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Liberec city, Czech Republic

Liberec okres, Liberec region

Last modified: 2009-08-15 by jarig bakker
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Liberec city flag, 1978

[Liberec city flag, 1978] image by Blas Delgado Ortiz, 30 May 2001 See also:

Liberec city flag, c. 1960

[Liberec city flag] image by Blas Delgado Ortiz, 21 May 2001

Liberec (German: Reichenberg) is in Liberec district, north Czech Republic, with c. 100.000 inhabitants. Liberec was granted arms in 1657 by emperor Rudolph II: Argent two towers gules with gates, united by the embattled wall of the second. The escutcheon with wheel is that of the von Redern family (which makes it canting: German "Räder" = wheels)
Two different flags with coat of arms are reported:
Red over white (equal stripes - 19th century)
Light blue (c. 1960)
Aleš Křížan, 19 Dec 2000

Some days ago were posted to the list two flag of the czech city of Liberec. My information is a bit different:
1) after 1848 was used only the German Imperial flag
2) 1906 was adopted flag blue over white
3) Blue flag with arms was adopted c. 1920.
4) 1948 was adopted the flag red over white with arms.
Jaume Ollé, 11 Apr 2001

Perhaps the *Austrian* Imperial flag? (Considering that almost all of current Czech Republic was Austrian until 1918, except for a small Polish enclave.)
Santiago Dotor, 16 Apr 2001

The present flag of Liberec has been accepted in 1978, and it is indeed red and white with coat of arms. The '1948' must be typing error (in fact, after Communist coup-d'etat 1948, using the municipal flags abruptly declined).
Jan Zrzavy, 12 Apr 2001

Perhaps in 1948 was adopted the current flag but it was out of use until 1978. During communist era local flags were scarcely used, but in 1978 the communists are in power yet. I believe that 1948 is not a mistake instead 1978, but a real date because I have two times this date in my notes.
Jaume Ollé, 12 Apr 2001

My sources are giving the year 1848 as a year of the change of Liberec Flag. The Book "Klíč k našim mĕstům" , Page 136 says, that probably AFTER YEAR 1848 the German City administration introduced new blue field with centered coat of arms. Red and white flag was  considered to be "too Czech". The book was edited in 1979 and there are no other reports after 1945.
By the way: Liberec/Reichenberg was always a "German Fortress" in northern Bohemia and as such was a Capital city of the Reichsgau Sudetenland 1938 - 1945.
The German Administration of "Gauhauptstadt Reichenberg" wanted to replace the lion in the Arms with a golden Swastika, but Archive Aussig (Ústí nad Labem) disagreed.
Aleš Křížan, 17 Apr 2001

The present flag of Liberec has been proposed by Vaclav Zajicek in 1978 and sent to comments to the District Archive and then to the Ministry of Interior of the Czech Socialist Republic. The Ministry asked that the COA's height to be similar to 2/3 of the hoist width of the flag and that the COA should have either black or preferrably golden fimbriation. The flag with golden-fimbriated COA was accepted in 29 November 1978 by the city's administration and first hoisted in July 1980.
Naturally, the red-over-white flag is derived from the city colors and has been used earlier as well. The castle should be red.
Source: Ales Brozek 1984: History of the Liberec flags. Vexilologie 55: 1135-1141.
Jan Zrzavy, 17 Apr 2001


Liberec city flag (19th century)

[Liberec 19th century flag] image by Jarig Bakker, 24 Mar 2001

Liberec city flag (1906-1920)

[Liberec city flag (1906-1920)] image by Jarig Bakker, 13 Apr 2001

Another Liberec city flag

[Another Liberec city flag] image by Blas Delgado Ortiz, 10 May 2002, based on image by Petr Exner; flag adopted ?

The flag of Jicin was not discussed nor approved by the parliamentary subcommittee - and cannot be as it violates the vexillographic rules ("does not include complete coat of arms!").
However, it is probably in use although it was  not granted by the chairman of the Parliament.
Jan Zrzavy, 10 May 2002

These district flags were in a paper "Prapory okresních Mĕst České Republiky", by Petr Exner, published by Flag Data Centre, Hradec Králové, 2002.
I assume that this is an attempt to get flags for all okres-capitals and that some liberties have been taken.
Jarig Bakker, 10 May 2002


Liberec city coat of arms

[Liberec city Coat of Arms] image by Jarig Bakker, 24 Mar 2001

Ještĕd mountain flag

[Ještĕd mountain flag] image by Jarig Bakker, 1 Sep 2008
adopted 11 Jul 2008

Ještĕd (Jeschken in German) is a mountain near Liberec city in Czech republic (height 1012 metres). There is a hotel with TV transmitter on the top in parabolic shape, extending silhouette of hill - designed by Karel Hubáček in 1973. It is a jewel of modern architecture and symbol of the city (see flag of Liberecký kraj). Ještĕd has its own flag: red and white checkboard pattern with image of the building. It is mentioned as a unique case, where a mountain (and building) has its own flag.
Jakub Grombíř, 31 Aug 2008

I send short info about the flag of Ještĕd. The variants of the winning proposal are published in the vexi.info/98. The flag was hoisted 11.7.2008 on the peak of Ještĕd.
Josef Hubka - the well-known Prague vexillologist and member of the board of the Czech Vexillological Society - won the public competition for an appropriate flag of the mountain of Ještĕd. The jury chose from 50 models presented by the competitors.
Petr Exner, 1 Sep 2008

Petr Exner's message contained a photo of the flag flying, and a .pdf file with 12 proposals and the definitive design, which is different from the one sent by Jakub Grombíř.
I would describe it as three horizontal stripes of red and white, proportioned 4:1:1; in center the Ještĕd building countercharged.
Jarig Bakker, 1 Sep 2008