One of the most important symbols of a country is its own flag. It is joyful, that the European Union also has had one for nearly 30 years. The creation and the origin of it is even more earlier than that, and we can hear different theories about why the twelve stars with a blue background is the flag of the EU. Some might say that it symbolizes the twelve Member States then, or it could mean the completness and unity of the Eu. Although, more importantly it has another origin and because of what we believe, we think it is necessary to present it.
The European Parliament was the first in 1983 from the EU institutions (at that time still European Community) which used the flag with the twelve golden stars on a blue background. Two years later, all of the institutions adopted the emblem. Since then, all EU bodies use it as an official flag and we can meet with the symbol everywhere, for example, on the license plates or on every Euro banknote.
The creation of the twelve starred symbol is dating back more earlier and linking to another international organization, to the Council of Europe. Paul Lévy, the functionary of the Council of Europe was the one to come up with the idea of the flag which was going to be twelve golden stars that form a circle set against a blue backdrop. The idea origins from the inspection of a statue of the Virgin Mary. The Belgian Lévy was the first who saw the halo above the Virgin's head as it shines before the blue sky. The secretary-general adopted the notion of Lévy and announced a competition right away to design the flag with the twelve stars on it.
Later, at a working lunch, where Van der Brook Dutch Foreign Minister, Jaques Delors President of the European Commision and Pfimlin President of the European Parliament participated, raised the notion, that the institutions of the European Community would adopt the present flag of the Council of Europe. First the Parliament used the flag, then two years later all other institutions adopted it and since 1986 the flag is the official emblem of the Community, now of the European Union.
The question raises, what this flag symbolizes? In most of the cultures the number twelve has got an imortant meaning; it is the symbol of the completness and unity, the harmony and solidarity. There are opinions which claim, that the twelve stars mean the twelve Member States back in 1986. This is not true, because the number of the stars has not changed with the increasing number of the Member States. It is true that it symbolizes the completeness and unity, but more importantly it also has a Catholic origin: the twelve tribes of Israel, the twelve Apostles and the twelve golden stars in the halo above Virgin Mary's head.
We can read it in the Bible: Book of Revelation: “The a huge sign became visible in the sky – the figure of a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars upon her head." The creation of the flag is based on this and it was designed by the French artist, Arsene Heitz, who made it for the competition which was announced by the Council of Europe. Heitz was a deeply religious, catholic person and Virgin Mary played an important role in his religious life. Nevertheless, he only designed the flag, but he was not the one who adopted it as an official European integration emblem. This can be thanked to the above mentioned work lunch, between Delors, Van der Brook and Pfimlin. All three were deeply catholic people, just as the founding fathers Schuman and Adenauer. With this symbol they thought it is important to emphasize the Christian origin of the European continent, which unfortunetly falls into oblivion nowadays. We can read on the official website of the EU, about the flag and what it symbolizes, but only that the twelve stars and the blue background means the unity, solidarity and harmony. Without the Christian view these are unrealizable.
-Ákos-
The creation of the twelve starred symbol is dating back more earlier and linking to another international organization, to the Council of Europe. Paul Lévy, the functionary of the Council of Europe was the one to come up with the idea of the flag which was going to be twelve golden stars that form a circle set against a blue backdrop. The idea origins from the inspection of a statue of the Virgin Mary. The Belgian Lévy was the first who saw the halo above the Virgin's head as it shines before the blue sky. The secretary-general adopted the notion of Lévy and announced a competition right away to design the flag with the twelve stars on it.
Later, at a working lunch, where Van der Brook Dutch Foreign Minister, Jaques Delors President of the European Commision and Pfimlin President of the European Parliament participated, raised the notion, that the institutions of the European Community would adopt the present flag of the Council of Europe. First the Parliament used the flag, then two years later all other institutions adopted it and since 1986 the flag is the official emblem of the Community, now of the European Union.
The question raises, what this flag symbolizes? In most of the cultures the number twelve has got an imortant meaning; it is the symbol of the completness and unity, the harmony and solidarity. There are opinions which claim, that the twelve stars mean the twelve Member States back in 1986. This is not true, because the number of the stars has not changed with the increasing number of the Member States. It is true that it symbolizes the completeness and unity, but more importantly it also has a Catholic origin: the twelve tribes of Israel, the twelve Apostles and the twelve golden stars in the halo above Virgin Mary's head.
We can read it in the Bible: Book of Revelation: “The a huge sign became visible in the sky – the figure of a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars upon her head." The creation of the flag is based on this and it was designed by the French artist, Arsene Heitz, who made it for the competition which was announced by the Council of Europe. Heitz was a deeply religious, catholic person and Virgin Mary played an important role in his religious life. Nevertheless, he only designed the flag, but he was not the one who adopted it as an official European integration emblem. This can be thanked to the above mentioned work lunch, between Delors, Van der Brook and Pfimlin. All three were deeply catholic people, just as the founding fathers Schuman and Adenauer. With this symbol they thought it is important to emphasize the Christian origin of the European continent, which unfortunetly falls into oblivion nowadays. We can read on the official website of the EU, about the flag and what it symbolizes, but only that the twelve stars and the blue background means the unity, solidarity and harmony. Without the Christian view these are unrealizable.
-Ákos-