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Hungary - Historical Flags (1867-1918)

Last modified: 2023-06-03 by zachary harden
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Kingdom of Hungary (1867 - 1945)


1867-1918, 1920-1946
image by Jaume Ollé, 24 June 2001


1915-1918
image by Jaume Ollé, 10 March 2001

According to an old source - European flag book published in 1918, the flag of the Hungarian kingdom (?) in 1918 was red,white,green holozontal tricolour with Kossuth Arm/St.Stephen crown supported by two Angeles which extended into the red and green stripes. Proportion7:10. What is this flag used for and when ?
Nozomi Kariyasu, 21 January 2001

This flag is a Hungarian flag with the small Coat of Arms, which was the only official Coat of Arms between 1920-1938. This flag could be used 1882-1918 and 1920-1946. The angels show that this flag is a Roman Catholic version.
István Molnár, 18 Febuary 2001

Does that means that there were several variations of the Coat of Arms used at the same time differing in small elements regarding the religious preferences (of those who use the arms?).
Željko Heimer, 20 Febuary 2001

The upper flag is the Hungarian kingdom flag according to an U.K.Admilalty book published in 1918. According to Wappenlexikon by Christian Siemer, this Coat of Arms of hu was used 1848 - 8 November 1868 and July 1919 - 1947 while Coat of Arms of the second flag was used 15 October 1915 - March 1919
Nozomi Kariyasu, 10 March 2001 and 24 June 2001

What was the use of this flag during the Second World War?
Flaggenbuch shows as national flag the Hungarian tricolor with lesser arms (the shield with the St. Stephen's crown), as 'national ensign, also used as service ensign. The tricolor ensign without any arms is also shown, as 'national ensign without arms'. Flaggenbuch shows also the 'middle' arms ('Mittleres' Staatswappen), similar to Nozmoi's design but with slightly different angels (especially "facing" the flag viewer) in the middle of a white field with the wolftooth border as 'Standard des Reichwefers'.
Ivan Sache, 11 March 2001

I don't know this flag. I think if somebody use this flag it never was official. The 'Middle Coat of Arms' was used on white flag with wolfteeth. This version of the Middle Coat of Arms - which contains the shield of Bosnia (bottom left yellow) was in use in 1915-1918 and 1938-1944 (only on war flags). The Middle Coat of Arms without the Bosnian shield was in use in 1882-1915. The Hungarian national flag 1882-1918 was the red-white-green without Coat of Arms. 1919-1944 with or without the Little Coat of Arms. This Coat of Arms is not the Kossuth Coat of Arms!!
István Molnár, 11 March 2001

Last summer, when my family went to Budapest and London, they bought me a replica of this flag, with the fly end fringed...  Only difference between the design pictured here and my flag is that my flag has the entire Coat of Arms (shield, Holy Crown and angels) all contained inside the white stripe. 
If the RC version had angels, what other versions were there?  I'm assuming there was a "Református" version as well...
Georges G. Kovari, 21 March 2001

The Coat of Arms may be applied.  On the white field, or spread on the three fields?  I didn't find a rule.  The angelic variation is at present unofficial.
Somewhere I found some information about how from 1882 on two variations were acceptable for the Coat of Arms (small and middle arms): The Catholic with angels, the Protestant with olive and oak sprigs. My comment concerns to the flag with the small Coat of Arms , not the flag with the middle Coat of Arms.
István Molnár, 21 March 2001

In 1849-1867 Hungary was under direct Austrian controll. Didn't use Hungarian symbols. In 1867-1882 used the small Coat of Arms (on flag) and a middle Coat of Arms (small Coat of Arms in the heart of the shield around the Dalmatian, Croatian, Sclavonian and Transylvanian Coat of Arms). 1882-1915 used the small Coat of Arms (on flag) and a middle Coat of Arms (small Coat of Arms in the heart of the shield around the Dalmatian, Croatian, Sclavonian and Transylvanian Coat of Arms and Fiume's Coat of Arms too!!!). In 1915-1918 used the small Coat of Arms (on flag), and the Middle Coat of Arms (small Coat of Arms in the heart of the shield around the Dalmatian, Croatian, Sclavonian and Transylvanian Fiume's Coat of Arms and Bosnian Coat of Arms too - on flag. Between November 1918 and March 1919 used only the small Coat of Arms without crown (Kossuth Coat of Arms). Between March1919 - August 1919 didn't used Coat of Arms, but red star. Between August 1919 and 1920 used the small Coat of Arms with or without crown. In 1920-1946 used the small Coat of Arms with angels or olive branches on flag. All flags were the red-white-green tricolour (Ratio of the Hungarian tricolour is 2:1 from 1848 not 3:2).
Countries on the used Coat of Arms:
1848-1849 small   Hungary
1848-1849 middle  Hungary, Dalmatia, Croatia, Slavonia, Transylvania
1849-1860 no Coat of Arms
1867-1882 small   Hungary
1867-1882 middle  Hungary, Dalmatia, Croatia, Slavonia, Transylvania
1882-1915 small   Hungary
1882-1915 middle  Hungary, Dalmatia, Croatia, Slavonia, Transylvania, Fiume
1915-1918 small   Hungary
1915-1918 middle  Hungary, Dalmatia, Croatia, Slavonia, Transylvania, Fiume, Bosnia
1918-1919 small   Hungary (without crown)
1919  red star
1919-1946 small   Hungary
1938-1944 middle  Hungary, Dalmatia, Croatia, Slavonia, Transylvania, Fiume, Bosnia (only on war flags)
István Molnár, 25 June 2001

At <www.trianon.hu> there are photos from a ceremony that was held on 4th June 2001. This flag (close-up on the Coat of Arms here) relates to the Treaty of Trianon (1920) and the detached territories. The original flag was in the Szabadság (Liberty) Square between1928-1944. On that place you can see the Statue of the Soviet Red Army.
István Molnár, 31 July 2001

Quoting the "Hungary Around the Clock" agency, 27 July 2010:
"Jobbik (a far-right party) is initiating an amendment of the Constitution in order to bring back the 1920-1945 national flag featuring the royal crown and coat of arms. [...]
Jobbik MP Sándor Pörzse told reporters that the crown "which was removed from the national flag by the Communist regime" symbolises the unity of Hungarians in the Carpathian Basin. [...]"
Ivan Sache, 28 July 2010


Coat of Arms and Seal of the Kingdom of Hungary

Coat of Arms


image by István Molnár, 23 March 2001

The greater Coat of Arms. On the center of the Middle Coat of Arms there is the shield of the Habsburg-Lotharingien Dinasty. First version: Used 1874-1915
István Molnár, 23 March 2001

Three version of Coat of Arms of Hungary were between 1874-1918
Smaller Coat of Arms: Same as the today Coat of Arms - Used 1874-1918 1919-1946 and 1989-
Middle Coat of Arms: First version: Without Bosnian arm: Used 1874-1915
Second version: With Bosnian arm: Used 1915-1918 and 1938-1944
Great Coat of Arms: On the center of the Middle Coat of Arms there is the shield of the Habsburg-Lotharingien Dinasty.
First version: Used 1874-1915
Second version: 1915-1918.
István Molnár, 23 March 2001

This Coat of Arms was made to the king. You can see in the great seal of the king below.
Source: Bertényi Iván: uj magyar címertan; Budapest 1998.
Information (in Hungarian) In the Pallas Lexikon
István Molnár, 24 March 2001

The Seal


image by István Molnár, 9 Febuary 2001

This was the official seal of the Kingdom of Hungary. In the center of the seal there is the Great Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Hungary (before 1915). Great Coat of Arms means: on the center of the Middle Coat of Arms there is the shield of the Habsburg-Lotharingien Dinasty. the inscriptin means: FRANCIS JOSEPH THE FIRST, EMPEROR OF AUSTRIA, KING OF CZECHIA ETC. AND THE APOSTOLIC KING OF HUNGARY
Source: Bertényi Iván: uj magyar címertan; Budapest 1998
István Molnár, 9 Febuary 2001

Middle Coat-of-Arms of Hungary (Roman Catholic version), 1882 - 1915


image by Janko Ehrlich Zdvořák, 16 August 2001

Middle Coat-of-Arms of Hungary (Roman Catholic version). Designs of Hungarian symbols were always different one from another in their artistic realisation too. However, the essential elements are required. This picture is scanned from "Hickmanns Taschenatlas von Österreich Ungarn", G. Freytag & Berndt, Vienna - Leipzig 1912.
Janko Ehrlich Zdvořák, 16 August 2001

This version was never official at this period.
István Molnár, 16 August 2001


Election Flags


Election flag for Kálmán Tisza in the 1870s
image by István Molnár, 5 February 2006

Yesterday I was in the Nemzeti Múzeum (HNM) and take some photos of the election flag of Ferenc Deák in 1869 (Click 1,2 to see the photos) and election flag of Kálmán Tisza in the 1870s.
Kálmán Tisza was the Prime Minister of Hungary 1875-1890. The inscription: Éljen TISZA KÁLMÁN képviselonk! (Hurrah FOR KÁLMÁN TISZA our representative!).
See also: <en.wikipedia.org>.
István Molnár, 5 February 2006

Election flag of Beöthy László from 1910 is at <www.elsovalaszto.hu>.
István Molnár, 18 October 2006