Flag of Moravia#The oldest history

There is a description of a Moravian flag in the chronicle of Ottokar aus der Gaal (also known as Otacher ouz der Geul or Ottokar von Steiermark; born about 1265, died between 1318 and 1322): Die Steirische Reimchronik.{{cite book

| first=František

| last=Pícha

| chapter=Znaky a prapory v kronice Ottokara Štýrského

| title=Vexilologie. Zpravodaj České vexilologické společnosti, o.s. č. 169

| pages=3320–3324

| publisher=Česká vexilologická společnost

| date=2013

| url=https://www.vexilologie.cz/cvs/vexilologie/vexie169.pdf

| location=Brno

}}

{{poemquote|text=

Hern Dietrich Spatzmanen

sach man die banier leiten:

in einem rȏten samît breiten

was gewohrt ein lewe wîz.

ouch heten ir baniere flîz,

die von Merhaeren wârn:

ein geschâchzabelten arn

von rȏter und von wîzer varbe

sach man ob in begarbe

waejen von dem winde.{{cite web

| title=Ottokars Österreichische Reimchronik (MGH Deutsche Chroniken V,1)

| url=http://daten.digitale-sammlungen.de/~db/bsb00000779/images/index.html?id=00000779&groesser=&fip=193.174.98.30&no=&seite=226

| access-date=2017-06-25}}{{cite web

| title=Ottokar von Steiermark: 'Steirische Reimchronik'

| url=http://www.handschriftencensus.de/werke/602

| publisher=www.handschriftencensus.de

| access-date=2017-06-25}}}}

File:Jošt Moravský, též Lucemburský -.jpg, Gelnhausen Codex, 15th century]]

The history of the Moravian flag is very varied and begins in the 13th century in the context of the relations between Bohemia and Moravia organized within the construction of a centralized monarchy by the last kings of the Přemyslid dynasty. The colouring of the flag (or banner) was according to vexillological rules derived from the colours of heraldic coats of arms since the Middle Ages.{{cite news

| last=Růžek

| first=Vladimír

| date=2013

| title=Cesty k definici (nejen) moravského znaku a praporu

| newspaper=Veřejná správa, No. 10

| pages=20–22:22

| issn=1213-6581

| language=cs

}}

File:Nejstarší dochované barevné vyobrazení znaku markraběcí Moravy, hrad Gozzoburg v Kremži.jpeg]]

From the reign of Ottokar II of Bohemia, Moravia's coat of arms features a silver-red checquered eagle with a golden crown and claws, which looks to the right and is placed on a blue field.

The oldest surviving full-colour depiction of the coat of arms of Moravia is in a fresco in the hall of Gozzoburg Castle in Krems an der Donau, dating to the early 1270s.{{cite book

| last1 = Krejčík

| first1 = Tomáš

| last2 = Pícha

| first2 = František

| chapter= Český a moravský znak ve znakové galerii v Gozzoburgu v Kremsu

| location = Brno

| title = Genealogické a heraldické informace 2008 : Moravská genealogická a heraldická společnost, o. s. 2009

| volume = 13 | issue = 28

| year = 2009

| pages = 49–57

| issn = 0862-8963

| language = cs

}} The checquered eagle is documented in a depiction from 1286 and later in the late 13th and early 14th century.{{cite book | last=Vojtíšek | first=Václav | title=Naše státní znaky (staré a nynější) | publisher=Vesmír | place=Praha | year=1921 | page=21 | language=cs}}

The colours of the chequered eagle were derived from the colours of the Bohemian lion (a silver lion on a red shield) and express the connection with the Bohemian king of Moravia and Bohemian monarchy, as, for example, historian Vladimír Růžek recalls.{{cite news | last=Růžek | first=Vladimír | title=Cesty k definici (nejen) moravského znaku a praporu | journal=Veřejná správa | date=2013 | number=10 | pages=20–22: 21 | url=http://www.moravska-vlajka.eu/dokumenty/VS10ruzek.pdf | issn=1213-6581 | language=cs | access-date=2015-03-07 | archive-date=2019-04-09 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190409050227/http://www.moravska-vlajka.eu/dokumenty/VS10ruzek.pdf | url-status=dead }} One of the first documented illustrations of the banner of Moravia is the view in the 1407 Gelnhausen Codex, which depicts the Moravian Margrave Jobst of Moravia with a blue banner on which the Moravian white and red eagle is placed with a yellow crown and yellow armor without a shield.

File:Wapen 1545 Mörhern (Mähren) Polychromie.jpg: Wapen des heyligen Römischen Reichs Teutscher nation (1545)]]

The heraldic flag of Moravia (the flag of Moravia in the form of the flag with coat of arms) is described and drawn for example in the work of Jacob Koebel: Wapen des heyligen römischen Reichs teutscher Nation from 1545.{{cite news

| last=Koebel

| first=Jacob

| date=1545

| title=Wapen des heyligen römischen Reichs teutscher Nation

| url=https://bildsuche.digitale-sammlungen.de/index.html?c=viewer&bandnummer=bsb00059192&pimage=13&v=150&nav=&l=de

| pages=14

| location=Frankfurt am Main

| language=de

| access-date=2017-06-29

}}

Historically, there were several versions of the widely used and documented Moravian flags, which were mainly used during the 19th century in parallel to bicolours and tricolours derived from tinctures of provincial coat of arms.{{cite journal | last=Hlinomaz | first=Milan | title=Ke státní a zemské symbolice českého státu v období 1526–1918 | journal=Paginae historiae. Sborník Národního archivu | number=3 | year=1995 | pages=152–194 | url=http://www.nacr.cz/E-publ/paginae/fulltext/3_1995/ph_03_06.pdf | issn=1211-9768 | language=cs | access-date=2015-03-07 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402142517/http://www.nacr.cz/E-publ/paginae/fulltext/3_1995/ph_03_06.pdf | archive-date=2015-04-02 | url-status=dead }}Ke státní a zemské symbolice českého státu v období 1526–1918, p. 167th According to some authors, therefore, the Moravian flag consists of three horizontal strips of red, white, and blue.{{Cite book | last=Brožek | first=Aleš | title=Lexikon vlajek a znaků zemí světa | publisher=Kartografie | place=Praha | year=2003 | issue=2 | page=50 | isbn=8070117761 }} This color combination was the flag of the Moravian patriots in the 19th century. A delegation of the Moravians to the Slavonic Congress in Prague in 1848 allegedly marched under a tricolour with the top horizontal stripe white, the middle red and the bottom blue.{{Cite journal

| last = Havlík

| first = Lubomír Emil

| title = Symboly moravské identity

| journal = Moravskoslezská orlice

| year = 1990

| number = 14

| pages = 12

| url = http://vlajka.moravy.eu/doc/doc-havlik-symboly-moravske-identity.pdf

| language = cs}} White, red and blue colors are referred to as Moravia in the Nový prostonárodní popis Čech, Moravy a Slezska from 1854 and in some textbooks from the 19th century.{{Cite book | last=Štarha | first=Ivan | title=Moravské barvy a moravská zemská vlajka | editor=Bronislav Chocholáč | editor2=Jiří Malíř | chapter=Pocta Janu Janákovi. Předsedovi Matice Moravské, profesoru Masarykovy univerzity věnují k sedmdesátinám jeho přátelé a žáci | publisher=Matice Moravská | place=Brno | year=2002 | isbn=80-86488-07-1 | pages=165–170: 168 | language=cs}} According to Ivan Štarha, the Moravian colours in 1915 were white, red and blue, and between the years 1915 and 1918 yellow, red and blue.{{cite journal | last=Štarha | first=Ivan | title=Historie, moravské barvy a moravská vlajka | journal=Veřejná správa | year=2013 | pages=165–170 | url=http://mojamorava.eu/dokumenty/VS09starha.pdf | issn=1213-6581 | language=cs }}{{Dead link|date=April 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}Moravské barvy a moravská zemská vlajka, p. 170. The Czechoslovak Republic restored the white or silver color to the Moravian coat of arms, but the color is not defined in the provincial status flags / banners Act No. 252/1920. {{clarify span|text=Country flag do not know the later legal regulations (Act no. 269/1936, Law no. 222/1939, no. 163/1960, and now valid Acts no. 3/1993 Coll., No. 352/2001 Coll.).|explain=What is this intended to mean?|date=January 2019}}{{cite web | title=Zemský registr erbů České republiky: Legislativa|trans-title=The National Coat of Arms Register of the Czech Republic | url=http://www.zrecr.cz/zrecr/index_cz.php?konstran=102240000011 | publisher=ZREČR | language=cs}}{{cite web | title=Zákon č. 3/1993 Sb. Zákon České národní rady o státních symbolech České republiky | url=https://www.zakonyprolidi.cz/cs/1993-3 | publisher=Zákony pro lidi | language=cs}}{{cite web | title=Zákon č. 352/2001 Sb. Zákon o užívání státních symbolů České republiky a o změně některých zákonů | url=https://www.zakonyprolidi.cz/cs/2001-352 | publisher=Zákony pro lidi | language=cs}}

Today, a yellow-red bicolour is sometimes used as the flag of Moravia, especially by some Moravian parties, associations and other organizations.Moravské barvy a moravská zemská vlajka, p. 165. The yellow-red bicolour has been used along with other bicolours and tricolours since the second half of 19th century, according to certain authors (L. E. Havlík, M. Hlinomaz).{{cite book | last=Havlík | first=Lubomír Emil | title=Morava: k státoprávnímu postavení země v průběhu věků | publisher=Moravské občanské hnutí | place=Brno | year=1990 | page=31}}

Hereinafter referred to as Morava: k státoprávnímu postavení země v průběhu věků.Ke státní a zemské symbolice českého státu v období 1526–1918, p. 168 As stated by M. Hlinomaz: {{quote|Zdá se, že žlutočervený prapor, logicky odvozený od sněmem v roce 1848 přijaté formy šachování moravské orlice, nesl oficiální posvěcení úřady a pro svou podobnost s říšskou vlajkou, i sympatie moravského obyvatelstva německé národnosti.}}

The historian Ivan Štarha argues that Moravia was never awarded the flag.

To today's yellow-red bicolour is sometimes added the provincial coat of arms with a red-gold checquered eagle.Moravské barvy a moravská zemská vlajka, p. 165-170.

The red-gold checquered eagle variant was introduced in 2007, and was recommended by some members and supporters of the Moravian National Community to avoid a possible misidentification with other flags, for example the flag of the capital city Prague, which also consists of yellow and red horizontal stripes. This option is criticized by some Bohemian (Czech) nationalist experts.

Both of these versions, however, have been criticized by certain experts approached by the media (specifically historian M. Řepa, vexillologist K. Müller, and heraldist Jiří Louda).{{cite journal | last=Motýl | first=Ivan | title=Morava s ilegální vlajkou | journal=Týden |date=June 2011 | pages=14 | issn=1210-9940 | language=cs}}{{cite journal | last=Motýl | first=Ivan | title=Jak jsem urazil Moravany | journal=Týden |date=July 2011 | pages=12–13 | language=cs}}{{cite journal | last=Štěpán | first=Petr | title=Moravskou vlajku vyvěsí téměř 400 obcí. Kvůli sporům není jasné, zda je to ta pravá | journal=IHNed.cz |date=July 2012 | url=http://zpravy.ihned.cz/cesko/c1-56418750-moravskou-vlajku-vyvesi-temer-400-obci-kvuli-sporum-neni-jasne-zda-je-to-ta-prava | issn=1213-7693 }}{{cite journal | title=Škromach: Že se vyvěšování moravských vlajek čecháčkům nelíbí? Jejich věc | journal=Parlamentní listy |date=July 2012 | url=http://www.parlamentnilisty.cz/arena/monitor/Skromach-Ze-se-vyvesovani-moravskych-vlajek-cechackum-nelibi-Jejich-vec-238472| issn=1214-3154 | language=cs }}

The appearance of the flag has been a subject of discussion for more than 100 years.{{cite web|url=http://zpravy.ihned.cz/cesko/c1-56418750-moravskou-vlajku-vyvesi-temer-400-obci-kvuli-sporum-neni-jasne-zda-je-to-ta-prava|title=Moravskou vlajku vyvěsí téměř 400 obcí. Kvůli sporům není jasné, zda je to ta pravá|last=Štěpán|first= Petr |date=5 July 2012|work=Hospodářské noviny|publisher=iHned.cz|language=cs}} One variant consists of two bars, a yellow bar in the upper half, and a red bar in the lower half.

File:Banner of the Margraviate of Moravia.svg|Banner of arms of the Margrave of Moravia{{cite book | first1=Zbyšek | last1=Svoboda | first2=Pavel | last2=Fojtík | first3=Petr | last3=Exner | first4=Jaroslav | last4=Martykán | chapter=Odborné vexilologické stanovisko k moravské vlajce | title=Vexilologie. Zpravodaj České vexilologické společnosti, o.s. č. 169 | pages=3319, 3320 | publisher=Česká vexilologická společnost | date=2013 | location=Brno | url=https://www.vexilologie.cz/cvs/vexilologie/vexie169.pdf}}{{cite book | first=František | last=Pícha | chapter=Znaky a prapory v kronice Ottokara Štýrského | title=Vexilologie. Zpravodaj České vexilologické společnosti, o.s. č. 169 | pages=3320–3324 | publisher=Česká vexilologická společnost | date=2013 | location=Brno}}

File:Bíločervená historická vlajka Moravy.png|White-red bicolour used till the beginning of the 20th century

File:Červenobílá historická vlajka Moravy.png|Red-white bicolour used till the beginning of the 20th century

File:Flag of Moravia 19th century.png|Yellow-red bicolour used simultaneously with other bicolours and tricolours since the second half of 19th century

File:Červenožlutá historická vlajka Moravy (možné užití ve 2. polovině 19. století až 1918).png|Red-yellow bicolour: another historical flag of Moravia coming from the second half of the 19th century or the beginning of the 20th century

File:Bíločervenomodrá historická vlajka Moravy (1848).png| One version of the flag of Moravia in the form of red-white-blue tricolor, allegedly used by the deputies of Czech-speaking Moravians to the Slavonic Congress in Prague in 1848

File:Červenobílomodrá historická vlajka Moravy.png|Red-white-blue tricolor used in the second half of 19th century and in the beginning of the 20th century{{Cite journal | last = Havelka | first = Jan | title = Erb a zemské barvy markkrabství moravského | journal = Komenský | access-date = 2015-12-15 | year = 1880 | number = 29 | pages = 454–455 | url = http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112042804044;view=1up;seq=463 | language = cs}}{{Cite journal | title = O barvách praporů (8. 9. 1888) | journal = Orlice, časopis politický | place = Telč | year = 1888 | number = 19 | pages = Příloha Orlice k číslu 19 | language = cs}}

File:Červenomodrobílá historická vlajka Moravy (1885, 1908).png|Red-blue-white tricolour used in the 19th century and early 20th century

• Flag of Bohemia
• Coat of arms of Silesia

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• {{commons category-inline|Flags of Moravia}}

Moravia

Category:Moravia

Category:Flags displaying animals