Last modified: 2001-08-11 by dov gutterman
Keywords: polaca | croatia | zadarska | dalmatia | ravni kotari | benkovac | kotar knin | tower |
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by Zeljko Heimer
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Flag of a small municipality in Croatia - as seen on a TV
reportage on the region (23-NOV-1999, HRT 1). Polača - a
municipality in hinterland of northern Dalmatia, behind coastal
city of Zadar, in region known as Ravni Kotari. It main place is
one of several places in Croatia bearing that name, and is
therefore often written as Polača (Benkovac), accoriding
to a bigger city some 10 km more from the coast. However, it is
the only community with this name. Polaca was right on the
frontline in the latest war (actually forming the border of
Republic of Srpska Krajina) and sufered much devastation. The
community is today part of Zadarska zupanija. When it was formed
in 1992 by the general adminsitrative reform the county was
called Zadarsko-kninska and at that time the Community of Polaca
was included in theory in Kotar Knin (semi-authonomous
subdivision created as possible compromise which Croatian Serbs,
but which never lived up due to the virtual occupation). With
1997 reform the two kotars were de jure abolished from Croatian
subdivision system, and the previous Zadarsko-kninska zupanija
was divided more naturally (and lost Knin region to Sibenska
zupanija).
The coat of arms is Or, Walls with a Tower embattled Azure.
Shield is of the clasical early heraldical "nordic"
shape . The walls are slanted on each side of the
massive tower, this probably refering to a remains of an ancient
fortification (against Turks?) in the area.
The flag is dark blue, with the coat of arms in the middle. Ratio
1:2. The CoA are about (and probably indeed) 1/2 of the flag
hoist wide.
From the same soure it has been noted that there is another flag
in use - one looking like a gonfanon, hoisted vertically from a
crossbar, three-tailed, blue, richly golden embroideried, which
coat of arms differing in that that the block formin the walls
were clearly visible (massoned). This is probably the coeremonial
flag of the community, and as such unique, while the official
flag (seen on many places and in several ocassions) is probably
the one already mentioned. Such doublettes are not unknown, nor
unusual in many places along the coast, and even further in the
hinterland (e.g. Karlovacka zupanija have them, too).
I would guess that the coat of arms and the flag were adopted
recently, certainly after 1997, and probably there were no
earlier flags and CoAs for Polaca recorded in history.
Zeljko Heimer, 27 November 1999
za-pc.gif)
by Zeljko Heimer
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