Flag of Poland – Colors, Meaning, History ??

The flag of Poland was adopted on August 1, 1919. It is a simple two striped white and red banner, which represents the rich history of the country and evokes hope and promises for the future. There is also a variant of this flag that consists of an emblem. Although the latter is reserved for the navy and for official use abroad, it is the most commonly used. Poland’s flag is celebrated on May 2 during Flag Day, where it is hoisted to remind the Polish people, including those living in the diaspora, of the country’s struggle for independence. To the people, the flag is a reminder of the challenging moments the state endured as well as their resilience.

History of the Flag of Poland

Poland has a long history of using different flags. For instance, in 1138, the Kingdom of Poland consisted of several duchies, each with its own banner. However, by 1320, the territory was unified again under King Wladyslaw “Elbow-high.” The coat of arms of Wladyslaw became a national symbol from then on. It consisted of a white eagle with a crown on its head. In 1569, the Union of Lublin resulted in the unification of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania to become a single state. The flag that represented the commonwealth consisted of the mounted knight of the King of Lithuania and the eagle of Poland. The country’s flag colors were adopted from the coat of arms of both nations.

Towards the end of the 18th century, Austria, Russia, and Prussia collaborated to dissolve the commonwealth. The three countries ganged up against Poland to break up the unification of Poland and Lithuania, thereby eliminating the federation. For the next 123 years, Poland was a partitioned territory. Most of the partitioned regions received a new coat of arms, yet most of the leaders chose to retain the white eagle. Some movements tried to restore the Poland-Lithuanian sovereignty such as Kościuszko Uprising, but they were unsuccessful.

Towards the end of World War I, the Bolshevik Revolution broke German control of the Western-Polish Lithuanian region and crippled Russia’s authority in the Eastern part of the area. Poland was independent again. As a result, the flag of Poland, along with the Poland Coat of Arms was restored. The Anglo-Polish Agreement of 1939 meant that any invasion of Poland would be met with a mutual military attack from Poland and its allies. Germany’s violation of this pact triggered world war 2. The Nazis and the Soviet initially shared control of territories in Poland before the agreement. When the war ended, Poland was under Soviet control but was not made a Soviet Socialist Republic and maintained a level of independence. Thus, the flag remained as it was. However, the crown was removed as it was a symbol of monarchy.

Communism collapsed in Poland during the Winter months of 1989 and the first months of 1990. The coat of arms with the crown was reinstated. This flag has been in use since then.

What is the meaning behind the colors of the Flag of Poland?

Colors
The red and white colors have been in use for centuries. Whereas the colors traditionally represented royalty, the modern version has a different meaning.

Red: The Struggle for freedom over the centuries
White: Peace and hope for all the people of Poland

Moreover, there are other unofficial meanings to the colors. In Heraldry, white symbolizes purity, whereas red symbolizes courage and strength. Polish banners were traditionally red because the country used to produce the most expensive dye in Europe. Additionally, Polish nobility would wear vibrant red clothes in Court. The original design had a red background with a white/silver eagle and a golden crown and beak. The words “za wiare wolnosc iojczyzne” appeared on the original flag. Moreover, the communist era, the white represented peace, whereas the red symbolized socialism.

Shape
The flag of Poland is of the length to width ratio of 5:8. The two horizontal stripes of white and red are equal in form. The red (amaranth) below represents the color of the crest in the coat of arms of the country, whereas the white line above represents the white eagle that also appears in the coat of arms.

Before 1919, there was no standard rule as to which color comes first. There were flags with the red appearing on top and the white on the bottom. However, in August 1919, the situation was resolved when the constitution declared the white stripe to appear on the upper part with the red stripe appearing at the bottom.

Emblem
The flag of Poland with the coat of arms is popular. This is because most people find this flag to be prettier than the simple white-red flag.

The Polish Coat of Arms is a crowned white eagle. Legend has it that when the Polish state was being founded, the chieftain of the tribe of Polans (Polanie), Lech, spotted a white eagle flying off its nest with spectacular reddish sunlight in the background. This sight inspired Lech to use the White eagle to represent the royal family and the nation of Poland. Poland’s first capital, Gniezo, means ‘eagle’s nest.’ It was named from the legend.

There have been few changes in the emblem over the years. Whereas the symbol appears at the center of the national flag, it appears on the white stripe in the war flag of Poland.

Interesting Facts about the Flag of Poland

The current design of the emblem was done by Zygmunt Kaminski, a painter, graphic designer, and architect.
The red and white stripes began to appear in the late 17th century. This color pattern was adopted from the banner of Zygmunt III Vasa (d. 1632), which consisted of three stripes, red on the upper and lower line with white in the middle. On the other hand, the flags of Wladyslaw IV (d. 1648) and Jan Casimir (d. 1668) had four lines, alternating red and white horizontal stripes.
The Polish Coat of Arms is one of the oldest in the world.
Poland and Czechoslovakia used the same flag until 1920.
The Presidential Palace and Parliament buildings continue to hoist the Polish flag, particularly, the one with the emblem.
The Naval Jack of Poland does not have the coat of arms. Instead, it consists of the arm of a swordsman on a color inverting the cross.
The flag is a potent symbol of Polish heritage and Polish identity.
The flag without the coat of arms is meant to be the national flag. However, people continue to use the flag with the coat of arms as it is ‘prettier.’
The Polish flag day has been celebrated since 2004. Since then, the government invests in patriotic campaigns to remind people of the deep symbolism of the flag. In the 19th century, the national brooch was put to use, which features the national colors and can be seen on flag day.
May 2 (flag day) coincides with other holidays, such as Poles Abroad Day and Polish Diaspora day. On this day, Polish people celebrate the hoisting of the national flag in Berlin in 1945 as a symbol of victory over Germany.