Switzerland Flag Meaning and History

Swiss Flag Description:
The flag of Switzerland consists of a white cross in the center of a red squared background.

Swiss Flag Meaning:
The white cross on the red base represents faith in Christianity. The Swiss flag traditionally stands for freedom, honor and fidelity. In modern times the Swiss flag has also come to represent neutrality, democracy, peace and refuge.

Swiss Flag History:
The current Swiss flag was adopted on December 12, 1889, making it one of the world's oldest flags. Under the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648, European countries recognized Switzerland's independence from the Holy Roman Empire, where the flag has its roots, and its status as a neutral country. In the late 14th century Swiss soldiers going into battle started wearing emblems that featured a white cross on a red base as a sign of their Christian faith and to distinguish themselves from their enemies. In 1814, a white cross on a red base appeared on the seal of the country and in 1848 the flag was adopted as the nation's military flag. It was then adopted as the national flag in 1889.


Interesting Swiss Flag Facts:
The flag of Switzerland is square shaped with its length being equal to the width.

In 1906, the humanitarian organization called the Red Cross reversed the colors of the Swiss flag to create the Red Cross flag. This was to honor the nationality of the founder of the Red Cross, Swiss citizen Henri Dunant.