People's Republic of Romania, 1948-1952

Last modified: 2011-06-11 by alex danes
Keywords: romania | coat of arms | rpr |
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by Calvin Paige Herring

• Overview of the Communist Era Flags
• State Flag
• Military flags and ensigns of Romania, 1948-1952
• National Arms, 1948-1952
  • January-March 1948
  • After March 1948
• References

See also:

• Romania
• Romania: Index of all pages

Socialist Romania had three different national flags which differed in the details of the arms which appeared on the central yellow stripe:

• 1948: the arms had a scroll bearing the letters 'RPR', no red star.
• 1952: the arms had a scroll bearing the letters 'RPR' and were surmounted by a red star.
• 1965: the arms had a scroll with the word 'ROMANIA' and were surmounted by a red star.

The second version was adopted in September 1952, 'RPR' standing for 'Romanian People's Republic'. The third version was adopted on 21 August 1965. The dexter part of the scroll bears the word 'Republica' and the sinister part 'Socialista' so the complete text reads 'Republica Socialista România' (Socialist Republic of Romania).
Mark Sensen, 27 March 1998

The flag, with the arms, was the state flag and ensign and the war flag. The civil flag was the plain tricolour while there was a separate naval ensign of white over blue with the arms centered on the blue. Calvin Paige Herring, 05 May 1998

by Alex Danes

The flag of the People's Republic of Romania (8 January - 13 April 1948), according to Decree nr. 3 from 8 January 1948, published in «Monitorul Oficial», nr. 7 from 9 January 1948, page 154:

Art. 7. The coat of arms of the People's Republic of Romania is showing: a tractor, a group of three furnaces in front of a rising sun, surrounded by a bundle of wheat ears tied with a ribbon with the inscription Republica Populară Română and the initials R.P.R. at the end of the wheat ears.
Art. 8. The colors of the Popular Republic of Romania are: blue, yellow and red, positioned vertically and having the coat of arms of the Republic in the middle of the yellow stripe.

The Constitution adopted on 13 April 1948 ruled:

Art. 101. The flag of the People's Republic of Romania has the colors: blue, yellor and red, placed vertically. In the middle is the coat of arms of the country.

by Antonio Gutiérrez, from "Albo per Figurine Stemmi e Bandiere di tutto il mondo", Lampo, 1951

The coat of arms of the People's Republic of Romania (8 January - 13 April 1948), according to Decree nr. 3 from 8 January 1948, published in «Monitorul Oficial», nr. 7 from 9 January 1948, page 154:

Art. 7. The coat of arms of the People's Republic of Romania is showing: a tractor, a group of three furnaces in front of a rising sun, surrounded by a bundle of wheat ears tied with a ribbon with the inscription Republica Populară Română and the initials R.P.R. at the end of the wheat ears.

The coat of arms was published in the German newspapers:

• "Frankfurter Rundschau", Frankfurt am Main, from 11 January 1948
• "Der Tagesspiegel", Berlin, from 23 January 1948

by Jaume Ollé

Following the abdication of the King, Romania adopted arms in the Communist style. The arms were to be modified only slightly. The arms consisted of a scene surrounded by sheaves of wheat wrapped with a ribbon of the national colors having the letters RPR emblazoned on it. The scene depicts Romania's mineral wealth (the oil derrick, the forests, mountains) basking the the glow of the sun.
Calvin Paige Herring, 05 May 1998

The Constitution adopted on 13 April 1948 ruled:

Art. 99. The coat of arms of the People's Republic of Romania represents the afforested mountains, over which arises the sun. In the middle is an oil derrick and around the coat of arms a wreath of wheat ears.

Sources:

• Preben Kannik, The Flag Book
  
• Christian Fogd Pederson, The International Flag Book in Color
  
• Smith, Flags and Arms Across the World
  
• Crampton, The Complete Guide to Flags
  
• Crampton, Flags of the World
  
• Alexander, Flags of the World