Last modified: 2002-07-05 by dov gutterman
Keywords: osijek | baranja | osjecko-baranjska | zupanija | croatia | tower | bridge | marten | star | six-pointed | anchor | cross | baranya |
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![[Flag of Osijek-Baranja]](../images/h/hr-osbar.gif)
by Zeljko Heimer, 12 August 2000
See also:
Municipalities:
Osjecko-baranjska zupanija - in north-eastern part of
Croatia, capital Osijek, and includes a wide region around it,
together with Baranja, the part of Croatia north of Drava river.
The flag is white with two blue bars (a bar gemmata?) with the
golden bordered CoA in the middle: trierced per fess: azure, on
argent bar a tower on a bridge, in chief over an argent bar
trierced per pale: gules a cross or, gules a mullet or, gules an
anchor or; in base gules a marten passant proper.
The tower on the bridge is taken from the arms of the city of
Osijek, the seat of administration of the County. Running marten
is the symbol of Slavonia, Osijek baing its main city, and the
anchor is surely refering to rivers Drava and Danube that are
navigable throughout the County.
I don't know the references of the cross and star, unles they are
general christian symbol and star from Slavonian CoA (this last
is quite possible). One would suspect that there should be some
reference to Baranja (or Baranya, if you like) in the arms, but I
don't know if there are any.
The flag is in use for a (relatively) long time, and it is
probably one of the oldest modern county flags of Croatia
(adopted 1994?). The flags seems to be used without the arms too
(and indeed that was the reason why I posted it without the coat
of arms previously), but I don't know the status of such flag.
Possibly it is a kind of civil flag, or rather a flag to be used
in lass "solemn" occasions.
Zeljko Heimer, 17 October 1997
Recently I found the new site of the Osijek-Baranja County
containing an exhaustive report on the flag and CoA and also the
texts of the legal decisions.
I improved the image of the flag a bit, based on the CoA image
there. The width of the stripes remains undefined (legal
prescriptions nor the presentation does not mention that, the
image there seems to be, to put it mildly, based on my image at
FAME [or pssibly from Janko Ehrlich's site, that is also based
partially on my image, IIRC]). So, the only improvement are some
details in the CoA, most obvious being the colour of the
"silver" elements. They seems to remain silver on the
flag too (though the belly of the marten in base is white, but
also such on the CoA).
The important pages of the sute are:
http://www.osjecko-baranjska-zupanija.hr
- homepage
http://www.osjecko-baranjska-zupanija.hr/hr/web/1.htm
- County Statute (that defines the flag) - Croatian only
http://www.osjecko-baranjska-zupanija.hr/hr/web/10.htm
- Decision on flag usage - Croatian only
http://www.osjecko-baranjska-zupanija.hr/eng/opcipodaci1.htm
- Presentation of the Flag and CoA as follows:
"The Osijek-Baranja County has a coat of arms and a flag
of its own. They have been stipulated in the Statute promulgated
by the County Assembly on April 15, 1994. Pursuant to the
regulations, the Ministry of Administration of the Republic of
Croatia authorized them in its Decision of July 7, 1995.
Flag of the Osijek-Baranja County
The Statute of the Osijek-Baranja County stipulates the
following: "The County flag shall be tinctured argent and
azure. On the field argent, two bars azure shall be charged
longitudinally. The County coat of arms shall be placed as an
inescutcheon vertically with regard to its width, entering into
both bars azure. The flag width and length shall be at a ratio of
1:2." In the Resolution on Approbation of the Osijek-Baranja
County Flag and Coat of Arms, the flag is blazoned in the
following manner: "a flag at a ratio of 1:2 with two
alternate bars argent and azure placed horizontally and divided
by a narrow bar argent, having the County coat of arms as an
inescutcheon."
The flag of the Osijek-Baranja County does not have a historical
vexillological paragon of its own. Therefore, the symbolism of
two parallel bars azure should be searched for already in the
Drava and the Danube River deltas emblazoned on the coat of
arms."
The legal texts on the site are "editorial updated
text" of several legal acts, so they do not include
prescriptions regarding the date of effectivness of the acts, nor
their earlier readings. Therefore they do not allow exact dating
nor following of the development of the flag and the coat of arms
design.
From the presentation, the flag and CoA were adopted on 15 April
1994, and approved by the Ministry of Administration on 7th July
1995.
I believe that an earlier temporary county statute might have had
some additional legal prescriptions rgarding teh flag and CoA.The
"Zupanijski glasnik" (County official gazette) of 2/90,
1/93, 2/94 are mentioned regarding this. ( How did they have
county statute in 1990, when the county is established in 1993
only!?)
Zeljko Heimer, 12 August 2000
os.gif)
by Zeljko Heimer, 12 August 2000
From http://www.osjecko-baranjska-zupanija.hr/eng/opcipodaci1.htm :
Coat of Arms of the Osijek-Baranja County
The County Statute stipulates and blazons the County coat of
arms: "The County coat of arms shall assume the form of an
oval shield, heart-shaped in base, whose height with regard to
its width shall be at a ratio of 3:2. On the escutcheon gules,
between two bars argent (rivers), on the fess azure there shall
be a bridge of three arches conjoined to a tower embattled, all
argent. In the dexter chief, there shall be a cross, in the
center chief a mullet of six points, and in the sinister chief an
anchor, all or. In the center base, a weasel courant or shall be
charged. The escutcheon fimbriation shall be or."
When opting for the symbols comprising the elements of the coat
of arms, the County and other expert bodies taking part in
decision making were guided by the cognition that the identity of
the territory of the Osijek-Baranja County has to be represented
by the symbols that have made it recognizable both in historical
memories and in modern reality. They have opted for a historical
and heraldic tradition that refers to the deduction about a
millennial presence of Croatian man in this region (the weasel),
about his European affiliation (the bridge as a junction of
European traffic routes), but that also speaks of natural
conditions for that presence (permanent urban settlements on
traffic routes--the bridge and the tower) as well as of the
functions this region performs in state organization
(defense--the tower). Therefrom, the bearings on the coat of arms
shape physical and historical characteristics of the territory of
the County that make it recognizable.
In addition to the basic meanings of the symbols incorporated,
heraldic rules enable their closer explanation. The
Osijek-Baranja County is in the center of the escutcheon between
the Danube and the Drava Rivers (the conjoined bridge, standing
for Osijek, and the stylized tower, standing for Baranja, speak
of the unity of the County), leaning on Croatia and Slavonia, a
part whereof it is (the weasel). The County is surmounted by
spiritual values, the faith (cross) and the hope (anchor), that
support the battle for independence (the star of Mars). In
accordance with a stemmatographic explanation, the or escutcheon,
American star, cross, anchor and weasel fimbriation, especially a
dexter position of the last that potentiates positive
characteristics of the charge, designates a prosperous period of
Slavonia and Baranja and of the County, the argent tincture of
the main charge (the towered bridge) designates an honest heart,
purity, and fidelity, the gules tincture of the escutcheon
designates power and intrepidity of the State, while the azure
designates the prudence, glory, and excellent reputation of the
County. In this blazonry, a historical and heraldic basis is
provided by the following:
The bridge:
Bridges have always connected people, being the symbols of
communication and integration. They surmount the rivers as well
as the obstacles between people. Many settlements, likewise those
in the Osijek-Baranja County, were established at fords.
Particularly emphasized is the significance of the Drava River
crossing near Osijek and passableness of its hinterland in
broader spatial relations. The crossings were favorable to the
development of overland routes, especially to the great
transversal one leading from the Central Danube Basin to the
European south. In a narrower sense, the bridge connects into an
entirety two parts of the Osijek-Baranja County (Baranja with
Slavonia). Exactly for this reason, bridges have surmounted the
Drava in this region in all periods of history, from the Roman
Era, via the world-famous Suleiman's bridge (burnt by Nikola
?ubi? Zrinjski), to the present one, which perished in the winds
of war but was reconstructed larger and more beautiful than ever.
The bridge is also an inseparable part of the heraldic heritage
of this region, being a component of the achievement of the City
of Osijek that has made the city recognizable. Thus, in a
design-related perspective, this symbol has a historical backing
of its own in the historical coat of arms of the City of Osijek
as the seat of the present Osijek-Baranja County, which
incorporates the name of the city in its proper name. In this
region, the bridge has become an emblem of historical and modern
European traffic routes that connect the north of Europe with its
south, simultaneously connoting the European affiliation of the
region as well. The symbolism of the bridge is completed by its
integrative importance for the Slavonian and for the Baranja
portion of the County.
The tower:
The history of this region is marked by an early colonization and
establishment of urban settlements. Fortified burgs, citadels,
and castles of prestigious nobility decorated its landscapes for
a long time. Additionally, its history implies its defensive
function as a border region of mutually successive states, from
the invasion of barbaric tribes at the Roman limes, Turkish
inroads at the time of expulsion of the Ottoman Empire (and the
time of the Military Frontier), up to nowadays, ascribing thereto
a connotation of a bulwark for defense of independence and
sovereignty of the Croatian state. The tower is also a part of
the heraldic heritage of the region as a component of the old
Hungarian Baranya County coat of arms (dating back to 1694) and
that of the City of Osijek (late in the 17th c.),
whose important strategic position was defended by fortifications
in all periods. Within the coat of arms, the tower is a symbol of
urbanity (of a fortified town) as well as a symbol of defensive
function (fortification). In a design-related perspective, the
tower on the Osijek-Baranja County coat of arms has a historical
backing of its own in the Baranya County achievement. Namely,
observing historically, the Baranja region encompassed by the
present Osijek-Baranja County was united with the Ugric Kingdom's
Baranya County up to 1918. Therefore, the Osijek-Baranja County
coat of arms has also incorporated the heraldic heritage of that
region, whose name comprises a component of the present County's
appellation.
The rivers:
From prehistoric times, rivers have been people's natural
habitats and places of establishment of their settlements. This
natural meaning of rivers has been specially pronounced in the
Osijek-Baranja County. Important fluvial waterway arteries are
connected with the Danube by means of the confluence of the
Drava, thus setting up its natural framework but also its
circulatory system. A fluvial hub, one of the most important ones
located in the large Danubian navigation system, is situated in
this territory, being comprised of the navigable Drava and Danube
Rivers as dominant elements of a geographic basis of the northern
part of Eastern Croatian plains. Geographically, rivers model
landscapes, so they are frequent parts of heraldic achievements.
The Sava and the Drava Rivers have framed Slavonia, thus becoming
constituent parts of Slavonian coat of arms, and the Drava is a
part of the historical coat of arms of the City of Osijek. Since
the Drava and the Danube shape this area and make it naturally
recognizable in a geographic sense, they are too an inseparable
part of identity hallmark of the Osijek-Baranja County.
The weasel:
In accordance with the studies of Croatia's armorial history
presented so far, the weasel-bearing escutcheon is the oldest
known Croatian coat of arms, used by Croatian rulers. This
characteristic of a national token of the Croatian state has been
confirmed also in a series of historical events up to the new
appellation of the legal tender of the Republic of Croatia, so
that it is presently again a symbol of Croatian statehood. The
weasel is a charge on the historical coat of arms of Slavonia,
whereto the territory of the Osijek-Baranja County belongs as
well. Thus, it constructed a backbone for the achievement of the
Virovitica County, seated in Osijek since the 18 c. This patent
of arms was issued to the County at the moment of Slavonia's
annexation to the territory under the rule of Croatian viceroys
(the Banat of Croatia). The importance of the weasel as a
Croatian national symbol and its special connotation as a
Slavonian emblem make this bearing an inseparable part of
County's blazon.
The cross:
The cross is a heraldic symbol of faith. Up to the present time,
the Christian faith has had a paramount importance for the
formation and preservation of the public-law territory wherein
the County extends today. Additionally, the city of ?akovo, as a
part of today's Osijek-Baranja County, is the seat of the Bosnian
bishop since the 13th c., and thence of the ?akovo-Sirmium
Diocese as well. The faith has been a mainstay, consolidation,
and impetus to survival even in hard times. Consequently, the
cross on the County's coat of arms symbolizes exactly that faith
and affiliation with the Christian civilization.
The anchor:
The anchor is traditionally a heraldic symbol of loyalty,
fidelity, and hope. On the escutcheon of the Osijek-Baranja
County, it has an additional meaning--a determination to stay
(and return) in the territory that represents the roots to its
population. The anchor on the County coat of arms has its
historical backing in the blazon of the Virovitica County.
The mullet:
The six-point star of Mars is an essential part of Slavonia's
coat of arms since 1496, when it was confirmed in a charter
granted by King Wladyslav II Jagiello. In his work Stemmatographia,
Pavao Ritter Vitezovi? explained (in 1701) its significance as a
symbol of the region that "has received an award of eternal
glory through an uninterrupted warfare." On the County coat
of arms, the mullet retains the same meaning-it is a symbol of a
centennial struggle for survival and independence.
Zeljko Heimer, 12 August 2000
Geographically, it goes for the same traditional region, which
was afterr WW I divided between Croatia (soon to merge into
Yugoslavian Kingdom) and Hungary. Baranya is
Hungarian spelling , while Baranja is Croatian spelling. There
are actually counties in both countries using that name - Baranya Megye in HU, and Osjecko-baranjska
zupanija in HR (to use their local names).
Zeljko Heimer 22 September 1999
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