History of the creation of the flag of Greenland: myths and reality

Marvin Elmac |

The Greenland flag is an important symbol of Greenlandic identity, but the story of its creation is a bit complicated. There are several different versions of who created the flag, and exact story details are sometimes difficult to confirm.

Design of the flag began in the 1970s as Greenland sought to increase its autonomy from Denmark. At the time, there was a strong demand for a distinctive flag that would reflect Greenlandic identity. However, the exact design of the flag took several years to work out.

One of the most common stories about the creation of the flag is that Danish pastor Thue Christiansen designed the flag in 1973. According to this version of the story, Christiansen drew the flag using colored pencils and presented his drawing to the Greenlandic authorities. The colors of the flag would represent ice and snow, while the red circle would symbolize the sun.

However, this story is disputed by other sources, which state that the flag was designed by a committee of Greenlanders and Danes. According to this version of the story, the committee worked on the design of the flag for several years and finally decided on the current design in 1985.

Whatever the true history of the flag's creation, it is clear that its design was influenced by Greenlandic and Danish traditions. The red and white colors are the traditional colors of Greenland, while the red circle symbolizes the sun, which is central to Greenlandic culture. The arrangement of the white circle within the red circle has also been carefully chosen to represent the geographical position of Greenland on the world map.

Ultimately, the flag of Greenland is the result of the collaboration of many individuals and groups, each contributing their own vision of Greenlandic identity. Although the exact details of the story of its creation may be difficult to confirm, it is clear that the flag has become an important symbol of Greenlandic identity and is now widely recognized as one of the most beautiful and most symbolic in the world.

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