Brittany

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The Gwenn-ha-du (Breton for "white and black") is the unofficial flag of Brittany, a region in the northwest of France. It is also unofficially used in the historically Breton department of Loire-Atlantique, which now belongs to the Pays de la Loire.

The flag was created in 1923 by Morvan Marchal. He used as his inspiration the flag of the United States, seen as a symbol of freedom. The nine horizontal stripes represent the traditional dioceses of Brittany into which the Duchy of Brittany was divided historically. The five black stripes represent the French or Gallo speaking dioceses of Dol, Nantes, Rennes, Saint-Malo and Saint-Brieuc; the four white stripes represent the Breton-speaking dioceses of Trégor, Léon, Cornouaille and Vannes. The ermine canton recalls the arms of the duchy.

The flag first came to the notice of a wider public at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris in 1925. It was adopted by various cultural and nationalist groups through the 1920s and 1930s. For years the authorities considered the flag as a separatist symbol, but the attitude has now changed and the flag, no longer having any political connotations, may appear everywhere, even on public buildings, along with the other official flags. It is widely used throughout Brittany and can even be seen on town halls in the region.

The Kroaz Du (Breton for "black cross") was one of the principal Breton flags during the Middle Ages. It has been largely replaced by the Gwenn-ha-du during the 20th century, but has been revived since the late 1990s. It is the basis for the flag of Nantes.

Brittany

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