Types of flagpoles in Switzerland – an overview

A flagpole is not just a pole. Depending on whether the flag flies in a garden, on a façade, on a roof or outside a company building, and whether it is raised daily or stays up, different designs come into question. According to Heimgartner Fahnen AG, the range in Switzerland runs from 4 to 10 metres in height, with poles of 7 to 9 metres particularly common. The main types at a glance.

Pole with external halyard

The classic flagpole: a tapered or cylindrical pole, usually of aluminium, with a pulley at the top and a rope on the outside of the pole, made fast at the bottom on a cleat. The flag is clipped to the rope and raised. This design is simple, inexpensive and easy to maintain. The flag can be set at any height, including half-mast. Drawbacks: the rope can slap against the pole in the wind, and anyone can take the flag down.

Pole with internal halyard

With an internal halyard, the rope runs inside the pole and is operated behind a lockable hatch in the lower part, sometimes with a crank. This has three advantages: the flag is protected against being taken down without permission, the rope does not slap against the pole, and the pole looks neater. This design is common outside businesses, schools and commune halls. Half-mast is possible here too.

Outrigger pole

An outrigger pole has a horizontal, often rotating arm at the top from which a portrait-format flag hangs. The flag stays visible at full size even without wind, which makes it popular for advertising and company flags. Heimgartner Fahnen AG mentions, for outrigger flags, a pole twice as high as the flag. Half-mast is only possible if the outrigger can be lowered with the flag. More in the guide to flag types.

Tilting pole and ground sleeve

Many poles stand in a ground sleeve set in a concrete foundation. The pole can be pulled out, for example for maintenance or for the winter. A tilting pole is attached at the bottom to the foundation by a hinge and can be lowered, so that the rope, pulley and finial can be reached from the ground without a ladder. This is particularly practical for tall poles. More in the guide to flagpole mechanics.

Telescopic pole

A telescopic pole consists of segments that slide into each other and can be extended and retracted. It is intended for holiday homes, campsites, festivals and mobile use, often with a ground spike or bracket. It is lighter and less stable than a fixed pole.

Façade, balcony and roof poles

On houses without a garden, façade poles and balcony brackets are common, holding a flag at an angle or horizontally. On 1 August, particularly many hanging flags appear on façades and balconies in Switzerland; the Swiss Armed Forces’ flag regulations provide that Swiss flags are then hung like the corresponding coat of arms. Roof poles are fixed on flat roofs or at the roof edge and are anchored with particular care, because the wind load is greater at height.

Several poles

Outside many public buildings, three poles stand side by side. According to the Swiss Armed Forces’ flag regulations, almost all public buildings in Switzerland have three flagpoles, for the Swiss, cantonal and communal flags. Where several poles are planned, they are usually chosen at the same height and of the same design, so that the flags fly at the same level. How the flags are arranged is covered in the guide to flag protocol.

Material and height

Most flagpoles in Switzerland are made of aluminium; there are also poles of glass-fibre reinforced plastic (GRP), steel and wood. Heimgartner Fahnen AG points out that a larger diameter and greater wall thickness make a pole more stable, and that a taller pole is more exposed to storms. More in the guides to flagpole materials and flagpole heights.