Vexillology of Hungary

Vexillology of Hungary

Proportion: 1:2
Adopted: 1957
First Flown: 1848
Use:
The colors of Hungary are derived from the heraldric colors of the national coat of arms. The design of the flag is adapted from the tricolor of the French Revolution.

Hungary

Long Form of Country Name: Hungarian Republic (Magyar Köztársaság)
Short Form of Country Name: Hungary (Magyarország)
Form of State: Republic consisting of 19 counties (megyek) one capital city, headed by a president elected by the Orszaggyules to 5-year terms.
Form of Government: Emerging parliamentary democracy with legislative authority vested in a unicameral national assembly called the Orszaggyules, consisting of 386 members popularly elected through proportional representation. The executive authority of government is vested in the Council of Ministers, the Prime Minister and other members of which are elected by the national assembly on the advice of the President.
Independence: 1918 with the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire
Capital: Budapest
Major National Groups: Predominantly Magyar (Hungarian). Small communities of Roma (Gypsies), Romanians, and Germans.

Hungarian National Arms

1. Bács-Kiskun
2. Baranya
3. Békés
4. Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén
5. Budapest
6. Csongrád
7. Fejér
8. Gyor-Moson-Sopron
9. Hajdú-Bihar
10. Heves

11. Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok
12. Komárom-Esztergom
13. Nógrád
14. Pest
15. Somogy
16. Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg
17. Tolna
18. Vaz
19. Veszprém
20. Zala

Provincial Flags & Banners of Hungary's Megyek

Though technically and legally a co-equal kingdom with Austria in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, there is no doubt that this powerful political entitty was a Hapsburg (and thus Austrian) organization. As the idea of national flags came into vogue on the political landscape of Europe, the empire's attempt to adopt this new national symbol included Hungarian colors in order to represent Hungary's status in the empire. Yet, the colors themselves, green-white-red, were resurrected from the heraldric vaults of Hungary's past in order to adopt symbols of the Hungarian people's dissatisfaction and revolt against the Hapsburgs. The Hungarian Revolution of 1848 witnessed the birth of these colors as modern national emblems. During the Hungarians' struggle for indepence, flags that were designed after that of the Tricolor of the French Revolution, using green-white-red instead of blue-white-red, first appeared.

The plain tricolor is used as the civil flag. The state version - used by the government - incorporates the national arms of Hungary. The national arms have changed several times over the years, particularly during the communist regime. Prior to that, the first Hungarian flag sanctioned by the Austrian emperor incorporated the Tri-color with the national arms flanked by two angels. After the empire's collapse and Hungary's independence, there were no arms included. The arms returned after World War II, but with significantly different insignia this time. Hungary was included in the Soviet dominated Warsaw Pact, and distinctly communist symbols were added to the flag. During the Hungarian Revolt against the Soviet domination in 1956, the hated communist insignia was often cut out of the flag which was then flown with the prominent hole diplayed as a sign of defiance. After the Soviet Army crushed the revolt, a slightly different - but still decidely communist - charge was added and remained on the state version of the flag until the collapse of the communist government in 1989. At that time, the older traditional heraldry was returned to the flag and remains there today.

Double-Crowned Flag of Austria-Hungary
Adopted in 1869 as the first flag designed for use by the people of the Empire (and not a personal standard of the emperor)

First Sanctioned Flag of Hungary - 1867
Adopted the design of the flag used during the 1848 Revolt against the emperor with the national arms added. Used to represent the Hungarian portion of the empire.

Hungarian StateFlag of 1940
Adopted during World War II (and Nazi domination), this flag eliminated the supporting angels from the national arms.

Hungarian State Flag of 1949
Replaced the traditional national arms with new communist insignia. This insignia was universally hated. During the Hungarian Revolt of 1956, it was cut out and the flag flown with the hole in the center as a sign of defiance against the Soviet occupation.

Hungarian State Flag of 1957
When the Hungarian Revolt was suppressed, the old communist insignia that had become the source of a symbol of defiance, was replaced with a newer (but just as hated) communist insignia.

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© 2007 SouthBear

This page was created on 7 July 2007
Date of Last Revision: 7 July 2007

Animated flagpole: www.fg-a.com

Historical Flags of Hungary