There are two official flags of Bavaria: the striped type and the lozenge type, both of which are white and blue. Both flags are historically associated with the royal Bavarian Wittelsbach family, which ruled Bavaria from 1180 to 1918.
Both horizontal and vertical flags with stripes or white and blue lozenges without arms can be considered official flags of the state, in Bavaria called the . They may be used by civilians and by government, including use on state motor vehicles. The striped and lozenge styles have equal status, and offices or users are free to choose between them.
The variants defaced with the arms are unofficial, and the use of the symbols by civilians is strictly speaking illegal, but is tolerated. A lozenge-style flag with the arms is common.
The lozenges are not set in number, except there must be at least 21, and the top right (incomplete) lozenge must be white.
The exact origin of the lozenges is disputed. They are believed to be representative of the lakes and rivers of Bavaria or perhaps the sky, as in the Bavarian anthem, which says "" â "the colors of His sky/heaven, white and blue".
In vexillology, flags are described and displayed from the front (obverse). In Bavaria, however, the description of the flag is based on heraldic rules. That is, the description is made from the point of view of a shield-bearer who is behind the coat of arms, and in this case, behind the flag. Thus, the right upper corner, reserved for a truncated white lozenge, is on the top left (adjacent to the flagpole) for the viewer.
The Constitution of the Free State of Bavaria defines the "colors of the state" as simply "white and blue", with no further specifications. On 2 June 1999, the federal cabinet introduced a corporate design for the German government which defined "blue" as RGB 0,119,182 or PANTONEî 307, but it is unclear if these guidelines apply to the states, and in any case, in practice the specific shades can vary wildly, especially in unofficial uses.
Calling the Bavarian flag or it's colors "blue and white" instead of "white and blue" immediately reveals outsiders, so the Bavarian colors act as a Shibboleth that often separates Bavarians from other Germans