Kingdom of Bavaria 1806-1918 (Germany)

Königreich Bayern

Last modified: 2009-02-28 by jarig bakker
Keywords: kingdom of bavaria | koenigreich bayern | lozengy (white-blue) | canton (white) |
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image by Marcus Schmöger
Flag adopted 11 September 1878

• Presentation
• Introduction
• National Flag 1878-1918, Pre-1878 Unofficial Flag (Landesfarben / reported 1842 and 1848)
• Pre-1878 Unofficial Swallowtailed Variant (reported 1810 Oktoberfest)
• Pre-1878 Unofficial Variant (reported 1820 and 1842)
• Pre-1878 Unofficial Variant (reported 1820)
• Pre-1878 Unofficial Swallowtailed Variant (reported 1824 and 1835)
• Pre-1878 Unofficial Variant (reported 1824)
• Pre-1878 Unofficial Variant (reported 1848 and 1860)
• Unidentified 19th Century Flag (reported 1862)
• Pre-1878 Unofficial Variant (Landesfarben / reported 1866)
• Pre-1878 Unofficial Variant (reported 1870)
• National Flag late 19th Century, alternative (reported 1870)
• National Flag late 19th Century (reported 1885)
• Royal Flags 1806-1918

See also:

• Historical Flags (Bavaria / Bayern)
• Bavaria (Bayern)
• Germany

Bavaria (Bayern) was a Duchy until 1507, when it became an Electorate (Kurfürstentum Bayern). It became a kingdom in 1806 (Königreich Bayern), a republic in 1918 and a federal free state (Freistaat Bayern) shortly after that.

Santiago Dotor, 8 September 2000

Most of the [Bavarian historical flags'] information is from Drake-Brockman 1983.

Norman Martin, August 1998

An official flag for Bavaria was adopted only in 1878. The lozenged flag was the flag of Wittelsbach family and it was used since 1337. From ca.1506 the white standard with the arms began to be used. Later a great number of different standards were used. Before 1878 all the flags were unofficial, based on the Landesfarben white and blue, the latter should had been light after a royal decision of 1838. The official flag for Bavaria was adopted by royal decree (11 September 1878) and it was white over light blue. King Louis II stated that all the flags, on land and at sea, were of two horizontal stripes.

Mario Fabretto, 3 August 1998

Landesfarben / reported 1842 and 1848

image by Marcus Schmöger
Officially adopted 11 September 1878, previously used unofficially

Horizontal bicolor: white-blue. Appears to be used as national flag. Also used as a jack on royal yachts. Officially re-adopted as state flag 14 December 1953. Illustrated in Pedersen 1970.

Norman Martin, August 1998

Reported 1810 Oktoberfest

1:2  image by Jaume Ollé

Horizontal bicolor: blue-white swallow tailed. Oktoberfest.

Norman Martin, August 1998

Reported 1820 and 1842

image by Jorge Candeias

Horizontal triband: blue-white-blue.

Norman Martin, August 1998

Reported 1820

image by Jaume Ollé and Jorge Candeias

Nine horizontal stripes: blue-white[-blue-white-blue-white-blue-white-blue].

Norman Martin, August 1998

Reported 1824 and 1835

1:2  image by Jorge Candeias

Horizontal bicolor: white-blue swallow tailed. Oktoberfest. This is the same that swallowtailed flag reported Oktoberfest 1810 but reversed (showing white over blue).

Norman Martin, August 1998

Reported 1824

image by Jorge Candeias

Horizontal threeband white-blue-white, pictured by Albrecht Adam. Seems more a band than a flag.

Jaume Ollé (?), June 1998

Reported 1848 and 1860

image by Jaume Ollé

Five horizontal stripes: blue-white[-blue-white-blue].

Norman Martin, August 1998

Reported 1862

image by Jaume Ollé

Eight horizontal stripes: white-blue[-white-blue-white-blue-white-blue]. A white canton 3/8ths of height with a tree.

Norman Martin, August 1998

Landesfarben / reported 1866

image by Jorge Candeias

Horizontal bicolor: blue-white.

Norman Martin, August 1998

Reported 1870

stripes 1:2:1   image by Jorge Candeias

Horizontal triband: blue-white-blue. Ratio of stripes 1:2:1. [Source: Siebmachers Wappenbuch 1878. See also the standard of the royal house.]

Norman Martin, August 1998

Reported 1870

     both images by Jaume Ollé

Blue-white lozengy of 20 pieces (possibly in error as to number of pieces). On some old very small drawings it is impossible count the number of pieces. Some of them are shown rectangular and others are square.

Norman Martin, May/August 1998

Reported 1885

image by Jaume Ollé

Square blue-white lozengy of many pieces. Used at Castle Hohenschwangau around 1885.

Norman Martin, August 1998