Flags of the International Congresses of Vexillology [3]

Congress place: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Congress period: July 31 - August 6, 2005
Congress organizer: Association Argentina de Vexilologia / Fundácion Centro Interdisciplinaro des Estudios Culturales

image by Pascal Gross

About the ICV 21 Flag

Pascal Gross’ design combines several elements. First, the Argentine national colors disposed in two vertical stripes, white to the hoist and sky-blue to the fly. This disposition of stripes also evokes the Flag of The Andes in its present disposition, although not the original one. On the center of the white stripe is located the sun of Argentine national flag, which has been used in national symbols since 1813 on the Coat of Arms and the first Argentine currencies. On 1815 is added to presidential band and in 1818 on the War Flag. In 1884 the national government decreed that the flag with the sun is also the official flag of the republic for the use of national government and its dependencies. The flag without sun is the national, merchant and civilian one that is used by all the citizens. The 1884 decree reserved the exclusive use of the sun for the government. In 1944 another decree despoiled Argentinean people of the use of the national flag changing to the word "bandera" (flag) by "colores" (colors) This abnormality was rectified in 1985 when the use of the flag with or without sun was legalized for to all the citizens. This is to say, both designs are allowed for official and/or civil use. The another element of the Flag for 21st. International Congress of Vexillology (ICV 21) is the main symbol of FIAV’s flag. This symbol is horizontally seen on the FIAV’s flag with yellow color on blue background. It’s the third time that the FIAV’s symbol has been used in Congress flags. The first time was ICV 15, Zurich 1993; second in ICV 20, Stockholm 2003. The symbol of the FIAV is a marine knot considered as international symbol. It consists of interlaced halyards connected in which is known as a "plain knot". This symbol was selected during the second.International Congress of Vexillology in Zurich in 1967, introduced by Klaes Sierksma. The adjudged symbolism is the international friendship and the eyelets also symbolize both hemispheres. Pascal chooses to represent the knot with the Argentine national flags, giving this way balance with the rest of the symbols.
Raul Jesus Orta Pardo 26 August 2004

See also:

• ICV 21 Flag Proposals

Congress place: Berlin, Germany
Congress period: August 5 - August 10, 2007
Congress organizer: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Flaggenkunde

image by Jens Pattke

About the ICV 21 Flag

The Congress-flag of "FlagBerlin 2007" is a square white cloth with a narrow border in the German national colours black-red-gold and bears in the centre the logo of the congress. The German colours of the border are beginning from outside with black.

The centre of the cloth shows on a blue circle the yellow logo of the congress, the Roman "XXII" in shape of the "Brandenburg Gate"

From the yellow rim surrounding the blue circle are running two stripes like halyards diagonally to the corners of the flag, forming in their mid-sections the "vexillological knot" of FIAV.

The colours of these halyards are in the dropping diagonals black-yellow colored, in the rising ones red-yellow, with the yellow halyards joining the yellow rim of the blue circle.

The square cloth in form of a historical standard reminds of the conference venue, the German Historical Museum, which houses a great collection of flags, comprising above all flags of the former Prussian arsenal and many a flag of German parties and organisations, all in all more than 2000 pieces.

The white ground of the flag is representing the peaceful togetherness of the nations of the world.

The logo is expression of the international character of the congress. It shows the colours of the FIAV, royal blue and yellow, and on the blue circle the yellow Roman "XXII" for the 22nd ICV in the shape of the Brandenburg Gate, the well-known symbol of Berlin, for the conference venue of the "FlagBerlin 2007".

Here, within the visual range of the Brandenburg Gate, vexillologists from all corners of the World are meeting, represented by the diagonals and their "vexillological knots" running from the four corners to the centre of the flag and reminding of the close ties between the two hemispheres.

The knot is the emblem of the FIAV, which was introduced by Klaes Sierksma in 1967, during the 2. International Congress of Vexillology in Zurich (Switzerland).

The border in the German national colours, surrounding the white cloth of the flag stands for Germany and represents this country as host of the 22nd ICV.

The history of the colours black-red-gold is a symbol of the German national movement since the first half of the 19th century. In the modern form of the horizontal tricolour they appeared for the first time in 1832, expressing the all-German thinking and liberal views. Revolutionary events in March 1848 brought about their general acceptance. In 1866 Chancellor Bismarck introduced in deliberate contrast to that a black-white-red flag for the North-German Union and the following German Empire, which was waving until German Revolution in November 1918. In 1918 Black-Red-Gold became the symbol of the German Republic. But the National-Assembly of the Weimar Republic made a grave political compromise: The colours of the republic became Black-Red-Gold, but the commercial flag was made Black-White-Red with the national colours in the upper corner near the hoist. This compromise was abolished by Hitler' government in 1933, when Black-Red-Gold was banished from public life. After the fall of the Hitler-regime in 1945 Black-Red-Gold had their renaissance. In 1949 came two German states into being, which both made Black-Red-Gold their colours, the German Democratic Republic placing in 1959 their arms in the centre of its flag.

Since 1990 Black-Red-Gold form the Flag of reunited Germany.

The Congress flag was designed by Jens Pattke, member of the German Vexillological Society, and in April 2006 selected by the Organizational Committee of "FlagBerlin 2007" after a two-phase competition international participation out of more than 125 proposals.
From FlagBerlin 2007 webpage