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Blumenau, Santa Catarina(Brazil)

by Joseph McMillan

About the Flag

Blumenau

From www.viablumenau.com.br/cidade/historia/bandeira.asp: The flag consists of four red and three white horizontal stripes, with the coat of arms on the center on a yellow "sphere" [actually an oval, according to the image on the site]. The red, yellow, and white colors of the flag come from the ribbons that the women of Blumenau attached to the imperial flag carried by the 65 Blumenau volunteers when they went to the field in 1865 to fight the war against Paraguay. The coat of arms consists of six quarters and an inescutcheon. The first, second, fifth, and sixth quarters represent areas of Germany and Austria from which settlers came to Blumenau; the third and fourth are for Brazil and the State of Santa Catarina; and the inescutcheon contains a pun on the name of the city.
1st quarter: Gules a lion passant guardant or, for Brunswick and Wu"ttemberg.
2nd quarter: Argent an eagle displayed sable armed and crowned and wings with cloverstalks or, holding in its dexter talons a scepter and in its sinister a sword, also or, for Prussia and Tyrol.
3rd quarter: Azure, the central elements from the Brazilian national arms, the sword, blue roundel with stars, and sword.
4th quarter: Azure a Catherine wheel surmounted by an anchor and key in saltire argent (former arms of Santa Catarina state).
5th quarter: Barry or and sable a crancelin vert, for Saxony.
6th quarter: Argent a lion rampant azure, for Bavaria.
Inescutcheon: Azure, five stars or in the form of the Southern Cross above a field of flowers proper, and in base a river argent (a pun on the name Blumenau, which means "meadow of flowers."
The supporters are a Dr. Blumenau, for whom the city is named, and a woodsman with an axe. The motto is Pro Sancta Catharina et Brasilia. Behind the scroll is an iron cogwheel proper.
Joseph McMillan, 14 March 2002