Last week, we explored the origins of Oktoberfest and took a look at the very first Oktoberfest. Now let's dive into the history and meaning of the widely known White and Blue Flag, or Weiss-Blau. Where did the flag come from? What are other variations of it? What do the colors stand for?

Weiss-Blau and Oktoberfest

First, it’s important to establish that the correct order is white-blue and not blue and white. The legend says that the white represents clouds on the backdrop of the blue Bavarian sky. But it also just sounds better to the Bavarian ear. Sort of like how US citizens would never say “blue, white, and red” flag.

The colors of Oktoberfest are actually older than the holiday itself. Remember the wedding which prompted the very first Oktoberfest celebration that we discussed in Part 1? Oktoberfest originally came into existence thanks to Bavarian royalty, so naturally, the origins of Oktoberfest’s colors is directly related to Bavaria. Bavaria’s flag features a bold and striking combination of white and blue.

Bavaria Flag Variations

Bavaria actually has two state flags, the striped flag, and the lozenge flag (diamond flag), which are equal to each other. The striped flag consists of two equally wide horizontal stripes in the state colors, white on top, and blue on the bottom. The lozenge flag consists of white and blue diamonds and usually contains at least 21 white and blue diamonds depending on the flag shape and size.

Both flags are historically associated with the royal Bavarian Wittelsbach family, which ruled Bavaria from 1180 to 1918.

There is a 3rd “unofficial”, but commonly seen flag, that showcases the Coat of Arms on the lozenge-style flag. A coat of arms is a symbol that represents a specific family or person. The earliest Bavarian Coat of Arms can be traced from the first half of the 13th century and represented the House of Wittelsbach – a German dynasty, with branches that have ruled over territories including Bavaria.

Part 3

Follow us into part 3 of our Oktoberfest series to learn more about German Traditions and how we celebrate today!