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Schwaben District (Bavaria, Germany)

Bezirk Schwaben, Swabia

Last modified: 2005-04-29 by santiago dotor
Keywords: bavaria | bezirk schwaben | schwaben district | swabia | coat of arms: chief (eagle: double-headed) | coat of arms: per pale (bendy sinister: white-red) | coat of arms: per pale (pale: yellow) |
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[Schwaben District (Bavaria, Germany)] 8:3 / 10:3 / 11:3 / 4:1
by Marcus Schmöger
Flag and coat-of-arms adopted 17th September 1965

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Introduction

German vexillologist Gunnar Staack wrote this (my translation follows):

Heute gibt es nur eine offizielle Gebietsbezeichnung "Schwaben" und das ist der bayerische Regierungsbezirk Schwaben. (...) Schwaben war im Mittelalter ein deutsches Herzogtum, das nach dem Volksstamm der Sueben benannt war. Es umfaßte das ganze Gebiet des schwäbisch-allemanischen Sprachstammes: die dt. Schweiz, das Elsaß, Südbaden, Südwürttemberg und das bayerische Schwaben bis zum Lech. (Quelle: Brockhaus Enzyklopädie 1973)

At present there is only one official territorial division "Swabia" (Schwaben) and that is the Bavarian District of Swabia (Regierungsbezirk Schwaben). (...) Swabia was in the Middle Ages a German Duchy, named after the German tribe of the Suebes. Its realm consisted of the swabian-allemanii speakers: the German part of Switzerland, Alsace, southern Baden, southern Württemberg and the Bavarian Swabia up to the Lech river. (Source: Brockhaus Encyclopaedia 1973).

Jarig Bakker, 3 May 2000

The district of Schwaben (Swabia) makes up the southwestern part of Bavaria and has ten counties. The southern part of the district is an area called Allgäu.

Stefan Schwoon, 15 and 17 October 2001

Description

German vexillologist Gunnar Staack wrote this (my translation follows each paragraph):

Heute gibt es nur eine offizielle Gebietsbezeichnung "Schwaben" und das ist der bayerische Regierungsbezirk Schwaben. Dieser hat eine Bezirksfahne, die am 15.10.1965 genehmigt wurde: "Die Fahne zeigt zwei Streifen in der Farbenfolge Rot-Gelb; sie kann auch mit dem Bezirkswappen geführt werden." Der Wortlaut der Beschreibung des gleichzeitig genehmigten Wappens heißt: "Unter goldenem Schildhaupt, darin ein wachsender, rot bewehrter und golden nimbierter schwarzer Doppeladler, gespalten; vorne gespalten von Rot und Silber, hinten fünfmal schräglinks geteilt von Silber und Rot, überdeckt mit einem goldenen Pfahl. (Quelle "Der Flaggenkurier", Nr.5, Achim 1997)

At present there is only one official territorial division "Swabia" (Schwaben) and that is the Bavarian District of Swabia (Regierungsbezirk Schwaben). This has a district flag, granted 15th October 1965: "The flag has two stripes, red and yellow; it may also have the district coat-of-arms on it." (...) (Source: Der Flaggenkurier, no. 5, 1997.)

[Coat-of-arms blazon translation by Santiago Dotor: "Per pale, dexter per pale Gules and Argent, sinister bendy sinister of six Argent and Gules, a pale Or; on a chief Or, a double-headed eagle issuant Sable, armed Gules and nimbed Or"].

Jarig Bakker, 3 May 2000

The coat-of-arms of Schwaben (since 15th October 1965) combines symbols for the Imperial Cities (the eagle), the Hochstift Augsburg (per pale Gules and Argent) and the Margraviate of Burgau (Argent, three bends Sinister Gules, a pale Or). The official flag was adopted and approved together with the arms. It is (...) red-yellow with the arms in the center. Source: Linder 1997 which is available online at the Der Flaggenkurier website. Further information at the Bezirk Schwaben website.

Marcus Schmöger, 27 January 2001

More recently I obtained information from the Bezirk to clarify the question of how the flag actually looks like, especially if it is used as a normal horizontal flag or as a hanging flag (Banner). The flag is usually used as hanging flag ("in der Regel wird die Fahne als Banner verwendet" i.e. "the flag is usually used in the form of a banner"). The width is 150cm, the height is variable (400cm, 500cm, 550cm, 600cm). My image shows the variant with a height of 400cm, and is based on a photo of an actual flag. Source: letter from the Bezirk Schwaben.

Marcus Schmöger, 10 May 2001