The Secret History Behind the Czech Flag

The Czech flag has a blue triangle because it was once mistaken for another flag.

The first flag of Czechoslovakia was white over red, the heraldic colors of the Kingdom of Bohemia. That looked too much like the flag of Poland, so in 1920 the government added a blue triangle at the hoist. The blue is said to refer to Moravia, and also echoes the colors of Slovakia and Ruthenia.

When Czechoslovakia dissolved at the end of 1992, the Czech Republic kept the same flag, while Slovakia adopted its own.

The date printed on every Czech Republic design in our catalog, January 1, 1993, is the day the country became independent.

A triangle added to tell two neighbors apart, and kept for a new country.

See the Czech Republic — Bohemian Heart Tee → · Browse the East Europe collection → — or explore the story behind any other country's flag on our free Flag Story Cards page.