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Thurgau canton (Switzerland)

Last modified: 2002-01-12 by pascal gross
Keywords: switzerland | thurgau | canton | lion | bend |
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[Flag of Thurgau]
by António Martins

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Description of the flag

 Per bend vert and argent, two lions passant bendwise proper.

The field is divided diagonally green in the hoist and white in the fly. Each part is charged with a golden lion walking upwards toward the staff. The golden lion on the white field constitutes a major violation of heraldic rules by mixing metals and creating a visibility problem.

Symbolism of the flag

 The golden lions, representing the valiant and fearless soldier, were taken from an ancient liege lord of Thurgau, and the green and white colours were adopted as "revolutionary" in 1803.

History of the flag

 Thurgau existed as a jurisdiction since the 8th century, when it was a possession of the Counts of Kyburg. They gave their family arms to Thurgau in 1094, which were then "sable, a bend between two lions passant bendwise or" (a diagonal golden band separating two golden lions on a black field). In 1264 Count Rudolf of Hapsburg took over the county and changed the black field in the arms to red. Thurgau was conquered by the Swiss Confederation in 1460 and ruled jointly by the cantons through a bailiff. In 1798 Thurgau became a canton in the Helvetic Republic.

With the restoration of the Swiss Confederation in 1803, and the creation of Thurgau as one of its six new cantons,