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München City (Germany)

Landeshauptstadt München (Munich),Bayern

Last modified: 2022-07-16 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: muenchen | munich | oktoberfest | monk | lozengy(yellow/black) | gate |
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5:2 image by Stefan Schwoon, 8 Mar 2001

5:2 image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 July 2022

• München City
• Plain Banner Variants
• Plain Flag Variants
• Horizontally Divided Banner Variant
• Banner Variant with Coat of Arms
• Flag Variants with Coat of Arms
• Coat of Arms
• Lesser Coat of Arms
• Greater Coat of Arms
• Oktoberfest Banner 2007

• Oberbayern District (Bezirk Oberbayern, Upper Bavaria)
• District, County and Municipal Flags (Bavaria / Bayern)
• Bavaria (Bayern)
• Germany

München City

Plain Banner Variants

The banner [hanging flag] version is probably the flag that is seen most throughout the city. It is either used as plain bicolour or as lozengy banner.
Stefan Schwoon, 8 Mar 2001

In the German crime series "Die Chefin" (=The (she-) boss) the plain bicolour and the lozengy version could be seen as banners, both hoisted in front of the town hall. The colours of the banner are traditional.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 July 2022

Plain Flag Variants

2:3 image by Eugene Baldwin, 13 Jan 1998

2:3 image by Eugene Baldwin, 13 Jan 1998

The city flag of the Bavarian capital München has, like Bayern, two flags tracing back to the middle ages with no known date of adoption. Variant no.1 shows two horizontal stripes of black over yellow (a real yellow, not a golden yellow like in the German national flag). Variant no.2 has black and yellow lozenges arranged like in the Bavarian flag. Once again the number of lozenges is not fixed.

The colours are derived from the Greater City Arms: on a silver ground a black-dressed monk, holding a red book by his left hand, within a red city archway, crowned by two black-yellow roofs dancetty (= origin of the city colours), a yellow lion issuant between. The rather more known Lesser City Arms show only the black monk in a silver shield. Remarkably the flag derives from the Greater City Arms, not from the Lesser ones.
Dieter Linder, 13 Jan 1998

Both flag variants are totally equal in their rights, which means a citizen or state official is free in his choice. The more popular one is the lozenge variant, since it underlines the so-called peculiar character of the Bavarian statehood (Bayern is the German state with the longest historical roots). However the lozenge variant is also more expensive in production and acquisition.
For your additional information I add the replies received from Dr. Stahleder, director of the München Archives - an expert in these things, I presume - in the office of the München City Mayor two questions asked by me. The letter of the city office is dated 24 March 1997.
The Bavarian guidelines for flags and arms provide an official grant except for historical symbols. These are symbols used before the enforcement of the respective guidelines, which took effect in the middle of our century. That is the reason why the city flags of München were not to be granted.
Dieter Linder, 19 Nov 1998

Horizontally Divided Banner Variant

Some vexillological observations during the 2000 Oktoberfest:
- In front of the Feldherrnhalle ("general´s hall") there were two large flagstaffs, one displaying a large Bavarian white-blue striped bicolour, the other a München black-yellow striped bicolour. Both had proportion of about 3:1. At the top of the flagstaffs there were distinctive finials: a lion for Bavaria, a monk for München. I guess these flags are among the largest flags in Bavaria.
- At the Rathaus (town hall) there were very long vertical flags (about 6:1): Bavaria, Germany and München.
- All around the old town of München there were groups of flagstaffs installed displaying alternately the Bavarian flag and the München flag. The flags used had a proportion of about 3:1 (higher than wide) and consisted of white-blue lozenges or black-yellow lozenges, respectively.
- The buses and trams displayed a triangular flag white-blue and one black-yellow.
M. Schmöger, 6 Oct 2000

Banner Variant with Coat of Arms

Today is the last day of the München Oktoberfest (locally known as "Wiesn"), the biggest beer festival in the world. Therefore a few vexillological observations:
A lot of different variants of the Bavarian as well as the München flags are shown at the Oktoberfest.
One variant of the München flag I have not yet reported. This is the black-yellow striped flag (vertical version) with the coat-of-arms.
In contrast to most other municipal flags in Bavaria (that usually show the arms on the stripes) this is not in widespread use and never really used in official circumstances. It is frequently used at the Oktoberfest area, though, as well as the Messegelände (fairground).
M. Schmöger, 7 Oct 2007

Flag Variants with Coat of Arms

2:3 image by M. Schmöger, 7 Oct 2007

2:3 image by M. Schmöger, 7 Oct 2007

In rare cases the flag is also shown in a horizontal version. Another variant which was new to me includes the black inscription "MÜNCHEN" at the bottom.
M. Schmöger, 7 Oct 2007

Coat of Arms

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 July 2022

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 July 2022

Lesser Coat of Arms

Shield Argent, a monk statant Argent, dressed in a frock Sable with bordures Or, one shaped like a cross, with hood Sable and wearing shoes Gules, holding a book Gules by his sinister hand and giving a blessing by his dexter hand (see left image above). Meaning: The pattern on a shield appeared first in the S. Testimonii since 1304, as image on a flag on a painting made around 1346. The secret seals since 1374 displayed the monk guardant and nimbed. Images from the 14th century displayed both versions. Since the 16th century the monk belittled to a child, the so called „Münchner Kindl“.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 July 2022

Greater Coat of Arms

Shield Argent, a city gate Gules between two embattled towers of the same, topped by roofs dancetty of Sable and Or and topped by a pair of balls Or each, between the towers a lion rampant issuant Or, crowned and armed of the same and tongued Gules. (see right image above)
Meaning:
The first city seals from 1239 and 1268 displayed a monk in half-length portrait in the open gate under an upper demi-eagle. Since 1313 the monk was displayed as to be seen in the lesser arms. The 1957 version of the arms is based upon this seal. Since 1323 the eagle was replaced by the lion issuant of the Wittelsbach kin. Since 1808 ephemeral arms displayed an antique porticus topped by a royal crown, in the arch a lion with sword and shield, charged with an initial "M" between his paws. Between 1936 and 1945 the lion was replaced by the German Eagle of the Third Reich.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 July 2022

The greater arms were granted in 1834 by King Ludwig I of Bayern. By decision of the city council on 17 December 1957 the greater arms were detracted from official use and since then the lesser arms are the only official symbol of the city.
Source:Stadler 1968, p.21
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 July 2022

Oktoberfest Banner 2007

Today is the last day of the München Oktoberfest (locally known as "Wiesn"), the biggest beer festival in the world. Therefore a few vexillological observations:

The flag of the Oktoberfest is white with the logo. The logo shows two stylised Masskrüge (beer tankards) in yellow, together with some dots forming a smiling face with the handles as ears. Under the tankards the green inscription "OKTOBERFEST MÜNCHEN".
Source: Own observations and photos of M. Schmöger
M. Schmöger, 7 Oct 2007

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