Flag of Bornholm

The unofficial flag(s) of the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea.

The flag of Bornholm is the unofficial flag of the Danish island Bornholm. It was designed in the mid-1970s by local painter Bent Kaas, and is the flag of Bornholm most commonly used on the island.^[1]^[2] It is the Danish flag, but with a green Nordic cross in the centre instead of white.^[3] The green is said to symbolize the natural greenery of the island.^[4] The other variant resembles Norway's flag, except replacing the blue inner cross with green.

The flag has no historical foundation. Its uses are primarily: in a tourism context on various products (which are not normally produced on Bornholm); by military units while on exercise in Denmark and on foreign missions; and by mainly German sailors visiting Bornholm. Despite its appreciation the flag is not officially recognized, though many people still use it, for example on vehicles.

While there is no official flag for Bornholm, the Bornholm Municipality, the former County of Bornholm, as well as the now defunct Danish regiment - the Bornholms Værn - had a coat of arms. It showed a depiction of a golden sea serpent, which can also be called a griffin, or a cockatrice against a red background.

References

^ "Tag til Bornholm og skift konen ud". Bornholmeren. 1972-06-26. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
^ Harteg, Peter Andreas (2006-10-17). "DET BORNHOLMSKE FLAGS OPHAV". Bornholms Tidende. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
^ Kirkegaard, Bjarne H. (2005-06-01). ""Det er nu lovligt at flage med bornholmske flag"". Bornholms Tidende. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
^ Ludvigsen, Jacob (1981-08-19). "Rødt/grønt eller rødt/hvidt/grønt". Østbornholm. Retrieved 23 July 2019.