Flag Societies Around the World
Vexillology (the study of flags) is a comparatively recent addition to the field of knowledge as a separate and distinct discipline. The word is derived from the Latin Vexillum (flag) and the Greek -ology (the study of). Vexillology was first established in an organised form on 1st February 1962, when Dr. Whitney Smith founded the Flag Research Centre in Boston, USA. Since then, flag associations have been established in a steadily growing number of nations.
In 1969, the International Federation of Vexillological Associations was founded as an association of flag groups. It is usually referred to by its French initials: FIAV - Fédération Internationale des Associations Vexillologiques. There were initially 12 members, and there are now 53 member entities, including Flags Australia which was admitted in 1985.
The current office bearers of FIAV are:
President: Željko Heimer, Croatia, pres@fiav.org
Secretary-General: Bruce Berry, South Africa, sec.gen@fiav.org
Secretary-General for Congresses: Graham Bartram - UK, sec.cong@fiav.org
FIAV organises an International Congress of Vexillology (ICV) every two years. The 1st ICV was held in the Netherlands in 1965. Australians have attended every congress since ICV9 in Ottowa in 1981. ICVs are an opportunity for the world's vexillologists to gather to share their interest and knowledge about flags. The ICV is a week-long event that consists of lectures on a diverse range of flag topics, exhibitions, excursions to flag related sites and simply catching up with friends with a shared interest.
ICV26 was hosted by Flags Australia in Sydney on 31 August - 4 September 2015. A copy of the original website with full details of the event is located at Sydney Flag Congress. The Sydney Congress Proceedings have been published and are available at http://www.flagsaustralia.com.au/Proceedings.html.
The most recent flag congress (ICV30) was held in Beijing, People's Repubic of China on 12 -20 August 2024 and hosted by the Vexillological Research Center of China and Beijing New Wind Flag Center. The Congress venue was the Gengdan Institute of Beijing University of Technology (BGD). The venue accomodation was in the International Exchange Centre of BGD. The venue was located about 60 km. from the centre of Beijing and 24 km. from Beijing Capital International Airport. The language of the Congress was English and Chinese. There were 26 lectures and presentations, of which all but 9 were about Chinese flags.
The following ICV31 will be held in Paris, France on 6 - 10 July 2026. This will be hosted by the Société française de vexillologie. The venue will be in a conference centre near Les Invalides and the Eiffel Tower. A congress flag has not yet been designed and the program and registration details are not yet available.
Flags Australia has, since 1989, sponsored the Vexillon, which is awarded by FIAV to the person regarded as having made the most important contribution to vexillology during the two years between flag congresses. In 2026 the Vexillon was awarded to Flags of the World - FOTW.
FIAV has recognised the significant contribution to vexillology and service to FIAV of several members of Flags Australia by the award of Fellow of the Federation to:
Ralph Bartlett (2003), Tony Burton (2015), Ted Kaye (2015), Ralph Kelly (2007), Gerald Naughton (2015) and Ron Strachan (2015).
The highest award is that of Laureate of the Federation, based on achieving a flag-related doctorate. A Flags Australia member, Tracey Mee was made a laureate in 2019 for her thesis Australian national identity: somewhere between the flags? Her thesis is available for download at the University of Wollongong at https://ro.uow.edu.au/theses1/248/
In addition, Ralph Kelly's lecture at ICV21 in Buenos Aires in 2005, on flag changes in Latin American flags, was recognised as Best Paper of that Congress. This award has been renamed The Whitney Smith Award.
Links to other international flag societies
International Federation of Vexillogical Associations - www.fiav.org
Member societies of FIAV that operate a website in English are:
Bandiere Storiche ["Historical Flags", Italy] - http://bandierestoriche.wix.com/bandiereflags
Bulgarian Heraldry and Vexillology Society - http://heraldika-bg.org/indexEN.htm
The Canadian Flag Association - https://www.facebook.com/Canadian-Flag-Association-LAssociation-Canadienne-de-Vexillologie-317266027131/
Chesapeake Bay Flag Association [US]- cbfa.vexillology.info
Conavex: Corporación Nacional de Vexilología de Chile - https://conavexcl.wordpress.com
Croatian Heraldic and Vexillological Association - www.hgzd.hr/en
Flag Data Centre [Czech] - http://www.vexi.info/svi/indexen.php
Flag Heritage Foundation [US] - www.flagheritagefoundation.org
The Flag Institute [United Kingdom]- www.flaginstitute.org
The Flag Research Center [US]- https://flagresearchcenter.wordpress.com
Flags of the World (FOTW) - www.flagspot.net (also at other mirror locations)
Great Waters Association of Vexillology [US]- gwav.tripod.com
Macedonian Heraldry Society - heraldika.org.mk/en
New England Vexillological Association [US] - http://www.nejv.org
North American Vexillological Association [US and Canada]- www.nava.org
Portland Flag Association [US] - www.portlandflag.org
Russian Centre of Vexillology and Heraldry - http://www.vexillographia.ru/ind_eng.htm
Société française de vexillologie - https://drapeaux-sfv.org/?lang=en
Southern African Vexillological Association - www.savaflags.org.za
State Council of Heraldry at the Parliament of Georgia - http://www.heraldika.ge/?lng=eng
The Ukrainian Heraldry Society - http://uht.org.ua/en/
Vexillological Association of the State of Texas [US] - www.texflags.org
Vexillology Ireland [Ireland] - https://flagsireland.wordpress.com
Other member societies of FIAV that operate websites are:
Centro Italiano Studi Vessillologici - www.cisv.it
Ceská vexilogická spolecnost z.s. - http://www.vexilologie.cz/index2.php?a=000&n=0
CIDEC: Fundación Centro Interdisciplinario de Estudios Culturales - www.cidecargentina.com
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Flaggenkunde e.V. - www.flaggenkunde.de
Flag Parade Rotterdam Foundation - www.vlaggenparade.nl/?t=2
Heraldica Slovenica [Slovenia] - http://www.heraldica-slovenica.si
Heraldischer Verein "Zum Kleeblatt" von 1888 zu Hannover e.V [Germany] - http://www.zum-kleeblatt.de
Instytut Heraldyczno-Weksylologiczny [Poland] - http://www.albumpolski.pl/IHW_WWW/index.php
Japanese Vexillological Association - https://www.j-flags-java.org
Kevarzhe Vannielouriezh Vreizh [Brittany] - www.drapeauxbretagne.canalblog.com
Nederlandse Vereniging voor Vlaggenkunde - www.vlaggenkunde.nl
Nordisk Flaggselskap [Scandinavia] - www.nordicflagsociety.org
Partioheraldikot r.y. [Finland] - heraldikot.partio.net
Polskie Towarzystwo Weksylogniczne - www.weksylologia.pl
Sociedad Española de Vexilogia [Spain] - www.vexilologia.org
Swiss Society of Vexillology - www.vexilla.ch
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Material Copyright to the Flag Society of Australia Inc and Pennant Advisory Services Pty Limited. Text and illustrations by Ralph Kelly. Web Design by Elizabeth Kelly of ELK Prints.