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Budapest (Hungary)

Budapest Fõváros

Last modified: 2013-12-18 by zoltán horváth
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image by Zoltan Horvath, 31 December 2011



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Overview

The new mayor of Budapest has abandoned the usage of flag and coat of arms of Budapest - reported yesterday, 24 February 2010. He said - "I do not like the former flag of the capital, we will change it." In fact all Budapest flags were removed from the Assembly Hall, and they were replaced with national flags. A similar situation has occured with Budapest coat of arms, it was replaced by Hungarian coat of arms in the Hall. "Symbols of Budapest emphasized the independence of the capital." A representative of Budapest said "It is not a political issue, there is a personal sense of taste. The current leadership do not like the red-yellow-blue flag." An other official said: "There is no any plan to design a new flag and symbols for Budapest."
My note: The problem is the similarity with the Romanian flag, both flags have the same colours, but in different design. There is a long debate in midst of Hungarian politicians in this issue.

This is the original article published yesterday (in Hungarian):
http://www.origo.hu/itthon/komment/20110224-tarlos-istvan-lecserelne-a-fovaros-zaszlajat.html?cmnt_page=1
I have not found any English article yet, but I think English-news bodies needs some time to translate and publish it.
There is official page for Budapest (in English):
http://english.budapest.hu/Engine.aspx
and a Hungarian but English-language online newspaper:
http://www.budapesttimes.hu/
Within some days, we can read this news in English as well.
I do not want to state any political issue, but I can tell you that Hungarian mid-right parties always have problem with this flag because of similarity with Romanian colours. It is a national issue, a kind of sensitiveness, and indeed you are right, it goes back to time between the two World Wars in the last century.
Hungarian politicians (specially from the conservative and right side) always suffering from memories of Trianon Treaty in 1920 when Hungary lost most of its former territories. Romania is a sensitive issue, because a lot of people with Hungarian nationality live in current Romania, but they lived within the Hungarian borders before the First World War. The latest idea from this new government to give citizenship and a suffrage for all Hungarian nationals outside the Hungary. Neighbouring government have not been happy with this.
Going back to this issue, some political leaders do not want to any similarity with neighbouring countries symbols. They recognize only Hungarian or Hungarian-like symbols.
Zoltan Horvath, 25 February 2011

The Hungarian political sensitivities were very well summarized by Zoltan. I'd add the fact that the Romanian Army occupied Budapest in August 1919 as part of its anti - Soviet Hungary campaign. While the people were treated fair, their national pride was hurt.
As for the flag, it seems to follow the vexillological rule of having the main tinctures of the coat of arms:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/Hu!bp873.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Hu_bp873.jpg
Running the text of the article trough Google Translate, I was able to understand most of it. The text says, among others, that the flag originated in the 2 flags of Buda and Pest districts: red-gold and blue-gold, respectively. In 1873 the two cities united, together with a third one, Óbuda, forming the modern Budapest. At the same time, the coat of arms and the flags were "united" too. Thus, even if the tricolor flag originated in the bicolor ones of Buda and Pest, those two were themselves most likely derived from the main tinctures of their respective coat of arms.
Alex Danes, 25 February 2011

Here is the new proposal: http://kep.index.hu/1/0/231/2318/23185/2318526_48de97fb448d919fd3a441545d216fd7_wm.jpg
It will be adopted 31th August.
István Molnár, 30 August 2011

A new(er) flag of Budapest has been approved by Assembly of the Capital today. This flag has also white field with modified green and red triangles on upper and lower edges. Budapest CoA is placed in the middle of the white field. Proportions of the flag is 2:3. The reason of the change was the evident similarity of this flag to the war flag of Hungary. White symbolizes the purity and neautrality, while green and red colors reflect to Hungarian national colours. A picture taken on new flag can be seen here.
Zoltan Horvath, 31 August 2011

There is an annex of the decision of Assembly of Budapest No. 48/2011.
Full text: http://budapest.hu/resource.aspx?ResourceID=TirPortalBinary&documentversionid=95859
Zoltan Horvath, 02 January 2012


Vertical Flag


image by Zoltan Horvath, 31 December 2011


Coat of Arms


image from <www.budapest.hu>, located by István Molnár, 12 October 2000

The CoA and the flag were adopted in 30th September 1990 by the Soviet of the Capital (before the elections of the councils).
István Molnár, 12 October 2000


Flags at St. Stephen (Szent István) Basilica

The St. Stephen (Szent Istvan) basilica construction started in 1848, stopped immediatly, was resumed in 1851 after the War of Independence, followed by the immediate death of the two architects, and even the dome collapsed during the works. The church was finally consecrated in 1905, and in 1931 it was awarded the title 'basilica minor' by the Holy See. The right hand of Stephen I, the first Hungarian king, the 'Holy Right', is preserved here in a shrine exposed in a side chapel close to the church entrance.
Three flags are displayed in the chapel:

- the Hungarian national flag with coat of arms and golden fringe, inproportion 1:2

- a vertical banner of proportion 2:1, vertically divided red and green, with a white Hungarian cross with curved edges. Flag has a golden fringe on the lower edge. Looks like a typical procession banner.

- a rectangular banner of proportion 1:2, horizontally divided yellow and blue, charged in the middle with Coat of Arms. I am not so sure of the charge, since it was rather dark.

The Holy Right is paraded by the faithful each 20st August, and I guess the three flags are involved in the ceremony.

Historical informations are from the Budapest guide, released by the Tourism Office of Budapest.
Ivan Sache, 14 October 2000

The "Hungarian cross flag" is the flag of the Saint Stephen Order of Knighthood (in Hungarian: Szent István Lovagrend). The yellow-blue flag is the flag of Budapest V. district - Belváros-Lipótváros.
István Molnár, 16 October 2000


Budapest Free Port

Flags of Budapest Szabadkikötő - Budapest Free Port at <www.mahart.hu>.
István Molnár, 6 September 2005