A circle of twelve golden stars on a blue cloth. A design that is etched in everyone’s minds. What is the story behind this design? And why are there twelve stars?
Search for a design
The path that the European flag has taken reads like a story. Long before there was any talk of the European Union, various movements were already thinking about a flag for the European continent. It was the Council of Europe that, shortly after being founded in 1949, first started a real search.
The Council of Europe asked both professional artists and amateurs to submit proposals for the flag design. Each proposal was studied attentively by a committee.
The two flags that made it through the selection round both contained stars in their design. Salvador de Madariaga, co-founder of the Europe College, designed an image of stars above a fictitious Europe. Each star represented a member state’s capital city.
The design that was ultimately chosen was done by the hand of Arsène Heitz, who was then employed at the Council of Europe’s internal post service. Even though some people minimise the role of Heitz, he was officially recognised as the designer. Other people cooperated on the development of the flag. The most important of these was Paul Lévy, then head of the press and communication department.
Symbol of unity
On 13 December 1955, the flag was officially revealed in Paris. The twelve golden stars are a symbol of unity: there are also twelve months in a year, twelve apostles, and twelve signs of the zodiac.
At the start of the European parliament elections in 1979, this institution was also looking for a flag. The choice was quickly made for the concept from the Council of Europe. The European Union didn’t officially adopt the flag until 29 June 1985. One year later the flag became the official symbol for all European institutions.