Flag of Hungary

Use	Civil and state flag. The design and description of Flags typically uses specialised flag terminology' with precise and technical meanings and is hence a form of Jargon. A civil flag is a version of the National flag that is flown by civilians on non-government installations or craft There are two separate meanings for the term state flag in Vexillology – the flag of state of a Government, and the flag of an individual subnational state A flag is a piece of Cloth, often flown from a pole or mast, generally used Symbolically for signaling or identification
Proportion	1:2
Design	horizontal tricolour of red, white and green
Use	State flag. The design and description of Flags typically uses specialised flag terminology' with precise and technical meanings and is hence a form of Jargon. There are two separate meanings for the term state flag in Vexillology – the flag of state of a Government, and the flag of an individual subnational state A flag is a piece of Cloth, often flown from a pole or mast, generally used Symbolically for signaling or identification
Proportion	1:2
Design	Hungarian flag with current official Hungarian coat of arms. Legal whenever a person or institution is eligible to use the official coat of arms by law (e. g. MPs, members of government, ministries, etc. ).
Use	War flag. The design and description of Flags typically uses specialised flag terminology' with precise and technical meanings and is hence a form of Jargon. A war flag (or military flag) is a variant of a National flag for use by the nation's military forces on land A flag is a piece of Cloth, often flown from a pole or mast, generally used Symbolically for signaling or identification
Proportion	3:4
Use	Civil ensign. The design and description of Flags typically uses specialised flag terminology' with precise and technical meanings and is hence a form of Jargon. The civil Ensign (also known as merchant flag or merchant ensign) is the National flag flown by civil ships (merchant ships and others to denote An ensign is a distinguishing Flag of a ship or a military unit or a distinguishing token emblem or badge such as a symbol of office
Proportion	2:3
Use	Naval ensign. The design and description of Flags typically uses specialised flag terminology' with precise and technical meanings and is hence a form of Jargon. An ensign is a distinguishing Flag of a ship or a military unit or a distinguishing token emblem or badge such as a symbol of office An ensign is a distinguishing Flag of a ship or a military unit or a distinguishing token emblem or badge such as a symbol of office
Proportion	3:4

Unofficial Hungarian flag from 1957-1989 officially never included the Kádár coat of arms; however, it was often depicted so. Kádár ( Hungarian: "cooper" is a Hungarian surname which may refer to János Kádár (1912–1989 Hungarian politician

This flag, from which the Rákosi coat of arms has been cut out, became the symbol of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. Mátyás Rákosi ( born March 9, 1892 as Mátyás Rosenfeld - died February 5, 1971 was a Hungarian communist politician The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 ( Hungarian: 1956-os forradalom) was a spontaneous nationwide Revolt against the Stalinist government of

Hungarian flag between 1946-1949 and 1956-1957 with the Kossuth coat of arms.

Hungarian flag 1949-1956, bearing the Stalinist Rákosi coat of arms

Hungarian flag 1940-1945 with the Hungarian coat of arms which were re-adopted for use in Hungary's modern-day flag but in 1:2 size ratio.

Hungarian flag 1867-1918, i. e. while part of Austria-Hungary.

The flag of Hungary is a horizontal tricolour of red, white and green. A flag is a piece of Cloth, often flown from a pole or mast, generally used Symbolically for signaling or identification Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic A tricolour or tricolor (three colours is a Flag or Banner more-or-less equally divided (horizontally vertically or less frequently diagonally Red is any of a number of similar Colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of Light discernible by the human eye in the wavelength White is a Color, the perception which is evoked by Light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive Cone cells in the Human eye Green is a Color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a Wavelength of roughly 520–570- nm. In this exact form, it has been the official flag of Hungary since October 1, 1957.

Origin

Today's flag of Hungary stems from the national freedom movement before 1848 which climaxed in the 1848/49 revolution, which was not only a revolution against the monarchy and to constitute a republic, but also a national movement against the Habsburgs. The events leading to the revolution The Hungarian Diet (parliament was reconvened in 1825 to handle financial needs Thus, the tricolour feature of the flag is based on the French flag and the ideas of French revolution, while the colours red, white and green were taken from the historical coat of arms. The current coat of arms of Hungary was adopted on July 3, 1990, after the end of the Communist regime The coat of arms first appeared in the form, which is but for minor details basically the same as nowadays in the mid-15th century, marshalled from arms that first appeared in the late-12th and early-13th century as arms of the Árpáds, Hungary's founding dynasty. Heraldry in its most general sense encompasses all matters relating to the duties and responsibilities of officers of arms.

In sum, the Hungarian flag has its origins in the national republican movements of the 18th-19th century (concerning its form, the tricolour) and in the Hungary of the Middle Ages (concerning its colours).

Folklore of the romantic period attributed the colours to virtues: red for strength, white for faithfulness and green for hope. Alternatively, red for the blood spilled for the fatherland, white for freedom and green for the land, for the pastures of Hungary.

Historical flags of Hungary

Árpád House Flag: This flag was the flag of the Árpád House, the House of the first Hungarian kings. This flag was the flag of the Árpád House, the House of the first Hungarian kings. The Árpáds or Arpads (Árpádok Arpadovići Арпадовићи ArpádovciArpatlar was the ruling Dynasty of the federation of the Magyar tribes This is a list of all rulers of Hungary since Árpád See Heads of state of Hungary for a list of post-1918 presidents The first known member of the Árpáds was Prince Ügyek. His son, Álmos and Álmos's son Árpád werethe leaders of the Hungarians at the time of the Hungarian Conquest in the Carpathian Basin at the end of the 9th century. Árpád (c 845 &ndash c 907 the second Grand Prince of the Magyars (c Hungarians (or Magyars, magyarok are an Ethnic group primarily associated with Hungary. The Pannonian Basin or Carpathian Basin is a large basin in Central Europe. The Árpáds reigned in Hungary till 1301. Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic The Árpád stripes: 7 divided red/silver or red/white stripes.

When the House of Árpád became extinct and the Angevins came into power, they wanted to emphasize their legitimacy and their relation to the previous royal house by using the Árpáds' flag, the red and white stripes. Angevin (ˈændʒəvɪn ( French, from Old French, from Medieval Latin Andegavinus from Andegavia Anjou, France) is the name applied They combined this flag with their own, using a flag that resembles the one currently in use, but with the Angevins' fleur-de-lis in place of the cross.

As described above, the red-white-green tricolour has emerged as sign of national souverenity during the 1848/49 revolution against the Habsburgs. After the revolution was defeated, the flag was prohibited by the Austrian Emperor.

Only after the Compromise of 1867 did the red-white-green tricolour became not only legal, but also the official flag of Hungary. The flag had the so called minor arms of Hungary with archeangels as supporters were used as a badge on the flag. The design and description of Flags typically uses specialised flag terminology' with precise and technical meanings and is hence a form of Jargon. This configuration was used until the end of the Habsburg Empire in 1918.

After the fall of the Habsburg Empire the years 1918 to 1920 were highly turbulent, and several hard-to-trace minor changes might have taken place. Basically, the red-green-white tricolour had stayed the same for sure, differences might have occurred in terms of the badge. A short interlude and exception was the 1919 Hungarian Soviet Republic, which lasted only about 100 days: they used the solid red banner. (Include information, if you have exact ones, on this period).

It seems, that from 1920-1944 or 1945 the tricolour with the minor arms of Hungary, but without supporters was used.

Between 1946 and 1949 the crown from top of the arms serving as the badge was removed.

In 1949 the new Stalinist Hungarian arms were placed on the flag as the badge.

During the anti-Soviet uprising in 1956, revolutionaries cut out the Stalinist emblem and used the resulting tricolor with a hole in the middle as the symbol of the revolution. The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 ( Hungarian: 1956-os forradalom) was a spontaneous nationwide Revolt against the Stalinist government of For some months the new government changes the flag to bear the minor arms without the crown as the badge again.

After the revolution was defeated by the Soviet Red Army, during the communist restoration, in 1957 the communists created a "new" coat of arms but it was never officially put onto the flag of Hungary. Therefore the official flag of Hungary has been a pure red-white-green tricolour since 1957.

After the fall of communism in 1989 there was no need to change the flag, as it did not bear any communist insignia.

There was a recommendation of the Committee of Symbols some years ago, that the coat of arms should be part of the state flag, while the national flag should not (as is the status quo). This has legally not been implemented, though in case of most state use the arms might be used on the flag (see below).

Exact description

The constitution does not state anything about the width:length ratio of the flag. However, (According to FOTW, see External Links) there is a law from 1957 which appears to be valid. It states that sea-going merchant vessels shall hoist the red-white-green tricolour in 2:3 ratio.

By a government decree from 2000, the ratio (which is neither defined in the Constitution, nor the 1995 or 2000 law (see External Links)) of flags used on government building is 1:2.

This would mean:

• A red-white-green tricolour. Many variations might be used though according to 1995/LXXXIII §11 (3) "(3) In cases specified in paragraphs (1) and (2), the arms and the flag can be used also in their historical forms. " - 1995/LXXXIII §11 (1) "(1) For the purpose of declaring the pertainance to the nation, private persons can use the arms and the flag, keeping the limitations contained in this law. "
• red-white-green tricolour, ratio 1:2 (by decree from 2000). According to 1995/LXXXIII §11 (4), the official coat of arms of Hungary might be placed onto it as a badge.
• White backgound with green red alternated flammulette ("flame tongues", triangles with wavy edge) border, coat of arms in the center, embraced by oak-branches from the left, olive branches from the right. Ratio not defined. ( 1995/LXXXIII §8 (1) )
• 2:3 (ratio defined by 1957 law) red-white-green tricolour (there is a merchant fleet)
• Unknown
• White backgound with green red alternated triangle border, coat of arms at 1/3 of the flag, nearer to the pole. Ratio not defined. ( 1995/LXXXIII §8 (2) )

External links

• Hungary at Flags of the World
• Flag of Hungary at Flagspot.net
• (Hungarian) The Constitution of the Hungarian Republic (=Law 1949/XX)
• (Hungarian) Law 1995/LXXXIII
• (Hungarian) Law 2000/XXXVIII