Europe Day (May 9th, 2021): Why are flags being hoisted in Cologne?

Cologne –

They flutter in the wind: Today, Sunday, May 9th, 2021, flags are waving on public buildings. But why?

• Flagging on public buildings.
• The municipality is obliged to raise the flag on certain days.
• Why the flags are flying in Cologne on Sunday (May 9th)

The explanation is simple: there are fixed days in the country’s flagging system. Among other things, this provides for flags to be displayed on public buildings for today’s Europe Day.

The order of the flags is important

By the way, the order in which the flags are displayed is important. With a view of the building, the three flags must be hoisted from left to right – first the European flag, then the federal flag and finally the national flag.

But why is it like that? The municipality is obliged to fly the flag a few days a year.

Holidays: flags must be hoisted on these days

This is written down in the “Flagging Ordinance” of the country. Flag is compulsory on the following days:

• January 27th, Day of Remembrance for the Victims of National Socialism
• May 1st, Day of Peace and International Understanding
• May 9, Europatag
• May 23, day of the proclamation of the Basic Law
• Anniversary of June 17, 1953
• Anniversary of July 20, 1944
• Anniversary of August 23, 1946 in memory of the founding of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia
• October 3rd, German Unity Day
• National Day of Mourning, the second Sunday before the first Advent
• the days of general elections (elections to the European Parliament, Bundestag, Landtag and local elections)

The city of Cologne also has a few more days on which flags are displayed:

• Carnival Monday
• Day of the Cathedral procession on Corpus Christi
• Christopher Street Day
• Day of violence against women

(mt)

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