The flag of the German-speaking Community in Belgium shows a white cloth, then a red lion, which is surrounded blue nine "cinquefoils". The nine blue flowers stand for the nine municipalities that make up the community. The red lion on white reminiscents of the Duchy of Limburg, on its former territory of the northern German communities lie, but also to the old Luxembourg, on its former territory of the southern German communities lie.
3rd century A.D. · Settlement by Franks and Frisians
880 · Treaty of Verdun and Ribbemont, by the division of the Frankish Empire comes West-Flanders to the West Frankish kingdom (France) and East-Flanders to the East Franconian Empire (German Empire)
1919 · Peace Treaty of Versailles, Eupen-Malmedy becomes ceded to Belgium in 1920
1919–1925 · administration by the Belgian military
1925 · in Eupen-Malmedy is carried out a controversial and repressive referendum about the belonging to the German Empire or Belgium, remain in Belgium
1925–1928 · negotiations about the return to the German Empire, stopped by France
1939–1945 · Second World War, Eupen and Malmedy was annexed by the German Empire on 18th of May in 1940, joined in 1945 back to Belgium
1962–1963 · Definition of the linguistic border between the cultural communities, Brussels is bilingual, recognition of the German language as a regional language in East Belgium
1970 · first Belgian state reform, the cultural communities of the Flemings and Walloons received constitutional status, creation of the Council of the German cultural community in Wallonia
1983 · establish of the German Community in Eastern Belgium as part of Wallonia
2004 · formation of the Parliament of the German-speaking Community
The territory of the German-speaking Community in Belgium is sometimes called as "East Belgium". This name goes beck to the territory of "Eupen-Malmedy" (or "Eupen-Malmedy-St-Vith"). It was until 1920 a part of the German Empire and had to be ceded to Belgium as a result of the Versailles Dictate in connection with a questionable referendum. The area of Malmedy was connected to the "Walloon community", because it is inhabited mostly by Walloons.
