Cross of Lorraine

The cross of Lorraine (called before cross of Anjou ) is a Croix with double cross-piece.

This cross appeared in the symbolic system of the dukes of Anjou become dukes of Lorraine starting from 1431 (Rene of Anjou 1409 † 1480).

It owes its form with the Christian cross to which one added a small higher cross-piece representing the sign (Titulus crucis) that Pontius Pilate would have made pose above Christ: “Jesus de Nazareth, king of the Jews” ( INRI ).

Its history

A double tradition of the double cross leads to Rene of Anjou:

This double cross is the form of an assembly of relics of the true cross out of blackened wooden. These relics were with Byzance at the beginning of the 13th century, then passed from Comnène Handbook to Germain († 1219), Latin patriarch of Constantinople, then in Thomas, bishop of Hiérapetra, in Crete. This one sold the relics to Jean d' Alluye, who sold them itself with the abbey of Boissière in Anjou. During the One hundred Year old War at the 14th century, they by safety were placed at the Jacobins of Angers. One spoke at the time of cross of Anjou . These relics were particularly venerated by the dukes of Anjou, since Louis I {{er}} (1339 - 1384) which made it embroider on its banner. These relics are preserved since 1790 in a convent of Baugé (Maine-et-Loire). In addition, this cross was the first emblem of kings de Hongrie, and is reproduced on their first armorial bearings and the currencies Hungarian woman starting from Béla III. By marriage, the kingdom of Hungary passes to the house of Anjou-Sicily, and one sees the king Louis I {{er}} of Hungary carrying the double cross on his armorial bearings. Louis Ier had designated as successor a cousin Charles III of Naples, which was assassinated. Jeanne II of Naples, the girl of Charles III, designated as heir Rene I {{er}} to Anjou. Today this cross is reproduced not only on the weapons of Hungary but also on those of Slovakia and on the Slovak flag.

, to fight against the Swastika. In its general order n° 2 of July 3rd 1940, the vice-admiral Emile Muselier, named the two days before with the command of the naval forces and air French free, created for the rejoined French forces with de Gaulle a house of bowsprit (square blue with, in the center, the cross of Lorraine in red in opposition to swastika) and for the planes, a rosette with cross of Lorraine.

Muselier was of Lorraine origin and arm with the 507e Tank regiment of combat which colonel de Gaulle at the time of the war ordered comprised a cross of Lorraine. The house was modified after two or three months: it was too dark. In the final model, it was blue, white, red. The white was in the form of rhombus and comprised a not tréflée red cross of Lorraine. This house will remain for the future ships of the National marine to which will be given the name of an old building of the free French Naval forces.

The symbol was adopted then by all the French Free S and will be reproduced on many badges (enamelled badge carried by de Gaulle), in particular on the cross of the Ordre of the Release created to Brazzaville on November 16th, 1940, on the Médaille of Resistance, on the medal commemorative of the voluntary services in Free France, created by decree on April 4th, 1946. The Cross of Lorraine is also present on monuments and the stamps created under the governments of the de Gaulle general.

Starting from November 1942, at the time of the fusion of the Free French Army with the army of Africa, the identity force of the Cross of Lorraine appears most clearly: a decree of October 22nd, 1943 authorizes the ex-FFL to be continued to carry their badge, which distinguishes them from those which kept away from the combat until November 1942.

The Cross of Lorraine and French interior Resistance (1940-1944)

In metropolis, the Cross of Lorraine is known since 1940 at the same time by the emissions of BBC and by parachuted leaflets, and is used for a certain number of individuals isolated to express, for example by graffiti, their sympathy with respect to the English or of Free France. In 1941, the BBC more explicitly encourages to use this symbol at the time of patriotic demonstrations like on May 11th or on July 14th, the Mouvement Initiative and Freedom, the club Nouveau century, the Union gaullist, the Academy of the Gaullisme, etc

Cross of Lorraine elsewhere in the world

The last Judgment , painting in orthodoxe style Byzantine on the walls of the monasteries Voroneţ built in 1488 in Romania. One sees there in bottom on the left the Cross of Lorraine.

Quotations

Quotation of Sir Winston Churchill: “My heaviest cross, it is the cross of Lorraine. ”

References and notes

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