilling, 8 December 1995
After the German Protektorat Böhmen und Mähren was established in 1939,
people still used the Czechoslovak flag to represent the continuation of
Czechoslovakia. Therefore Karl Hermann Frank, the secretary of state of
the Reichsprotektor, demanded the change of the state symbols. The idea
of the Czech heraldist dr. Karel Schwarzenberg of using the Slav white-blue-red
tricolore (stripes ratio 2:1:2 because of the eventual interchange with
the Slovak flag) was rejected. Karl Schwarzenberg then designed a new flag
consisting of three horizontal stripes: white-red-blue. The Czechoslovak
flags were still used by the Czech and Slovak troops abroad until the end
of WW2.
Jan Kravcík, 14 Jun 2000
Regarding Mr. Kravcik's mention of Czechoslovak flag during WWII: these
flag were used (semi)officially between 15th of March and 6th of October
1939. For example there are film shots of German military parade on Wenceslas
Square, where three flags are displayed - Reichsflagge, Reichskriegsflagge
and Czechoslovak flag. Governmental Order (Vladni narizeni) "č.222/1939
Sb.", which changed Law "č.252/1920 Sb. z.a n from 30th of March 1920 on
state flag, state coat of arms and state seal, was issued 19th of September
1939 came into force 6th of October 1939.
Aleš Křižan, 4 Dec 2002
I think that the WR flag with the blue triangle was an official first
flag of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (though it has never been
declared so) - Ales himself mentioned its usage during the German military
parade. The same applies to the 1920's presidential - both were used till
September 1939.
Jan Zrzavy, 4 Dec 2002
Czechia in 1938 until 1939 flew R-W and Y-R in Bohemia and Moravia Protectorate:
W-R-B
Source: FlagBulletin 3.
Jaume Ollé, 20 Apr 2001
![[Presidential standard of Bohemia and Moravia]](../images/c/cz_39p.gif)
by Željko Heimer, 10 Jun 2005
In the Flaggenbuch of 1939 is an image
of this standard; in the 1992 reprint (annexe) is the same standard with
curvilinear, flame-like triangles (see below). Caption for this flag: standard
of the State President of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia.
Željko Heimer, 10 Jun 2005
As I noticed, there was nothing about the "State-President" (der Staatspräsident in German, státní president in Czech) flag in the Protectorate Bohemia - Moravia. The Presidents flag was a white square with tricolour bordure - like the contemporary one (the same pattern of blue, white and red "flames"). In central part was the Protectorate's "Major Coat of Arms".
Note: Prince Karel Schwarzenberg, designer of Protectorate's symbols,
didn't use the term Great Coat of Arms, because this could use only the
President of the Republic - Edvard Benes. This Major Coat of Arms was quarterly
Bohemia and Moravia, without any compartment, motto, supporters (this all
had the Great Coat of Arms of Czechoslovakia 1920 - 1960). Shield was french - i.e.
the same shape as the Czechian (Czech) one. The Minor (Lesser) Coat of Arms was
french shield (not gothical like today!) with a Bohemian Lion. This lion
was a little more "hairy" than this in the present form. It was a renaissance
version (like Vlaamse Leeuw).
Aleš Křižan, 20 Nov 2000
There is a quite good image of that flag in Flaggenbuch 1939. Actually
two of them, one is the original one and the other is a correction by the
publishers. It is not clear whether this correction was a wartime one or
rather one made by Mauritius Verlag for the 1992 edition. In any event,
the correction is the valid flag. I have a picture of the flag being flown
over some official building beside the Reichsdienstflagge (presumably in
Prague).
Santiago Dotor, 21 Nov 2000
The flag and coat of arms are shown in "Flaggenbuch". Neubecker indeed
used the term Greater Coat of Arms (German: Grosses Wappen des Protektorats
Böhmen und Mähren). The main field of the President's standard was
white. Size of the shield was 7 x 6 for a flag of side length of 10 and
the width of the red-blue-white-etc. coloured border was a tenth of the
flag's width.
![[Presidential standard (actually used)]](../images/c/cz_39p1.gif)
by Željko Heimer, 10 Jun 2005
Caption for this flag: standard of the State President of the Protectorate
of Bohemia and Moravia, as it was probably actually.used.
Željko Heimer, 10 Jun 2005
![[Greater Arms of Bohemia and Moravia]](../images/c/cz)bm39g.gif)
image from this
website.
Indeed. Ales says, "Prince Karel Schwarzenberg, designer of Protectorate's
symbols didn't use the term Great Coat of Arms, because this could use
only the President of the Republic - Edvard Benes." There is no such thing
as a "major coat-of-arms", only a "greater (coat-of-)arms". The adjectives
"greater" and "lesser" do not normally refer to the importance of the person
or entity represented by them, but to the complexity of the arms. On the
other hand, why would the Protectorate authorities respect the emblems
used by the (then) former Czechoslovak republic?
Actually two more people held the office of Reichsprotektor. From 18
March 1939 until 27 September 1941, Freiherr Konstantin von Neurath, former
German Ambassador to Great Britain (1930-1932) and German Minister of Foreign
Affairs (1932-1938). Heydrich's successor was Colonel-General Kurt Daluege.
And by the way, who was the Staatspraesident of Boehmen und Maehren?
Santiago Dotor, 21 Nov 2000
Emil Hácha remained Staatspräsident; after the Munich accords he became
30 Nov 1938 the successor to Edvard Benes, who went abroad. Hácha was president
until 1945, when he was arrested for collaboration with the Nazis. Benes
became the chief of the Czechoslovakian government in exile in July 1940
in London; in May 1945 he returned to Prague and was elected president
on 28 Oct, which he remained until 7 June 1948.
Jarig Bakker, 21 Nov 2000
![[Lesser Arms of Bohemia and Moravia]](../images/c/cz)bm39s.gif)
image from this
website.
Here is the picture of the Lesser Arms of Bohemia and Moravia. This
is the same lion, which was the Provisional Czechoslovakian State Coat
of Arms before the year 1920. It HAS a crown with three visible linden-leaves
shaped pikes, althoug it's hard to see it. That picture is the reverse
of 100 Crowns Note.
Aleš Křižan, 22 Nov 2000
![[Bohemia and Moravia President's flag]](../images/c/cz-bm_rp.gif)
by Santiago Dotor, 28 Nov 2000, after image by Jaume Ollé.
The flag of the "Reichsprotektor in Böhmen und Mähren" had the
same general design as the Fuehrer's standard on this
page, and the following differences:
- garland around the cross in silver instead of gold
- a wing-spreading eagle in the upper left corner, in silver and head
up (I mean with horizontal wings)
- no charge in the three other corners.
The Reichsprotektor was Reinhard Heydrich (1904-1942), appointed
in 1941 and killed by Czech soldiers, flown in from London, in 1942.
Ivan Sache, 20 Nov 2000
There was a Standart or flag of the Reichsprotektor in Boehmen und Maehren:
It was similar to Fuehrers flag. The only differences were: in the upper
left corner there was only one National Eagle (white or silver, just like
on the Government Authorities flag) and the oak - wreath was silver (not
white).The three other eagles were missing. The black - white - black bordure,
shape and the swastika like the on (above mentioned) Fuehrers Flag.
The only Protector, that used that flag not, was Reinhard Tristan Heydrich.
He was "only" Deputy Protector (Der Stellvertetende Reichsprotektor in
Böhmen und Mähren und General der Polizei), so he used the Government Authorites
Flag.
Aleš Křižan, 22 Nov 2000
I purchased and now own the opera banner shown in Ulrich of England's
book on Heydrich. You stated that that flag was not used by Reinhard Heydrich.
It actually was used by him and you can see the same banner in front of
Heydrich at the opera house box he used the night before he was wounded.
It came out of the Eastern bloc countries in a diplomatic pouch.
There was only one opera banner. I think there was a flag and car pennant
as well, but I have been unable to locate either one of them, so far. I
thought you would like to know where it was (the banner) located.
Mark Paul, 23 Jul 2005
![[Military Representative's flag]](../images/c/cz^bmmrp.gif)
by Miles Li, 4 Mar 2004
Here is the flag for the Representative of the regular army (Wehrmacht)
to the Reichsprotektor of Bohemia and Moravia. (Nazi Germany-Czechoslovakia)
- only used as car-flag.
Source: Flaggenbuch 1939.
Miles Li, 4 Mar 2004
