FIAV - Fédération internationale des associations vexillologiques

FIAV publishes the newsletter Info–FIAV (ISSN 1560-9979), which is edited by the FIAV Secretary-General. FIAV recognizes The Flag Bulletin (ISSN 0015-3370) as a journal for the publication of scientific articles in the field of vexillology.
Charles Spain, Secretary-General, 6 February 2006

The main FIAV flag: a dark blue with a gold knot design

The main FIAV flag is normally seen as a dress flag with a gold fringe, although we hope to have it as a normal flag for use at the York Congress in 2001. The officers' flags were approved at the recent Victoria Congress and were designed by Wiliam Crampton, while he was President of FIAV. Michel Lupant discovered the designs while going through some of William's paperwork for FIAV. The Flag Shop in Victoria very kindly made up examples of the officers' flags. They are about 12" x 8" and sat in front of the officers at the Congress. The same designs, or the FIAV flag itself, are used as car flags.
Graham Bartram, 08 September 1999

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The FIAV flag was introduced at the Second International Congress of Vexillology in 1967. The official description of the FIAV flag appeared in the Recueil du IIe Congrès International de Vexillologie Zurich 1967, pages 143 and 145:

Flag and banner of the INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF VEXILLOLOGICAL ASSOCIATIONS

On a blue field, extending horizontally from hoist to fly, two yellow halyards forming two interlaced loops.

The halyards allude to the study of flags and banners. The blue field and halyards evoke the maritime origins of the first flags.

The interlaced loops recall the love-knots well-known to heraldists and symbolize the friendship which unites vexillologists of all lands.

The loops formed by the halyards resemble two hemispheres and in adding the four ends of the halyards, we arrive at the number six, standing for the six parts of the world. These elements of the flag thus underline the international character of our Federation. It may also be recalled that blue appears in the flags of a number of international organizations.

The fact that the halyards extend across the whole flag and disappear beyond either end express the considerable - almost infinite - extent of vexillological studies in time and space.

The initial design was created by Klaes Sierksma and slightly modified by the Congress Committee; the final design was realized by Peter Krog. Manufacturer: Schaltegger & Co., Zurich (Owner and Director: E. Oehrli).

The FIAV flag was introduced on Sunday, September 3, 1967 at l'Institut Gottlieb Duttweiler in Rüschlikon (Zürich), Switzerland. The flag was presented by the then six-year old Guido Mühlemann, son of Louis Mühlemann, the secretary-general of the Second International Congress of Vexillology and president of the FIAV provisional council.

In 1967, President Mühlemann presented the original FIAV flag to Whitney Smith. The flag is now a part of the collection of the Flag Research Center.

On July 29, 1999, the Sixteenth Session of the FIAV General Assembly amended article 24 of the FIAV Constitution to read in part as follows:

FIAV's flag is described as follows: "On a blue field, extending horizontally from hoist to fly, two yellow halyards forming two interlaced loops." The color blue is defined as Pantone Matching System U293 and the color yellow is defined as Pantone Matching System U123.

The officers' flags were also adopted by the Sixteenth Session of the FIAV General Assembly. The color specifications for the flags are: blue (Pantone Matching System U293), yellow (Pantone Matching System U123), and red (Pantone Matching System 192C).
Charles Spain, 26 October 1999

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The flag of the President of FIAV, as FIAV but with a double border, red on the outside, white on the inside
Graham Bartram, 08 September 1999

The flag of the Secretary-General of FIAV, as FIAV but with a double border, dark blue on the outside, gold on the inside
Graham Bartram, 08 September 1999

The flag of the Secretary-General for Congresses, as FIAV but with a double border, dark blue on the outside, white on the inside.
Graham Bartram, 08 September 1999