Fredrik Meltzer

Who was Fredrik Meltzer?

Fredrik Meltzer was a Norwegian businessman and politician perhaps best known for designing the flag of Norway. A member of the constituent assembly, Meltzer was one of the signatories of the Norwegian Constitution of 1814. He represented the city of Bergen in the Norwegian parliament from 1821 to 1828.

Meltzer designed the modern flag of Norway in 1821 to replace the modified Danish and Swedish flags then in use. He chose to use a Nordic cross to reflect Norway's close ties with Sweden and Denmark, and the colours red, white and blue in order to symbolize the liberal ideals associated with more or less democratic countries, such as the Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States of America, and revolutionary France.