Last modified: 2001-10-13 by dov gutterman
Keywords: lika | senj | county | croatia | licko-senjska | zupanija | gospic | degenia |
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by Zeljko Heimer, 25 May 2000
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The County of Lika and Senj (Lic<ko-senjska z<upanija,
number IX. in the official listing) is situated in central and
coastal parts of Croatia, in background of Velebit mountain range
(Lika) and coast called Croatian litoral (as opposite to
Dalmatian coast further south). It is one of the less developed
counties, many parts being in high elevations with little
possibilities for intensive agriculture and with little developed
coast. It also include the northern part of the island of Pag.
However, the county include several national parks and nature
protected areas, most well known being Plitvice lakes and Velebit
mountians. Also, several imortant transit rutes are going through
it. Inner parts of the county were historically parts of Military
Border, the bulwark against Turks, when considerable number of
Serbs inhabited it. After the declaration of independence, the
Serb separatists proclaimed Republic of Serb Krayina in eastern
parts, and held it occupied until 1995 (as the beggining of
uprising are counted the incidents around Plitvice lakes). The
county capital Gospic - one of only few counties whose name dous
not contain the name of its capital
Zeljko Heimer, 21 June 1999 and 25 May 2000
Below , you can read about twoFormer Reorted
Flags of Lika-Senj county of Croatia The two designs are
reported by Mr. J. Ehrlich Zdvorak and me, and are basically the
same regarding the CoA (apart from "artistical
redention"), while the flags are different (also the shade
of blue). You can also read on some of mine assumptions regarding
the second (Ehrlich's) reported design. Anyway, I can now provide
the rest of the story, if not its end as yet.
Contacting the County officials, I was told that the flag and CoA
were adopted, but are not currently in use since the
"accordance with the new laws" is being made. That
would be the law "Zakon o izmjenama i dopunama Zakona o
lokalnoj upravi i samoupravi", Narodne novine 128/99" .
However, the flag was adopted in 1995 by the decision issued in
local official gazette:
"Odluka o grbu i zastavi Zupanije Licko-senjske",
22-DEC-1995, Zupanijski glasnik Zupanije Licko-senjske, no.
11/95, pp. 313-5".
The text of the Decision in the Gazette does not include an
image, so the image is still according to description from the
gazette and previously reported image of the coat of arms. The
header of the paper on which I received the answer from the
County also included the CoA (that is "not used"), and
that is again in the light blue shade, I decided to go for light
blue, even if the specified colour in the decision is only called
blue (on the other hand, the ceremonial flag, that I shall
mention latter on is specifically called as "dark
blue").
The elements, and their symbolic is already discussed below, so
just to repeat, the CoA is blue triangular shield with golden
flower of degenia. (so article 5 of the decision quoted above) .
The flag is white with blue strpes allong upper and lower edge,
and with the CoA bordered golden in the middle. Ratio 1:2.
(Article 8)
The Decision prescribes also a ceremonial flag in shape of
gonfalon (Article 9), dark blue with golden bordered coat of arms
in the middle, the name of the county inscribed above and
ornament of branches of olive, oak and vine trees in three
tongues at the lower edge. The olive, oak and vine in the
gonfalon are symbols of wellfare and fertility, of power and
wisdom, and of life and imortality respectivly.
The article 21 of the decision prescribes that it comes into
effect on eight day after issue in the official gazette, that
would be an undetermined date in 1995. Obviously, since the
Ministry of Administration refuzed to confirm that flag and CoA
(don't know what was reason behind it) they never came into wide
usage. However, since both Janko and me have seen that flag and
CoA in use (not to mention it use on the official writing paper
as told above), it was at least partially in de facto
use.
In March 2000 I was informed about "accordance efforts"
being made to the decision, and it may be that until it was
readopted.
I was unable to obtain the image of the ceremonial flag
described, and the description is surely not enough to provide
for an image. Possibly the real ceremonial flag was never made,
indeed (it would, also need redesign since today the official
name is "Licko- senjska zupanija" and not
"Zupanija Licko-senjska" as it was when the decision
was made).
Zeljko Heimer, 25 May 2000
gs.gif)
by Zeljko Heimer, 3 November 2000
by Zeljko Heimer, 21 June 1999
The coat of arms of county are: Azure, a degenia flower Or.The
flag is light blue filed with the coat of arms in the middle.
The flower of the spieces Degenia Velebitica is endemic of the
region, very delicate small yellow flower with four petails.of
the flower. The coat of arms is drawn according to the CoA found
on the road sign on the road entering the county, while the flag
is based on several sighting of the flag on TV coverages. I
believe that the flag, as presented here was not approved by
Ministry of Adminsitration (due to their rule, requiering county
flag fields to be of two colours).
According to some previous sighting, I'm inclined to believe that
the current CoA is simplification of the previous proposal
(probably induced on MA request) wich included the flower (only 4
petails) and the white circular lace-work (broidery?)
characteristic and famous from Pag island (this emblem could be
seen on www.licko.senjska.com - not availible at the moment).
It may be that the flag would be changed to fulfill the MA rules,
but inspite of that it is used, as confirmed in several spottings
on TV, by the county in official ceremonies at least from 1996.
It may be interesting to note that the political magazine
"Globus" issued in several of its numbers the CoA of
the county that consisted of the blue shield and yellow
4-petailed flower from the emblem mentioned above. This CoA was
issued in the list of counties (used in several public opinion
measurements by counties) among the CoAs of other counties that
were taken from my FAME pages (including all
errors and inacuracies that were there at the time). Since the
one was missing altogether, Globus journalists
"invented" one, but obviously based on some knowlage of
what was used. No need to tell that they refuzed to cooperate
with me on the project, nor they ever reacted on my objection on
using my graphics without quiting the
authorship. But, that is already another story...
Sources:
- photos of the road sign at highway entrance to the County near
Plitvice, taken 30-MAY-1999, in my collection.
- sightings of the flag on TV on several occasions
- http://www.licko-senjska.com
, official pages of the County of Lika and Senj, consulted
21-MAY-1997
- "Globus" nacionalni tjednik, br. 415, 20-NOV-1998,
Zagreb. pp 18-19.
Zeljko Heimer, 21 June 1999
by Janko Ehrlich Zdvorak, 21 June 1999
I think the last posted image of the Licko-Senjska Zupanija is
a wrong one. I saw recently this one.I saw this flag and arms on
TV-news covering their provincial assembly seat about three weeks
ago. Only evidence I have is that "Hrvatska danas"
(Croatia Today) news, where the flag and CoA were shown. I made
quick sketch then...
Janko Ehrlich Zdvorak, 21 June 1999
Of course, it is quite possible that recently the new design
was adopted - as indeed I assumed it would happen eventually -
since the design I posted is not quite according to the flag
regualtions - it has to have two coloured field - something that
is "rectified" on the design you posted now.I would
assume that the CoA is basically the same one, and what you have
is only another artistic redention (that would make third one!),
but I would not dare to gainsay without better confirmation then
I have now.Anyway, the pure blue field was seen by me on TV
coverage from some event in Licko-senjska county assembly around
6 mounth ago (more then enough time to adopt a new - proper
design).As I said, my info is from TV news several months ago...
I would hope that the new flag that Janko reported is adopted. I
have a (snail) mail prepaired and addressed to L-S county that I
hope to post tommorow. let's hope I'll get some anwser. Another
thought just crossed my mind while writing this - The flag of
Gospic, that I so on another TV news covering is just the same
BWB "Spanish" flag with Gospic CoA in it (see on my
pages a provisional image, since I do not have exact image of the
CoA). It might be possible that the two flags got confuzed. OTOH,
it may be me who confuzed it (remember that those coverages show
flags for just few seconds as a rule!). On the third [ :-) ] hand
it may equally imaginable be that the assembly found that the
same patterned flag is just fine
Zeljko Heimer , 22 June 1999
I have bought a book: Csa'ki, Imre: A magyar
kira'lysa'g va'rmegyéinek ci'merei a XVIII-XIX. sza'zadban,
Corvina, Budapest, 1995 , in which are shown (one big coat of
arms in each page!) all the coats of arms of the counties of the
Hungarian part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the XVIII. and
XIX. centuries.
The Hungarian "Lika-Krbava va'rmegye" had as coat of
arms a simple shield divided per fess: 1- divided per pal: a-
gules a swan (?) goose (?) argent crowned or with a medal or at
his neck; B- argent an eagle sable, armed and crowned or, tongued
gules; 2- chequered of 24 [6 x 4] gules and argent. This coat of
arms was adopted in 1873.
Pascal Vagnat, 28 June 1998
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