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State Symbols & Insignia

Czechia’s State Symbols

Flag, greater and lesser coat of arms, state colours, state seal, national anthem, presidential standard and historical insignia: the official, ceremonial and historical language of Czech statehood.

Start Anthem
Flagwhite, red and blue
Coats of armsgreater and lesser
AnthemKde domov můj
Insigniastandard, seal, crown jewels

Official identity

State symbols are the formal signs through which Czechia expresses sovereignty and continuity.

The official state symbols of Czechia are defined by the constitutional and legal order of the state. They include the greater and lesser coat of arms, the state colours, the state flag, the flag of the President of the Republic, the state seal and the national anthem. Historical insignia such as the Bohemian Crown Jewels belong to a deeper ceremonial and heritage layer.

This page distinguishes between legally defined state symbols and historical insignia. The former identify the state in official and public contexts; the latter connect modern Czechia with the older statehood of the Bohemian Crown.

Constitutional basis

The Constitution gives the state-symbol system its legal frame.

The Constitution of the Czech Republic places the state symbols inside the constitutional order of the state. Article 14 names the greater and lesser coat of arms, state colours, state flag, presidential flag, state seal and national anthem as the state symbols, while their use is governed by statute.

Legal frameThe symbols of Czechia belong to the constitutional identity of the state.
Public roleThe Constitution anchors the symbols before their practical use in protocol, institutions, education, sport and civic life.
Constitutional basis of Czechia landscape image
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State flag

The flag is the most immediate visual symbol of Czechia.

The state flag uses a white upper field, a red lower field and a blue triangle at the hoist. It appears in state protocol, public buildings, education, sport, international representation, civic occasions and cultural presentation.

DesignWhite over red, with a blue triangle extending from the hoist.
UsePublic, official, ceremonial, civic, sporting and international contexts.
state flag of Czechia
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State colours

The national colours are white, red and blue.

The state colours are the compact colour identity of Czechia. They are used in public, ceremonial and graphic contexts where the country is represented through colour rather than a full flag or coat of arms.

OrderWhite, red and blue.
FunctionA visual shorthand for national and state identity.
state colours of Czechia
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state colours of Czechia
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Greater coat of arms

The greater coat of arms represents the historical Czech lands.

The greater coat of arms is quartered. The Bohemian lion appears in the first and fourth fields, the Moravian eagle in the second field and the Silesian eagle in the third field. It unites the heraldic identities of Bohemia, Moravia and Czech Silesia.

BohemiaSilver double-tailed lion on a red field.
MoraviaSilver-red chequered eagle on a blue field.
SilesiaBlack eagle on a golden field.
greater coat of arms of Czechia
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Lesser coat of arms

The Bohemian two-tailed lion is the compact heraldic sign.

The lesser coat of arms shows the silver double-tailed lion with a golden crown and golden armour on a red shield. It is the compact heraldic form of Czech state symbolism and one of the most recognisable signs of the country.

AnimalSilver double-tailed lion.
FieldRed shield.
MeaningBohemian heraldry and Czech state continuity.
lesser coat of arms of Czechia
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State seal

The state seal belongs to formal state authentication.

The state seal is an official state symbol connected with formal acts, institutional identity and the authentication of state authority. It belongs to the protocol layer of public administration and constitutional representation.

RoleOfficial confirmation and state authority.
ContextFormal, legal and institutional use.
state seal of Czechia
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National anthem

Kde domov můj — “Where is my home?”

The national anthem gives Czechia a ceremonial voice. Its title, Kde domov můj, connects state ceremony with landscape, language, home and belonging.

national anthem of Czechia
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Anthem origin

Kde domov můj

Kde domov můj was written in 1834 by playwright Josef Kajetán Tyl with music by composer František Škroup. It was first heard in the theatre play Fidlovačka aneb žádný hněv a žádná rvačka.

The song later became the Czech part of the Czechoslovak anthem and, after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia, the national anthem of Czechia.

Kde domov můj National anthem of Czechia · Josef Kajetán Tyl / František Škroup
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Full lyrics

Kde domov můj

Czech

Kde domov můj, kde domov můj? Voda hučí po lučinách, bory šumí po skalinách, v sadě skví se jara květ, zemský ráj to na pohled! A to je ta krásná země, země česká, domov můj, země česká, domov můj.

English

Where is my home, Where is my home? Waters murmur across the meadows, Pinewoods rustle upon the cliff-rocks, Bloom of spring shines in the orchard, Paradise on Earth to see! And that is the beautiful land, The Czech land, my home, The Czech land, my home.

Presidential standard

The presidential flag belongs to the office of the head of state.

The flag of the President of the Republic is a formal state symbol used in connection with the presidential office. It includes the motto Pravda vítězí — “Truth prevails”.

OfficePresident of the Republic.
MottoPravda vítězí — Truth prevails.
UseCeremonial and protocol contexts.
presidential standard of Czechia
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Historical insignia

The historical insignia connect modern Czechia with older statehood.

Historical insignia such as the Bohemian Crown Jewels are not everyday public marks. They belong to the deeper ceremonial and heritage layer of Czech statehood, especially the Kingdom of Bohemia and the coronation tradition.

St Wenceslas CrownCentral symbol of the Bohemian Crown Jewels.
ContinuityMedieval Bohemia, royal ceremony and modern public memory.
DisplayShown only on exceptional occasions.
historical insignia of Czechia
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Related context

The greater coat of arms is also a map of historical identity.

Bohemia, Moravia and Czech Silesia are not only geographical names. They are also present in the heraldic structure of the greater coat of arms. Continue through the related pages for the territorial, historical and cultural context behind the symbols.

Identity Country Identity How Czechia is presented through language, history, symbols, culture and public communication. Statehood History Historical continuity, statehood, public memory and Czechia’s place in Europe. Historical land Bohemia The Bohemian lion, historical statehood, towns, castles, landscapes and cultural memory. Historical land Moravia The Moravian eagle, regional identity, cities, wine regions, traditions and landscapes. Historical land Czech Silesia The Silesian eagle, northeastern regional identity, industry and cultural memory. Public reference Name: Czechia The short geographic name, formal political name, official records and translations.