Types of flagpoles in Denmark – an overview
Published Written by Flagpole Guides
This page is an English translation of the Danish original. Where the two versions differ, the Danish text is the original.
A flagpole is not just a pole. It can stand free in the garden or be mounted on the house, be made of wood or glass fibre, have its halyard outside or inside and be fixed in a concrete base or a tilting bracket. The choice depends on where the pole stands, how much maintenance is wanted and whether it is important that the pole can be lowered. This guide gives an overview of the common types in Denmark.
Overview
| Type | Characteristics | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Free-standing with base | The pole is bolted to a concrete or oak base | Suburban gardens, summer houses |
| Free-standing with tilting bracket | Glass-fibre pole that can be tilted down | Gardens where the pole is lowered for cleaning |
| Free-standing with internal foot | The pole is slipped over a spike or post | Glass-fibre poles |
| Internal halyard | Winch and crank inside the pole | Businesses, public squares |
| Slanting, on a building | Pole projecting from the façade at an angle | Town houses, shops, public buildings |
| Horizontal, on a building | Pole projecting at right angles from the façade | Façades in town |
| Vertical, on roof or façade | Pole on the building | Town halls, churches, larger buildings |
| Flag avenue | Many short poles along a road | Town festivals, events |
Free-standing flagpoles
The free-standing flagpole is the classic one in Danish gardens. According to Bolius, most flagpoles are fixed to a foot or base that is dug into the ground, possibly with a foundation. The base can be concrete or wood. Glass-fibre flagpoles are also available with an invisible internal foot, such as a spike or post that the pole is slipped over, or with a tilting bracket whose lower part is dug into the ground. Bolius mentions that a flagpole of 7 to 10 metres is normal for an ordinary detached house.
External and internal halyard
On most garden flagpoles, the flag line runs from a pulley in the finial down along the pole. According to Dannebrogs-Samfundet, glass-fibre poles can have a winch fitted inside, where the flag is raised and lowered with a crank and carries a flag weight. An internal halyard does not slap against the pole and is harder to tamper with. More in the guide to flagpole mechanics.
Flagpoles on buildings
According to Dannebrogs-Samfundet, the flag can be flown from a slanting or horizontal flagpole projecting from the building or from a vertical flagpole on the roof or the façade. The flag is relatively larger on these poles: about one third of the pole’s length on a slanting pole and about half on a horizontal one, measured as the flag’s height. At half-mast, the cross is placed level with the middle of the pole.
Flag avenues
According to Dannebrogs-Samfundet, a flag avenue consists of many flagpoles with Dannebrog on both sides of a road. The poles are typically 3 to 5 metres high, of wood or glass fibre, and set in tubes in the pavement or directly in the ground. A flag avenue follows the flag times. On a public road or a private shared road, permission is sought from the police and the municipality, and the police can require the avenue to be removed if it endangers traffic.
Colour and finial
According to Dannebrogs-Samfundet, the flagpole is usually white when Dannebrog is flown, and the finial half-round and red. Bolius writes that it is good flag etiquette to leave the pole painted white or in natural wood, and that the finial is normally white or red, but can also have other colours, for example gold.
The materials are described in the guide to flagpole materials, the height in the guide to flagpole heights, finial, pulley and line in the guide to flagpole accessories, and the price in the guide to buying a flagpole.
Frequently asked questions
Which type of flagpole is most common in Denmark?
According to Bolius, the free-standing white flagpole in glass fibre or wood, 7 to 10 metres high, is the most common in Danish gardens. It stands on a concrete or oak base or in a tilting bracket, so it can be lowered.
What is the difference between an external and an internal halyard?
With an external halyard, the flag line runs from a pulley in the finial down the outside of the pole. According to Dannebrogs-Samfundet, glass-fibre poles can have a winch fitted inside, where the flag is raised with a crank; the flag then has a flag weight.
Can a flagpole be mounted on the house?
Yes. According to Dannebrogs-Samfundet, the flag can be flown from a slanting or horizontal flagpole projecting from the building or from a vertical flagpole on the roof or the façade. The size of the flag is then different from that on a free-standing pole.
What is a row of flags along a street?
According to Dannebrogs-Samfundet, a flag avenue (flagallé) is many flagpoles with Dannebrog on both sides of a road, typically 3 to 5-metre poles of wood or glass fibre set in tubes in the pavement. On a public road or a private shared road, permission is sought from the police and the municipality.
Sources
This guide is based on the following sources, most of them in Danish:
- Sådan bruges Dannebrog, 2nd edition (2019), pp. 18–21, 33–34 and 41–42 – Dannebrogs-Samfundet (formerly Danmarks-Samfundet)
- Flagstænger og flagregler – Bolius
- Hvor høj skal flagstangen være? – Bolius
Related guides
- Flagpole materialsFlagpole materials in Denmark: glass fibre, wood, aluminium and steel – maintenance, durability, appearance and price compared.
- Flagpole heightsFlagpole heights in Denmark: 7–10 metres at detached houses, the pole above the roof ridge, consideration for neighbours, local plans and the size of the flag.
- Flagpole mechanicsFlagpole mechanics in Denmark: how the flag line, pulley, internal winch, flag weight and tilting bracket work – and how a flagpole is lowered.
- Flagpole accessoriesFlagpole accessories in Denmark: finial, pulley, flag line, flag clips, cleat, base, tilting bracket, pennant and stander – the parts and what they do.
- Buying a flagpoleBuying a flagpole in Denmark: what affects the price – height, material, halyard, base, delivery and installation – and buyers’ rights under Danish law.