Bundesregierung
The history of the NATO emblemFri, 27.02.2009
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On 3 and 4 April NATO will be
celebrating its 60th anniversary. A lot has happened during these
six decades. From now on we will be posting interesting articles
about this period. In this first article we will look at the
background to NATO's emblem.
The search for a
suitable emblem began three years before NATO was founded. A great
many different proposals were made, before the current emblem was
finally adopted. From the outset it was felt important to find an
emblem that reflected the principles of the transatlantic
community. This meant that all member states had to accept the new
emblem.
One of the proposals was a silver shield that would bear 14 stars and two blue stripes. The shield was intended to symbolise protection and defence. The stars represented the fourteen member states and the two blue stripes the Atlantic Ocean. This proposal was finally rejected because the emblem would have had to be changed every time NATO admitted a new member state. Given that the emblem was to be used as part of the NATO flag, it was to be simple but easily remembered. It was also to symbolically incorporate the traditions and ideas of NATO. On 14 October 1953 the North Atlantic Council finally adopted the emblem that has been in use ever since, a blue and white compass on a dark blue background. On 28 October the NATO Secretary General Lord Ismay explained the significance of the new emblem. The star, he elucidated, could be seen as a compass, keeping NATO on course for peace. The circle symbolises the unity of the 14 member states, all on a dark blue background, which stands for the Atlantic Ocean. At a ceremony held at the Esplanade des Invalides in Paris, the flag bearing the new emblem was officially raised for the first time on 9 October 1953.  |
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