![[First Galician Flag]](../images/g/gal-1.gif)
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by Jan Oskar Engene, 7 September 1996
Last modified: 2022-03-19 by rob raeside
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In the 19th century, the area inhabited by Ruthenians, as the
Ukrainians were then known, was divided between Russia and the
Austrian Empire. Austria got Galicia after the partition of
Poland in 1772. Territory was later added, including the Duchy of
Bukovina. From 1815, the former Polish possessions of Austria
were known as the Kingdom of Galicia and
Lodomeria. Ukrainians were a majority only in the eastern
parts of this kingdom.
Jan Oskar Engene, 7 September 1996
The area known as Galicia (Polish: Halicz ,Russian: Galich or
Galitsiya) is a former Austrian crownland in East central Europe;
30,645 square miles; included Northern slopes of Carpathian
mountains and the valleys of upper Vistula and upper
Dniester, Bug, and Seret rivers.
History: From 6th century A.D. inhabited by Slavs; medieval
principalities of Halicz and Lodomeria emerged about 12th century
and were united in 13th century; Eastern part, once attached to
principality of Kiev, separated from Russian territory by Mongol
invasion; ultimately became part of Poland 386; partitions of
Poland 1772 and 1795, annexed to Austria; Western Galicia
included in grand duchy of Warsaw 1809; scene of rising after
which Krakow returned to Austria (1846); in World War I scene of
fighting between Russians and Austrians and Germans; ceded by
Austria 1919; after the war Poland conquered Eastern part which
had joined Ukraine, and in 1923, was confirmed in her possession
of it; became Polish departments of Krakow, Lwow, Stanislawow,
and Ternopol; divided between Germany and USSR 1939 until
outbreak of German war against USSR 1941 (World War II); Eastern
half returned to USSR and made part of Ukrainian SSR after World
War II; Western half to Poland.
(Source: Webster's New Geographical Dictionary, 1988)
See also: Encyclopaedia of Ukraine: www.tryzub.com
(no images of flags).
Jarig Bakker, 23 April 1999
Polish word for Galicia is Galicja, not Halicz, which refers
to a small town, a capital of a Ruthenian Duchy in early Middle
Ages. As far as I know the Ukrainian for Galicia is Halychchyna
(in rough English transcription)
Jacek Wesolowski, 26 September 1999
My source (Webster's Geographical Dictionary) was at fault. On
the same page mention is made of Lodomeria, which is a latinized
form of 'Vladimir-in-Volhynia' or Vladimir Volhynsky. Lodomeria
was a term invented by the Habsburgs of Austria when they founded
the 'Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria' in 1772 after another
partition of Poland.
Jarig Bakker, 26 September 1999
The Medieval term was 'Halicz' Ruthenia' or 'Red Ruthenia',
since 14C it was rather referred to simply as 'Ruthenia' (the
first Ruthenian province incorporated into the Polish Kingdom) -
cf.official 'wojewodztwo ruskie' (Province of Ruthenia) of whom
Lemberg was a capital. In late 18C it became Eastern Galicia, in
1919-1939 the Poles wanted to have it as Malopolska Wschodnia
(Eastern Little Poland) . Nowadays it is Western Ukraine rather
(especially in Ukrainian sources), which inevitably tends to
comprise Volhynia as well. I think Red Ruthenia is the best
still, though sounds a bit awkward today. Let me have another
observation. I think Galicia (Galizien, Galicja, Halychchyna) is
an Austrian time phenomenon, being equally part of Polish and
Ukrainian tradition . It is only the name that was derived from a
God's forgotten Ruthenian town of Halicz. (On Polono-Ruthenian
border sounds 'g' and 'h' tend to be the same, a 'hard' h,
contrary to Franco-Spanish incapability of pronoucing it at all.)
Galicia in its actual form seems to have been invented when the
Habsburgs claimed their rights to the Southern part of the
Kingdom of Poland (1772), additionally consuming by the occasion
a great deal of Malopolska (Little Poland) up to what was the
closest vicinity of the thenofficial Polish capital of
Cracow.'Lodomeria' was as even more sophisticated composition,
referring to another sleepy town of Vladimir (Wlodzimierz)
Volynskij, which actually remained outside Galicia, within the
borders of Poland, then Russia (now Ukraine). A good starting
point for another claim, I suppose. As we see, tricky names did
not refer to both major towns of Lemberg (Lviv, Lvow, Lwow) and
Cracow which, with its outskirts, eventually became part of
Galicia in 1846 (or 1848) as a 'Grand Principality of Cracow'. As
for the 'schwarz-gelb' flag of the Danubian Monarchy: I don't
think theyever got rid of it before 1918. But maybe only in
Austria, whom Galicia was part of.
Jacek Wesolowski, 29 September 1999
Three crowns on blue has been used in Galicia and Lodomeria,
which was created in 1772 (first partition of Poland), when
Austria took what is today southern Poland and western Ukraine.
Until 1772, the area had no coat of arms, so the Austrians
invented one.
Ole Andersen, 27 November 1999
In [neu79], on page 90-91,
Galizia and Lodomeria is represented by the
bird-over-bar-over-crowns. The illustration has this caption
roughly translates to: "At the partition of Poland in 1772,
Austria took Halicz with the Vladimir area, naming this territory
the kingdom of Galizia and Lodomeria. Since there were no old
arms, the new kingdom was granted three crowns in ancient
heraldic style."
Ole Andersen, 10 June 2001
This (the part regarding the arms) is quite imprecise. As we
all know three crowns are (and were) the coat of arms of Sweden. It must
have been differentiated somehow. I don't have any firm sources by
hand, but since 1772 till the end of 18 century the region was
twice again partitioned, with the borders also changing names
(and including Bukowina). In any case, we should know that we are
dealing with 20 century post card, and the attributions might as
well be anachronistic. The coat of arms of Lodomeria "azure two
counter-compony bars Gules and Argent" is found on a 1843
chart, well after the "need" for such kingdom passed.
The same chart has no coat of arms representing Galicia, though. Lodomeria
is Latinization of Slavic name "Vladimir".
Željko Heimer, 10 June 2001
There is one thing that still can make a casual visitor a bit
confused. Galicia in its original meaning was an Austrian
Crownland, which ultimately is divided between Poland and
Ukraine. Therefore if the title 'Galicia' refers to the
historical term, it definitely should be "Galicia (Poland,
Ukraine) or otherwise if you like. Please consider Cracow is a
historical Galicia as everybody in Poland is supposed to know, as
is Lemberg/Lviv. This is not a matter of any revisionism
that makes me write it, but a pure geography. It's a joint
Polish and Ukrainia legacy in many ways. Since my last post in
1999 I have learnt the Ukrainians tend to use 'Galicia'
nowadays ('Halychchyna') although they mean the Eastern part of
the former Cisleithanian (=Austrian) Crownland only.
Jacek Wesolowski, 17 June 2001
I have some new information about landesfarben out of MEYER
(1897). In the entry "Galizien" (Königreich Galizien
und Lodomerien) they say: The landesfarben are corresponding to
the arms blue and red; but the Poles fly dark-red and white, the
Ruthens yellow and blue. This is quite interesting because of the
colours of modern Ukraine.
Dr. Andreas Birken, 15 November 2003
image
by Jan Oskar Engene, 7 September 1996
As a kingdom, Galicia had three flags. The first was blue over
red over yellow.
by Jan Oskar Engene, 7 September 1996
![[Second Galician Flag]](../images/g/gal-2.gif)
image
by Jan Oskar Engene, 7 September 1996
The second flag was blue over red (the flag of the Duchy of
Bukovina was also blue over red).
by Jan Oskar Engene, 7 September 1996
![[Third Galician Flag]](../images/g/gal-3.gif)
image
by Jan Oskar Engene, 7 September 1996
Finally a red over blue was used.
No dates are given for these flags.
Source: 'Flag', Encyclopedia
of Ukraine.
Jan Oskar Engene, 7 September 1996
At www.heritage.com.ua,
located by Dov Gutterman, there is an article of
well-known ukrainian vexillologist and heraldist A. Grechilo. He
describes national symbols of Ukraine. Article is written still
in communist period (1989). Flag of Ukraine in that time was the
Soviet red flag with a blue stripe at the bottom. The author
proves, that the national symbolics is not "bad".
In this article he describe, between other things, those flags:
Blue-red bicolor - flag of "Kingdom of Galizia and
Lodomeria" in Austro-Hungary
Red-blue bicolor - the same but after 1849 (in 1849 blue-red flag
became flag of Bukowina).
Victor Lomantsov, 1 July 2002
