Comte Arnau
10-29-2012, 09:03 PM
If you could have chosen one of the first flag proposals for Europe, which one one of these would you have voted for?
The search for a symbol began in 1950 when a committee was set up in order to look into the question of a European flag. There were numerous proposals but a clear theme for stars and circles emerged.
Count Richard Nikolaus von Coudenhove-Kalergi proposed that they adopt the flag of his International Paneuropean Union (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Paneuropean_Union), which was a blue field, with a red cross inside an orange circle at the centre, which he had himself recently adopted for the European Parliamentary Union.
1
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/77/International_Paneuropean_Union_flag.svg/200px-International_Paneuropean_Union_flag.svg.png
Due to the cross symbolism, this was rejected by Turkey (a member of the Council of Europe since 1949). :picard2:
Kalergi then suggested adding a crescent to the cross design, to overcome the Muslim objections. :picard2::picard2:
Another organisation's flag was the European Movement, which had a large green E on a white background.
2
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/da/Old_flag_of_the_European_Movement.svg/220px-Old_flag_of_the_European_Movement.svg.png
A further design was one based on the Olympic rings; eight silver rings on a blue background. It was rejected due to the rings' similarity with "dial", "chain" and "zeros".
3
http://www.1uptravel.com/flag/images/e/eur!ce50.gif
One proposal had a large yellow star on a blue background, but it was rejected due to its similarity with the so-called Burnet flag and the flag of the Belgian Congo.
4
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c8/Flag_of_Texas_%281836%E2%80%931839%29.svg/180px-Flag_of_Texas_%281836%E2%80%931839%29.svg.png
The Consultative Assembly narrowed their choice to two designs. One was by Salvador de Madariaga, the founder of the College of Europe, who suggested a constellation of stars on a blue background (positioned according to capital cities, with a large star for Strasbourg, the seat of the Council). He had circulated his flag round many European capitals and the concept had found favour.
5
http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2012/130/5/5/flag_of_europe__madariaga__s_proposition_by_firelo rd_zuko-d4z7ly4.png
The second was a variant on this by Arsčne Heitz, who worked at the Council's postal service and had submitted dozens of designs; the design of his that was accepted by the assembly was similar to Salvador de Madariaga's, but rather than a constellation, the stars were arranged in a circle. The Consultative Assembly favoured Heitz's design, however the flag the Assembly chose had fifteen stars, reflecting the number of states of the Council of Europe. The Consultative Assembly chose this flag and recommended that the Council adopt it.
Three more flags:
the previous Parliamentary one
6
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/73/Flag_of_the_European_Parliament_1973-1983.svg/220px-Flag_of_the_European_Parliament_1973-1983.svg.png
the ones from the European Coal and Steel Community, on which the Union is based
7 8
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3f/Flag_of_the_European_Coal_and_Steel_Community_6_St ar_Version.svg/150px-Flag_of_the_European_Coal_and_Steel_Community_6_St ar_Version.svg.png http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/72/Flag_of_the_European_Coal_and_Steel_Community_10_S tar_Version.svg/150px-Flag_of_the_European_Coal_and_Steel_Community_10_S tar_Version.svg.png
and the infamous Koolhaas' codebar one
9
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/Union-europea_segun_rem-koolhaas.svg/220px-Union-europea_segun_rem-koolhaas.svg.png
So vote for one. Or rather, propose yours! ;)
The search for a symbol began in 1950 when a committee was set up in order to look into the question of a European flag. There were numerous proposals but a clear theme for stars and circles emerged.
Count Richard Nikolaus von Coudenhove-Kalergi proposed that they adopt the flag of his International Paneuropean Union (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Paneuropean_Union), which was a blue field, with a red cross inside an orange circle at the centre, which he had himself recently adopted for the European Parliamentary Union.
1
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/77/International_Paneuropean_Union_flag.svg/200px-International_Paneuropean_Union_flag.svg.png
Due to the cross symbolism, this was rejected by Turkey (a member of the Council of Europe since 1949). :picard2:
Kalergi then suggested adding a crescent to the cross design, to overcome the Muslim objections. :picard2::picard2:
Another organisation's flag was the European Movement, which had a large green E on a white background.
2
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/da/Old_flag_of_the_European_Movement.svg/220px-Old_flag_of_the_European_Movement.svg.png
A further design was one based on the Olympic rings; eight silver rings on a blue background. It was rejected due to the rings' similarity with "dial", "chain" and "zeros".
3
http://www.1uptravel.com/flag/images/e/eur!ce50.gif
One proposal had a large yellow star on a blue background, but it was rejected due to its similarity with the so-called Burnet flag and the flag of the Belgian Congo.
4
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c8/Flag_of_Texas_%281836%E2%80%931839%29.svg/180px-Flag_of_Texas_%281836%E2%80%931839%29.svg.png
The Consultative Assembly narrowed their choice to two designs. One was by Salvador de Madariaga, the founder of the College of Europe, who suggested a constellation of stars on a blue background (positioned according to capital cities, with a large star for Strasbourg, the seat of the Council). He had circulated his flag round many European capitals and the concept had found favour.
5
http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2012/130/5/5/flag_of_europe__madariaga__s_proposition_by_firelo rd_zuko-d4z7ly4.png
The second was a variant on this by Arsčne Heitz, who worked at the Council's postal service and had submitted dozens of designs; the design of his that was accepted by the assembly was similar to Salvador de Madariaga's, but rather than a constellation, the stars were arranged in a circle. The Consultative Assembly favoured Heitz's design, however the flag the Assembly chose had fifteen stars, reflecting the number of states of the Council of Europe. The Consultative Assembly chose this flag and recommended that the Council adopt it.
Three more flags:
the previous Parliamentary one
6
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/73/Flag_of_the_European_Parliament_1973-1983.svg/220px-Flag_of_the_European_Parliament_1973-1983.svg.png
the ones from the European Coal and Steel Community, on which the Union is based
7 8
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3f/Flag_of_the_European_Coal_and_Steel_Community_6_St ar_Version.svg/150px-Flag_of_the_European_Coal_and_Steel_Community_6_St ar_Version.svg.png http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/72/Flag_of_the_European_Coal_and_Steel_Community_10_S tar_Version.svg/150px-Flag_of_the_European_Coal_and_Steel_Community_10_S tar_Version.svg.png
and the infamous Koolhaas' codebar one
9
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/Union-europea_segun_rem-koolhaas.svg/220px-Union-europea_segun_rem-koolhaas.svg.png
So vote for one. Or rather, propose yours! ;)