The Bavarian Color Scheme: Traditional Tones And Their Meanings

The colours of Bavaria are white and blue, which adorn almost everything in the region. There are two official flags of Bavaria: the striped type and the lozenge type, both of which are blue and white. The colours are believed to represent the lakes and rivers of Bavaria, or the sky and heaven, as in the Bavarian anthem, which says die Farben Seines Himmels, Weiß und Blau – the colours of His sky/heaven, white and blue.

The two official flags of Bavaria

The Free State of Bavaria has two official flags: the striped type and the lozenge type, both of which are blue and white and have been coequally used since 1953. The exact shade of blue has never been codified, but flags used by the public are usually RGB 0-204-255 (00CCFF), while officials use RGB 0-128-255 (#0080FF). Both are historically associated with the royal Bavarian Wittelsbach family, which ruled Bavaria from 1180 to 1918.

The striped flag consists of one white and one blue horizontal stripe, with the white stripe on top. The lozenge flag, meanwhile, consists of at least 21 rhombuses, also known as "Wecken", in front view, with the first rhombus on the top left of the flag being white. The lozenges are believed to represent the lakes and rivers of Bavaria, or perhaps the sky, as referenced in the Bavarian anthem: "die Farben Seines Himmels, Weiß und Blau" ("the colours of His sky/heaven, white and blue").

The white and blue colours and the rhombuses were originally shown in the shield of the Counts of Bogen, an Eastern Bavarian dynasty based in Bogenberg near Straubing. After the male line of the dynasty died out in 1242, the coat of arms was passed on to the stepbrother of Adalbert, Otto II Wittelsbach, Duke of Bavaria. The House of Wittelsbach has used the white and blue rhombuses in their own shield since 1242. When Bavaria became a kingdom in the 19th century, the white and blue rhombuses became the symbol of the whole of Bavaria.

Today, the colours white and blue are symbolic of Bavaria all over the world. In addition to the flag and coat of arms, they also adorn the logos of BMW and FC Bayern Munich.

The meaning of the colours

The colours of the Bavarian flag are white and blue, with the exact shade of blue varying from a rich electric blue to a pale sky blue. The flag features either horizontal and vertical stripes or a pattern of white and blue lozenges (diamond shapes). Both designs are considered official and have equal status, and civilians and government bodies are free to use either.

The white and blue colours are said to represent the sky and heaven and the lakes and rivers of Bavaria. This interpretation is supported by the lyrics of the Bavarian anthem, which refer to "the colours of His sky/heaven, white and blue". The lozenges specifically are thought by some to represent the lakes and rivers of the region.

The colours white and blue have a long history in Bavaria, adorning the coat of arms of the influential Counts of Bogen in the 13th century. The Counts of Bogen were a powerful noble family in Lower Bavaria during the High Middle Ages. Through marriage and inheritance, the white and blue diamonds of their coat of arms were passed to the Wittelsbach family, who ruled Bavaria from 1180 to 1918. The white and blue diamonds became the symbol of the whole of Bavaria when it became a kingdom in the 19th century, and today they are recognised as symbolic of Bavaria all over the world.

The history of the flags

The colours of the flag of Bavaria are white and blue, arranged in either stripes or lozenges (diamond shapes). There are two official flags, both of which are historically associated with the royal Bavarian Wittelsbach family, which ruled Bavaria from 1180 to 1918. The striped flag features horizontal or vertical white and blue stripes, while the lozenge flag features white and blue lozenges, with the top right-hand lozenge (from the viewer's perspective) being white. The exact shade of blue has never been officially specified, but flags used by the public tend to be a lighter blue (RGB 0-204-255) than those used by officials (RGB 0-128-255).

The white and blue colours are believed to have first been used by the Counts of Bogen, a powerful noble family in Lower Bavaria during the High Middle Ages. According to legend, Princess Ludmilla of Bohemia, who was married to Count Albert III of Bogen, was widowed at a young age. Duke Ludwig I of Bavaria then asked for her hand in marriage. It is said that Ludmilla did not trust the Duke, so she had him make a marriage vow in front of a curtain that showed three knights. When three real knights emerged from behind the curtain, the duke was bound to his vow. In 1204, the marriage took place, and when Ludmilla's sons from her first marriage died without descendants, the Wittelsbach family inherited the entirety of the Counts of Bogen's estate, including their white and blue coat of arms.

A preserved seal from 1247 shows that Otto II, the son of Ludwig I and Ludmilla, used the heraldic sign of the Counts of Bogen for the first time. Thus, the white and blue diamonds, also known as rhombuses, became a part of the coat of arms of the Wittelsbach family from the 13th century onwards. When Bavaria became a kingdom in the 19th century, the white and blue rhombuses became the symbol of the entire region. In 1835, King Ludwig I of Bavaria redesigned the royal coat of arms, placing the white and blue diamonds at its centre.

Today, the colours white and blue are symbolic of Bavaria worldwide and can be seen not only on the flag and coat of arms but also on the logos of BMW and FC Bayern Munich.

The unofficial flags of Bavaria

The colours of the Bavarian flag are white and blue, and these colours are believed to have originated from the royal Bavarian Wittelsbach family, who ruled Bavaria from 1180 to 1918. The white and blue diamonds, or lozenges, are thought to have been part of the coat of arms of the Counts of Bogen, a powerful noble family in Lower Bavaria during the High Middle Ages.

There are two official flags of Bavaria: the striped type and the lozenge type. Both flags are blue and white and can be displayed horizontally or vertically. The striped and lozenge styles have equal status, and civilians and government offices are free to choose between them. The lozenge type must have at least 21 lozenges, and the top right (incomplete) lozenge must be white. The exact shade of blue is not officially defined, but flags used by the public tend to be a lighter blue (RGB 0-204-255), while officials use a darker shade (RGB 0-128-255).

The variants of the flag that include arms or coats of arms are unofficial and, strictly speaking, illegal for civilian use, although this is often tolerated. One common variant includes the arms of the Wittelsbach family, which features a golden lion on a black background.

The white and blue colours are also said to represent the clouds and sky of Bavaria, as referenced in the Bavarian anthem: "die Farben Seines Himmels, Weiß und Blau" ("the colours of His sky/heaven, white and blue").

The colour codes of the Bavarian flag

There are two official flags of Bavaria: the striped type and the lozenge type. Both consist of blue and white, with the exact shade of blue varying. The striped and lozenge styles have equal status, and civilians and government offices are free to choose between them. The lozenge-type flag must have at least 21 lozenges, with the top right (incomplete) lozenge being white. The striped flag can be displayed either horizontally or vertically.

The Hex code for the blue in the Bavarian flag is #0099D5, and for the white it is #FFFFFF. The RGB code for the blue is 0-128-255 or 00-204-255, and for the white, it is 255-255-255. The CMYK code for blue is 1, 0.281, 0, 0.164, and for white, it is 0, 0, 0, 0.

The blue and white colours of the flag are said to represent the sky and heaven and the lakes and rivers of Bavaria. Legend also says that the white represents clouds on the backdrop of the blue Bavarian sky.

Frequently asked questions