Last modified: 2025-03-15 by martin karner
Keywords: switzerland | sankt gallen | fasces | german |
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Since the decision of August 17, 2010 (in force since March 1, 2011),
which is valid today, has the ax in the St. Gallen cantonal coat of arms [and flag] now been shown without
a thorn, at least officially. The shade of green used was also redefined. [For more information see below
at History of the flag]
Ben Cahoon, 31 July 2023
T.F. Mills, 2 November 1997
St. Gallen's flag was most recently updated in March 2011, changing the back part of the axe and
defining green color. Over time the number of rods in the fasces, the profile, the direction of the Axe,
and the shape of the Axe head have all changed.
It looks like the major Government Council resolutions were: April 5, 1803; July 31, 1848; April 28, 1925;
November 26, 1946; July 28, 1951; July 7, 1981 (effective January 1, 1982); and August 17, 2010
(effective March 1, 2011).
There is an excellent presentation here: Das Wappen des Kantons St. Gallen by Ernst Walter Alther
gives more details (see link above), and
Fahne und Wappen des Kantons St. Gallen (Wikipedia):
(with Google Translate)
Flag and coat of arms of the Canton of St. Gallen (axe without thorn,
officially used form since 2011).
The shade of green used was also redefined ("For the shade of green applies the Pantone designation 355 C")
– Government resolution on the cantonal coat of arms of August 17, 2010 (in effect since March 1, 2011).
The 1803 decree established a coat of arms and a seal, but no flag yet. Early canton infantry ensigns
(1804) show a solid white cross in a green field, with the gold inscription CANTON SANCT GALLEN. The flag
of the "Volunteer Legion", also from 1804, shows the coat of arms with a laurel wreath in the
center of the white cross, similar to an infantry flag from 1817.
In 19th-century depictions the fasces is represented very differently, often the bundle was drawn in
perspective so that the eight staves were visible, sometimes four in front and four behind, sometimes
seven staves arranged around a central eighth. The ax was also different to the left, sometimes to the
right. On the earliest representations from 1804 and 1806 as well as on the cantonal coins (from 1807),
the ax appears heraldic to the left. In 1848, the cantonal government expressly decided that both
directions were permissible. [Only in 1946 the government decreed that the axe be turned to the heraldic
right (towards the hoist).]
Since 1946, a non-perspective representation of the fasces has been officially used, in which only five of
the eight rods are visible at all. The depiction with five staffs was created by Anton Blöchlinger, who in
1942 commissioned the cantonal government to produce a plaque for the town hall of Schwyz. Its depiction
was prescribed for official use in 1946. A ratio of 11:4 was also specified for the bundle of rods for
official printed matter. The reason for the change was that the canton had not been divided into eight
districts anymore since 1831 (only since 2002 have there been eight districts again). The ax or hatchet
continued to be represented in different forms, often with a Swiss cross in the ax head, the ax sometimes
with and sometimes without a thorn.
In the government council decision of 1946, the ax was re-designated
as a "battle ax"; the heraldists consulted for the decision of 1981 objected to this as wrong and
supported the return to the designation "axe"; the ax in the bundle of lictors symbolizes
jurisdiction, and not military capability, so it should be presented as a hangman's ax [without spike],
and not as a battle axe. Contrary to this recommendation, the official depictions continued to use the
spike. After the government council decision of 1981 on the blazon, a series of government council
decisions followed that included a graphic representation of the coat of arms for uniform official use in
the sense of a logo (April 26, 1983, April 10, 1984). Only since the decision of August 17, 2010
(in force since March 1, 2011), which is valid today, has the ax in the St. Gallen cantonal coat of arms
[and flag] now been shown without a thorn, at least officially. The shade of green used was also redefined
(Pantone designation see above).
The ax was also different to the left, sometimes to the right. On the earliest representations from
1804
and 1806 as well as on the cantonal coins (from 1807), the ax appears heraldic to the left. In 1848, the
cantonal government expressly decided that both directions were permissible.
Since 1946, a non-perspective representation of the fasces has been officially used, in which only 5 of
the 8 rods are visible at all.
The shape of the axe head for 1925 was shown in a stamp
and differs from the one on FOTW.
Ben Cahoon, 31 July 2023
– Military flag after the regulation of 1804. The inscription
of all flags was on the obverse "Canton Sanct Gallen", on the reverse "Eintracht und Vaterland"
(concord and fatherland) (source: [ges43]). [mue91]
reports that the flags from 1803 had the same design and writings, but with the cantonal CoA in the center
of the cross. According to [ges43] the flags since 1817 had green and white
flames in the quarters (see infantry flag below).
– Flag of the Freiwillige Legion (volunteer legion)
from 1804. Watercolour painting from D.W. Hartmann (source).
– Title page of an annual newspaper from 1806. In the 19th c. the
emblem was often depicted three-dimensional, and the hatchet with changing directions, the latter was even
allowed by a government decree of 1848.
– Infantry flag after the regulation of 1817 (b/w photo). The colours are green and white,
with golden oak and laurel wreath and red-white cravat (source: [b7b42]).
– Stained glass pane (1961) by August Wanner. In the middle the first
governor of the newly founded canton, Karl Müller-Friedberg, holding a copy of the constitution. He
is flanked by a French soldier (Napoleonic order) and Gallus (St. Gall) with the bear
(legend), the heraldic animal of
the city of St. Gallen. Location: Government building, Frauenfeld TG
(source).
image by António Martins, 21 February 2024
Angst (1992), "A Panoply of Colours: The Cantonal Banners of
Switzerland and the Swiss National Flag" reported the axe with a black cross on the blade,
introduced before WWII and kept until 1951 (to stress the "Swissness" of the symbol, avoiding
connections with fascism).
António Martins, 25 October 1998
image by António Martins, 21 February 2024
In the government council decision of 1946, the ax was re-designated
as a "battle ax"; the heraldists consulted for the decision of 1981 objected to this as wrong and
supported the return to the designation "axe"; the ax in the bundle of lictors symbolizes
jurisdiction, and not military capability, so it should be presented as a hangman's ax [without spike],
and not as a battle axe. Contrary to this recommendation, the official depictions continued to use the
spike. [For more information see above at History of the flag]
Ben Cahoon, 31 July 2023
Simple rectangular cantonal flag, as shown in Kannik (1956) [So-called
colour flag (Farbenfahne in German)].
Ole Andersen, 4 August 2002
See also: STATE COLOURS in Dictionary of Vexillology
Flaggen, Knatterfahnen and Livery Colours |
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Flaggen are vertically hoisted from a crossbar in the manner of gonfanon, in ratio of about 2:9, with a swallowtail that indents about 2 units. The chief, or hoist (square part) usually incorporates the design from the coat of arms – not from the flag. The fly part is always divided lengthwise, usually in a bicolour, triband or tricolour pattern (except Schwyz which is monocolour, and Glarus which has four stripes of unequal width). The colours chosen for the fly end are usually the main colours of the coat of arms, but the choice is not always straight forward.
Knatterfahnen are similar to Flaggen, but hoisted from the long side and have no swallow tail. They normally show the national, cantonal or communal flag in their chiefs.
Željko Heimer, 16 July 2000
See also: HANGING FLAG, VERTICALLY HOISTED FLAG, LIVERY COLOURS in Dictionary of Vexillology
On an auction platform this flamed flag of St. Gallen is being offered (left image). In the early 20th century this
kind of decorative flags with flames in cantonal colours and a cantonal shield in the center was in vogue
until World War II. Today they are being produced again (see right image). The fasces on the old flag are
drawn in perspective which was
common until 1946, when the non-perspective representation of the fasces was officially introduced. As was the
custom, the fasces bundle is depicted with eight staves. On this flag the axe is turned to the heraldic
left (towards the fly). From 1848 to 1946 the position of the axe was expressly free to choose. In 1946
the government decreed that the axe be turned to the heraldic right (towards the hoist).
Martin Karner, 1 November 2023
image located by
Martin Karner
Postcard from early 20th century (source).
See also: • National flag and other cantonal flags with "Early 20th century flag design"
• Modern flamed flags
• FLAMMES in Dictionary of Vexillology
Cockade for the cantonal troops' headgear (regulation from 1869, size: ca. 40 mm, reverse side).
Martin Karner, 14 March 2025
See also: Cockades (Swiss Army)