The Hammarby IF logo is the crest of Hammarby IF, the Stockholm club from Södermalm founded on April 10, 1889 as the rowing association Hammarby Roddförening. It shows a green-and-white striped flag with the letters HIF inside a golden laurel wreath. Börje Dorch, a Swedish draughtsman and journalist, gave the current crest its form in the early 1970s.
Few football badges carry as much local identity as this one. The flag comes from the club’s rowing origins on Hammarby Sjö, and the wreath was added in the 1920s. Hammarby’s football section was set up in 1915, and the club’s fans know it as “Bajen”.
The green-and-white flag has stayed at the center of the badge through every version. The crest plays in the Allsvenskan, Sweden’s top football division, in the 2026 season, and for Bajen fans it is closer to a family crest than a corporate logo.
What Is the Hammarby IF Logo?
The Hammarby IF logo is an emblem of a green-and-white striped flag with the letters H, I and F in yellow, framed by a golden laurel wreath open at the top. The current form was drawn by Börje Dorch in the early 1970s, and it keeps the flag the rowing club chose in 1889. A small registered-trademark mark sits at the base of the wreath.
| Hammarby IF logo at a glance | |
| Symbol | Green-and-white striped flag with HIF inside an open golden laurel wreath |
| Designer/agency | Börje Dorch (1929–2004), who drew the current badge in the early 1970s |
| Current version since | Early 1970s (the green-and-white home kit was restored in 1978) |
| Colors (hex) | Green approx. #007A43, yellow approx. #FFCC00, white #FFFFFF (sampled from the logo) |
| Typeface | Hand-drawn HIF lettering with black outline, no standard font |
| Previous major version | The flag inside a wreath closed at the top (1920s), opened in the 1940s |
The crest also works as a lesson in focal point: the striped flag is the first thing the eye finds, and the wreath frames it.
How Has the Hammarby IF Logo Evolved Over Time?
The badge changed gradually, and each change built on the previous one. The club never threw out what came before.
The Original Rowing Flag (1889)
When Hammarby Roddförening was founded in 1889, its emblem was a white flag with three green horizontal stripes. The founders took inspiration from two Stockholm rowing clubs that used blue or red lines, and chose green because it stood for hope. A third stripe was added after the club learned that Göteborgs RF already used a green-and-white flag with two stripes.
The Shield Badge (Early 1900s)
In the early 1900s the club also used a shield with three green vertical stripes. It appears, for example, at the 1915 opening of Kanalplan and the football section. The flag remained the main symbol.
The Flag With Laurel Wreath (1920s)
A yellow laurel wreath was added in the 1920s. It was originally closed in a circle. This is the birth of the flag-and-wreath format still used today.
The Open-Top Wreath (1940s)
Sometime in the 1940s the wreath gained an opening at the top. The exact year is not documented.
The Börje Dorch Crest (Early 1970s to Present)
Börje Dorch gave the badge its current look in the early 1970s. His drawing, with its bold outlines on the leaves and flag, is the version used today. Hammarby’s home kit also went back from black and yellow to white and green in 1978, so the crest and the colors now match.
The black and yellow came from the 1918 merger with Johanneshovs IF, where the club agreed to play in Johanneshov’s yellow-and-black stripes for at least 60 years.
What Do the Design Elements of the Hammarby IF Logo Mean?
The flag is the oldest element and refers to the rowing club on Hammarby Sjö. The laurel wreath is a classic symbol of victory and was added in the 1920s. The HIF letters give the club’s initials, for Hammarby Idrottsförening.
The club has not published a deeper explanation than this, so any further symbolism is interpretation.
What Are the Hammarby IF Logo Colors?
Green was chosen in 1889 because blue and red were already used by rival Stockholm rowing clubs, and green was seen as the color of hope. White is the base of the flag stripes.
Yellow comes from the wreath. Green is commonly linked to vitality in color psychology, and the combination has a strong contrast that reads well on a kit. For wider context, see the range of green logos in sport and business.
These values are approximate and sampled from the logo, because no club-published codes were found:
- Green: approx. #007A43
- Yellow: approx. #FFCC00
- White: #FFFFFF
Convert hex codes to RGB or CMYK yourself instead of trusting a value from a fan site. The overall color palette is simple enough to carry across kits, flags and scarves.
What Font Is Used in the Hammarby IF Logo?
The H, I and F on the flag are drawn lettering with a black outline, not set in a standard font. No typeface is named for the crest. The picture above is a fan-style graphic in a condensed sans-serif and is not the crest’s lettering.
The typography on the badge is bold and slanted with the flag, which keeps it readable on a jersey chest.
What Are the Hidden Meanings in the Hammarby IF Logo?
There is no hidden code. The three stripes were added to stay distinct from another club’s flag, not for a symbolic reason. The open top of the wreath, added in the 1940s, gives the badge a less closed look, but the club has not said why.
The small registered-trademark mark at the base of the wreath is a practical addition, and it shows the crest is protected.
How Does the Hammarby IF Logo Compare to Competitor Logos?
Within Swedish football, Hammarby’s badge sits alongside crests from Stockholm rivals Djurgårdens IF and AIK, and other Allsvenskan sides like Malmö FF and IFK Göteborg.
Most Allsvenskan clubs use a shield or round crest. Hammarby’s flag-and-wreath format is unusual in that setting, and it leans on the club’s rowing past instead of football. Clubs like Celtic and Athletic Bilbao are other examples of badges tied to regional pride.
The image above shows the yellow-and-black and the green-and-white shirts side by side, which reflects the club’s kit history: the black and yellow came from the 1918 merger.
What Cultural Impact Has the Hammarby IF Logo Had?
The Hammarby badge is widely tattooed and one of the most recognizable in Sweden. It appears in street art around Södermalm, on stickers across Stockholm (you can even make stickers in Canva with a fan design) and on fan-made merchandise.
“Bajen” is the club’s best-known nickname, said to have been coined in 1946 as a mock-English pronunciation of “Hammarby” and the most used since the 1970s. The crest represents the wider Hammarby IF organization too, which includes other sports. It is a neighborhood symbol as much as a football badge.
How Does the Hammarby IF Logo Fit Into the Overall Brand Identity?
The crest sits at the center of a larger identity: the green-and-white colors, the “Bajen” nickname and a supporter culture. The club plays its home games at 3 Arena, formerly called Tele2 Arena, in Stockholm.
The kit carries the crest on the chest, the stadium signage repeats it, and the club’s digital channels use it as the main identifier. Large clubs like Hammarby typically follow brand guidelines, though Hammarby’s own are not public. Fans’ attachment is probably the strongest brand link of all. Good balance between the flag and the wreath helps the badge hold up at small sizes.
How Should the Hammarby IF Logo Be Used?
This is general advice, not club rules. The crest is a registered trademark of the club, so commercial use needs permission. Editorial use, such as news articles or fan commentary, is generally tolerated.
If you work with the crest, use vector graphics where possible, because a bitmap copy loses the thin outlines on the leaves when enlarged. Avoid stretching it, and for print make sure the file has a sensible DPI. Ask the club if you need official files.
FAQ on the Hammarby IF Logo
What does the Hammarby IF logo look like?
It is a green-and-white striped flag with the letters HIF in yellow, inside a golden laurel wreath open at the top. It is an emblem, not a shield.
Who designed the current Hammarby IF badge?
Börje Dorch (1929–2004), a Swedish draughtsman and journalist, drew the current badge. Swedish Wikipedia dates his work to the early 1970s.
What do the colors in the Hammarby IF logo mean?
Green was chosen in 1889 as the color of hope, after blue and red were taken by other Stockholm rowing clubs. White is the flag’s base, and the yellow is the laurel wreath.
When was the Hammarby IF logo first created?
The original flag dates to the club’s founding in 1889, when it was Hammarby Roddförening. The wreath was added in the 1920s.
What was the old Hammarby IF logo?
Before the wreath, the club used a plain white flag with three green stripes, and in the early 1900s also a shield with three green vertical stripes. The wreath was originally closed in a circle and opened at the top in the 1940s.
What font is used in the Hammarby IF logo?
None. The HIF letters are hand-drawn with a black outline, and no typeface has been named.
Why does the Hammarby IF logo have a laurel wreath?
A laurel wreath is a classic symbol of victory. It was added to the flag in the 1920s and gained an open top in the 1940s.
Why does Hammarby have black and yellow shirts?
After the 1918 merger with Johanneshovs IF, the club agreed to play in Johanneshov’s yellow-and-black stripes for at least 60 years. The home kit went back to white and green in 1978.
What does Bajen mean?
Bajen is a mock-English pronunciation of “Hammarby”, said to have been coined in 1946, and it has been the club’s most used nickname since the 1970s.
Can I use the Hammarby IF logo for my own project?
Not commercially without permission. The crest is protected as a trademark, and editorial and non-commercial use is generally treated differently.
Conclusion
The Hammarby IF logo ties a Stockholm football club to its rowing origins on Hammarby Sjö. The striped flag from 1889, the wreath from the 1920s and Börje Dorch’s early-1970s drawing combine into one of the most recognizable badges in Swedish football.
The green and white and the yellow wreath have outlasted a decades-long detour into black and yellow. For Bajen supporters, the crest is part of daily life, from scarves to tattoos.
Sources
- Swedish Wikipedia, Hammarby IF – https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammarby_IF
- Wikipedia, Hammarby IF – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammarby_IF
- Wikipedia, Börje Dorch – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%B6rje_Dorch
Renowned for his expertise in logo design and visual branding, Bogdan has developed a multitude of logos for various clients.
His skills extend to creating posters, vector illustrations, business cards, and brochures. Additionally, Bogdan's UI kits were featured on marketplaces like Visual Hierarchy and UI8.
He also wrote in the past years on sites like Design Your Way, WebDesignerDepot, WPDean, Designmodo, Speckyboy, Slider Revolution, and more.
- The Lovable Logo History, Colors, Font, And Meaning - 6 November 2026
- Headless WordPress: What Marketing Teams Gain and Lose - 6 November 2026
- PicCollage Logo: How Colour, Shape and Simplicity Express Creativity - 5 November 2026
Bogdan Sandu is a seasoned designer who has been designing websites since 2008. Renowned for his expertise in logo design and visual branding, Bogdan has developed a multitude of logos for various clients. His skills extend to creating posters, vector illustrations, business cards, and brochures. Additionally, Bogdan's UI kits were featured on marketplaces like Visual Hierarchy and UI8. He also wrote in the past years on sites like Design Your Way, WebDesignerDepot, WPDean, Designmodo, Speckyboy, Slider Revolution, and more.
You Might Also Like
