The Secret History Behind Liechtenstein's Flag

Liechtenstein added a crown to its flag because of the Olympic Games.

At the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, officials from Liechtenstein and Haiti discovered that Liechtenstein's plain blue and red flag was identical to Haiti's civil flag. A gold crown was added to the upper hoist corner, and the new design was adopted on June 24, 1937.

The crown served two purposes: it marks Liechtenstein as a principality, and it tells the two flags apart.

The date printed on every Liechtenstein design in our catalog, July 12, 1806, is the day Liechtenstein joined the Confederation of the Rhine and became a sovereign state.

A small crown, added after a big surprise.

Liechtenstein Alpine Castle Tee
Shop the Liechtenstein Alpine Castle tee

Looking for a gift with a story? See our heritage gift guide, or read the story behind any other country's flag on our free Flag Stories page.

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