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Proposals for the Åland Islands flag

Last modified: 2019-07-29 by christopher oehler
Keywords: aaland islands | flag proposals | scandinavian cross |
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[Flag of the Åland Islands]
image by Phil Nelson, 17 May 2007


See also:


Flag proposals in "Many Proposals" flag chart

[Ed. Note: This text translation is based upon an image of proposals for an Åland Islands flag identified by Jan Mertens at lovborg.com, specifically linked at this page. The description in Swedish is first, under which is the English translation.]

Re-creation of the chart

Många förslag - Under den tid som flaggfrågan diskuterades av landstinget, från slutet av 1930-talet till början av 1950-talet, gjordes en lång rad förslag. Här ses de som förekom i den allmänna debatten.

Many proposals - During the time the flag issue was discussed by the county council, from the end of the 1930's to the beginning of the 1950's, many proposals were made. Here are the ones that occurred in the common debate.

First image

[1939 proposal]
image by Phil Nelson

Ett av landskapsarkeolog Matts Dreijers förslag, nämnt första gången 1939.

One of landscape archeologist Matts Dreijer's1 proposals, first mentioned 1939.

Second image

[1946 proposal]
image by Phil Nelson

Ett annat av landskapsarkeolog Matts Dreijers förslag, omnämnt 1946.

Another of landscape archeologist Matts Dreijer's1 proposals, mentioned 1946.

Third image

[rejected Swedish-like proposal]
image by Phil Nelson

Flaggan som presidenten sade nej till. Den var för lik den svenska.

The flag that the president [of Finland] said no to. It was to similar to the Swedish [flag].

Fourth image

["Plague flag"]
image by Phil Nelson

"Pestflaggan". Landskapsstyrelsens förslag som landstinget tyckte var för fult.

The 'Plague flag'. The provincial council's proposal that the county council found too unattractive.

Fifth image

1953 proposal
image by Phil Nelson

Ett förslag som förekom i debatten 1953, men inte vann några större skaror anhängare.

A proposal that occurred in the debate in 1953, but did not get many supporters.

Sixth image

1953 Västerhamm proposal
image by Phil Nelson

Ett förslag som hissades på prov i Västerhamn i november 1953.

A proposal hoisted in Västerhamn in November 1953.

Seventh image

1953 proposal
image by Phil Nelson

Förekom i debatten 1953 och provhissades i mars och november.

Occurred in the debate in 1953 and hoisted as a trial in March and November.

Eighth image

winning proposal
image by Željko Heimer

Förslaget som dök upp i sista stund före avgörandet och avgick med segern.

The proposal presented at the last minute before the decision, and won.

1Matts Dreijer (1901-1998) was born in Estonia, but moved to Åland when he was six. This page tells a lot about him, It is in English. He has also designed some of the coat of arms of Åland/Finland, see Kommunerna.net.
translated by Christian Berghänel, 17 February 2006


"Swedish" Flag Proposal

Ålands flagga depiction
['Swedish' flag of the Åland Islands] image by Jan Oskar Engene

Blue and yellow were naturally the favourite colours, being both the colours of Sweden and the colours of the provincial coat of arms (a golden deer on blue), Therefore, when preparing a design for adoption in the early 1950s, the favoured design was a Scandinavian cross design of a blue field and a yellow and blue cross - that is, the flag of Sweden with an extra blue cross in the middle. This proposal was rejected by the president of Finland as too similar to the Swedish flag.

Source: Erik Tudeer and Lars-Øyvind Liljestrom: Ålands flagga [tla94], Mariehamn: Nordens Institut på Åland, 1994, ISBN: 952-90-5534-X (40 pages, 10 colour illustrations mostly of proposed designs)
Jan Oskar Engene, 22 October 1995


"Finnish" Flag Proposal

Ålands flagga depiction
['Finnish' flag of the Åland Islands] image by Jan Oskar Engene

When preparing a design for adoption in the early 1950s, one of the alternative designs was the flag of Finland with an extra yellow cross in the middle.

Source: Erik Tudeer and Lars-Øyvind Liljestrom: Ålands flagga [tla94], Mariehamn: Nordens Institut på Åland, 1994, ISBN: 952-90-5534-X (40 pages, 10 colour illustrations mostly of proposed designs)
Jan Oskar Engene, 22 October 1995