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# Arms and Flags of the Rhodes (Appenzell Innerrhoden canton, Switzerland)

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Last modified: 2026-05-23 by martin karner
Keywords: appenzell | rhodes |
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(source)
Chart with arms of the nine Rhodes and six districts. The smaller arms are the arms of the Rhodes
(Lehn and Hirschberg are represented with variants).

See also:

Appenzell Innerrhoden canton
- Appenzell canton
- Switzerland

The organisation of the Land of Appenzell with Rhodes (Rhoden) dates back to the 13th century. Originally appointed by the abbot of St. Gallen, the Rhoden leaders were responsible for the administration of the Rhoden. Soon a form of cooperative self-government was established, in which the government was elected by the inhabitants. During the separation of the land into Inner and Outer Rhodes in 1597, some borders were changed and so-called Half-Rhodes were created. In Appenzell Inner-Rhodes the constitution from 1872 created new districts as administrative bodies, with some of them keeping the arms and the name of the old Rhodes. The Rhodes didn't cease to exist, they still have some social and ceremonial functions, and are still very much alive in the public consciousness. The members of the Rhodes have their meetings (Rhodsgemeinde) every year after the Landsgemeinde, the public cantonal legislative assembly. In Appenzell Outer-Rhodes the six original Rhodes were transformed after 1597 into new communes with identical names and largely the same borders. Further communes were later formed through splits.

## Flags of the Rhodes

obverse | reverse (source: [glk10])

From left: Schwende, Rüte, Lehn, Schlatt, Gonten (Rinkenbach obv. only partly visible)

Unlike the district flags, the flags of the Rhodes are not just Banner of Arms, but have their own design, which differs much from the arms. They all contain a large white Mauritius cross above the flamed pattern (see photos above). Mauritius is the patron saint of Inner-Rhodes.
The Rhodes flags as military unit flags have been documented since the 17th century. Some flags show religious images on the obverse, and the arms of their Rhode on the reverse (mostly in the upper hoist canton). The flags are traditionally presented at the annual Landsgemeinde and the Corpus Christi procession.

Martin Karner, 24 March 2026

♦ postcard (Rhode flags, Appenzell, ca. 1920–30, source)

### Colour Flags

There are horizontally striped colour flags (Farbenfahnen) of the districts and the Rhodes of Appenzell Innerrhoden. In the cases where the arms of the districts and the Rhodes are identical, their colour flags are not (e.g. the colour flag of the Schwende district is blue-white-green; the one of the Schwende Rhode is blue-white-red).

Schwende: blue-white-red (district: blue-white-green)
Rüte: white-black-yellow (district: black-white-yellow)
Lehn: white-red-yellow
Schlatt: red-white-blue
0 Gonten: red-yellow-green (district: yellow-red-green)
Rinkenbach: black-yellow-blue
Stechlenegg: black-white-green
Hirschberg: white-red-green
Oberegg: black-yellow-green

Sources:
Joseph M. Galliker: Schweizer Wappen und Fahnen, Heft 13 [glk10]
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhode_(Schweiz)
https://hls-dhs-dss.ch/de/articles/009821/2010-10-19/
Hoheitszeichen von Appenzell Innerrhoden (by Albert Ruosch, 1955, German)

Martin Karner