Alsace
The flag of Alsace is a simple bicolor of red over white (gules and argent), derived from the heraldic arms of the province. This red-and-white combination has represented the Alsatian lands since the medieval period and reflects the region's position on the Franco-German borderland. The shield of Alsace traditionally bore a red bend on a white field, and the simplified bicolor captures these tinctures. Alsace changed hands between France and Germany multiple times — French before 1871, German until 1918, French again until 1940, German during occupation, and definitively French since 1945. The flag endures as a symbol of resilient regional identity.
Alsace produces nearly all of France's hops and is the only French wine region where varietal labeling (Riesling, Gewürztraminer) is standard rather than appellation-based.
Adopted: 1949
