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![[Fehmarn flag]](../images/d/de-oh-fe.gif)
3:5 image by Jörg Majewski, 16 Aug 2006
Since 1st of January the four communities of the Island Fehmarn (Schleswig-Holstein,
county Ostholstein) are united to the city of Fehmarn. It is now Schleswig-Holstein's
second biggest city by area. It includes the settlements of Puttgarden,
Bannesdorf, Burg, Orth, Landkirchen and Petersdorf.
Source: ZDF - German TV.
J. Patrick Fischer, 6 Jan 2003
There is already a flag for the island of Fehmarn available at some
German flag shops. The flag is blue with a golden crown (inside red) in
the middle. See a picture at this
webpage. That flag will probably be the flag of that new city of Fehmarn.
Pascal Vagnat, 6 Jan 2003
Some more information: Until 2002 there were four municipalities on
the island: Burg auf Fehmarn (city), Bannesdorf auf Fehmarn, Landkirchen
auf Fehmarn, and Westfehmarn. The latter three were joined in the Amt Fehmarn
(an Amt is a level of administration between municipality and council level).
According to the website
of Burg council the councils of the four former municipalities agreed
to the union on September 5th, 2002. The parliament of Schleswig-Holstein
passed a law to this effect on October 11th, 2002. The law proposal is
available here.
According to the proposal the Amt is to be disbanded on January 1st, 2003,
and the four municipalities are united to a new city by the name of "Fehmarn".
The agreement concerning the details of the unification (available
from the Burg council) does not mention flags or coats-of-arms. Unfortunately,
I have no information about the "Fehmarn" flag that was mentioned by Pascal.
Stefan Schwoon, 7 Jan 2003
![[Fehmarn alternative flag]](../images/d/de-oh-fm.gif)
3:5 image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 17 Oct 2009
Island of Fehmarn (Ostholstein county/Schleswig-Holstein)
The name of the island is derived from "fe more" , which means "lying
in the sea". Count Adolf II. of Schaumburg gained Wagrien in 1143 from
Duke Heinrich, called the lion, of Saxony. Adolf did that to the Slavic
tribes, what is nowadays called ethnic cleansing. Those ones, who left
their homes voluntarily, gained Lütjenburg, Oldenburg and Fehmarn as a
kind of compensation. Afterwards German tribes settled down on the island
but there seemed to be a way of coexistence. The island was free of serfdom,
which was no matter of course, and gained the status of a "Landschaft",
like Dithmarschen and Nordfriesland. Though Denmark lost Holstein after
the defeat in the battle of Bornhöved in 1227, Fehmarn remained a part
of Denmark and was separated from the rest of Holstein. Since 1340 King
Waldemar Atterdag from Denmark tried to gain control over the Duchy of
Schleswig and he also conquered Fehmarn. In 1360 however he had to concede
the status-quo-ante and the counts of Schaumburg regained control. In 1397
the island was united with Duchy of Schleswig, which was under the rule
of Gerhard VI. from the Plön branch of the counts of Schauenburg.
Fehmarn became again and again the victim of Danish crown-affairs.
The worst disaster occurred in 1428, when Erich von Pommern devastated
the island in order to punish the inhabitants, who used a seal of the rulers
of Holstein. The bloodshed was so heavy, that the island could be restored
only with the help of new settlers from Dithmarschen. The efforts of Erich
von Pommern had failed and the rulers of Holstein kept control of Fehmarn.
The status of Fehmarn remained unclear until 1579, when negotiations began
between the representatives of King Frederik II. of Denmark and two Dukes
of Gottorf, Johann the Elder and Adolf. One result was, to grant an own
coat of arms to the island of Fehmarn. Frederik II reconfirmed the coat
of arms on 3 May 1580 and also granted an armorial flag to the island.
Afterwards Fehmarn became an official part of the Duchy of Schleswig,
reigned by the Dukes of Oldenburg. When Schleswig-Holstein was divided
in 1581 into a royal portion and a ducal portion, Fehmarn became part of
the latter. Things were really complicated:
The "common government" held an assembly every year on St.Michaels
day(29 September) with alternating chairmen.
The King of Denmark was:
1) as the bearer of the Danish crown the supreme lord of fief from
Schleswig
2) Duke of Schleswig and Holstein together with the Duke of Gottorp
a) co-regent of the common portion
b) regent of the royal portion of both duchies
The Duke of Gottorp was:
1) vassal of the Danish king as Duke of Schleswig
2) vassal of the German emperor as Duke of Holstein
a) co-regent of the common portion
b) regent of the ducal portion of both duchies.
The whole land had been divided in a funny way, not depending on natural
parts of the country, but divided in order to get the same incomes from
the land.
The coat of arms of Fehmarn became part of the royal Danish coat of
arms since the rule of King Frederik III.(1648-1670).
Sources: Otto BRANDT: "Geschichte Schleswig-Holsteins"; 5th edition;
Kiel 1957
Walther STEPHAN: „Wappen Schleswig-Holsteins und seiner Landschaften“;
Neumünster 1953, p.27-28 City of Fehmarn (Ostholstein county; Schleswig-Holstein)
On 1 January 2003 the municipalities of Westfehmarn, Landkirchen a.F.
and Bannesdorf a.F., forming the subcounty (Amt) of Fehmarn, merged with
the City of Burg a.F. The new city of Fehmarn was born and the whole island
became one single subject of administration. According to §1 of Hauptsatzung
of the new city from 16 April 2003 there exists neither an own coat of
arms nor a municipal flag.
As municipal seal the smaller seal of Schleswig-Holstein with an inscription
“Stadt Fehmarn” is used.
The plain blue island flag from 1580 with a royal crown in natural
colours in its centre is used instead all over the island since today.
An image of the flag can be seen e.g. at the tourist board website www.fehmarn.de.
The municipal website www.stadtfehmarn.de displays the coat of arms of
the former city of Burg a.F.
I spotted this flag on 18 April 2007 far away from the island near Bardowick
(Lower Saxony).
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 17 Oct 2009
