Austrian-born German chemist who devised and built an ultramicroscope in 1903. The microscope's illumination was placed at right angles to the axis. (In a conventional microscope the light source is placed parallel to the instrument's axis.) Zsigmondy's arrangement made it possible to observe particles with a diameter of one 10-millionth of a millimetre. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1925 for the elucidation of heterogeneity of colloids.
Green expresses hope. White symbolizes peace. It is said that the saltire may have been based on the former flag of Belgian airline, Sabena. Red represents the blood shed in the struggle for independence. Effective date: 27 September 1982.