Luxembourg

Luxembourg, Lëtzebuerg

Last modified: 1997-10-17 by giuseppe bottasini
Keywords: luxembourg | lëtzebuerg | lion | europe | tricolore | rode lew |
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by Zeljko Heimer 4-JAN-1996

• Description of the flag
• Water Canal Transport Ensign and Air Ensign
• Late adoption of the emblems
• Naval Ensign
• Specification of the colours
• Flag of Luxembourg City

See also:

• Arm of Luxembourg
• The Netherlands (Nederland) for a discussion of the difference between the Luxembourg flag and the Dutch flag
• Arms of the cantons
• Emblems of Luxembourg

Pascal Vagnat, 1996-MAY-10

On the same date was adopted a water canal transport ensign and at the same time air ensign.This is the flag shown in [smi75], with ten white and blue stripes and a red lion over all. The proportions are 5:7. The name of this ensign (also the flag of Luxembourg city) is "rode lew" (red lion).

You should remark that I didn't say it was the merchant ensign, the flag being only used (until 1990) on the Mosel and others rivers.

Pascal Vagnat, 1996-MAY-10

Editors Note: The "rode lew" is present at Arm of Luxembourg.

The reasons why these emblems were so lately adopted is simple:

• concerning the national flag there weren't any laws protecting this emblem, (as well as the arms of the state and of the Grand Duc) which any country in the world could adopt as its emblems (don't forget that many states became independent at that time, especially in Africa) or which could be misused by everyone.The other reason is that UNESCO wanted to have the laws and history of the Luxembourgeois flag at that time.
• concerning the ensign, same reason of emblem protection and also the fact that this ensign was unofficially already used by canal transport crafts on the Mosel to differenciate them from the Dutch crafts.The canalisation of the Mosel in the 60s and 70s which made Dutch boats capable to go to Luxembourg, with the problem of knowing who was who, urged the governement to take measures.

Pascal Vagnat, 1996-MAY-10

The law of the 9th of November concerning the creation of a Luxembourgeois public maritime register made also the ensign a sea ensign (civil, merchant, and why not state).

Pascal Vagnat, 1996-MAY-10

For those who desesperately are searching the exact colors of the Luxembourgeois flag, knowing that the only difference (apart the proportions) between the Dutch and the Luxembourgeois flag is the blue, here are them, adopted by a Grand Duke reglement on the 27th of July 1993:

• on the national flag:
  • red pantone 032c
  • blue pantone 299c
• on the ensign:
  • red and blue as above
  • yellow pantone 116c.

Pascal Vagnat, 1996-MAY-10

The flag of the city of Luxembourg is an armorial banner, that is, ten white and blue stripes and a red lion over all. The proportions are 5:7

If you consider that the flag of the capital, Luxembourg, is a banner of the arms, we could say that it is also the case for all the other towns.

Pascal Vagnat, 1996-MAY-13