Last modified: 2002-09-21 by dov gutterman
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by Zeljko Heimer
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The city of Rijeka, the capital of Primorsko-goranska zupanija,
known otherwise after her Italian name Fiume, had rich history.
As it was a separate "crown-land" under Hungarian crown,
separated from Croatian background to serve as Hungarian port
city, it had its own "landesfarben" - three striped
flag based on the coat of arms. The colour order is quated
differently in several sources as blue over red over yellow and
red over yellow over blue. However, as we shall see further on,
it seems that the last variant was more popular, even if possibly
the first one may be more according to the letter of law.
The coat of arms were granted on 6-JUN-1659 by Croatian king and
Austrian emperor Leopold I. It considsted of red oval shield with
bicefalous eagle looking sinister standing on a clif holding a
vase pouring the watter around the clif. The coat of arms is
reference to Rijeka (litterary meaning "river") and the
short swift water-rich river Rjecina after which the city is
named.
In any case, after the World War I the city was proclaimed
independent Free City, soon occupied/liberated by D'Anunzio
troops and eventually incorporated in Italy in 1924. The free
city used her tricolour of red-yellow-blue with or without the
shield, and during D'Anunzio government some other flags are
noted,
It is possible that during the Italian rule the histroical
tricolour of RYB was reused, but I have no data on it. As
suggested by Jaume, during Italian rule the eagle in the CoA
"lost" one head. After the WW II Rijeka was
reincorportaed in Croatia within Yugoslavia. It is quite possible
that the civic flag was used with the fivepointed red star in the
middle, in the same design as in Yugoslav flag. For what is sure
is that the coat of arms that was used those days was "only"
the vase pouring watter, without eagle at all.
After the independence of Croatia in Rijeka was long debated
weather the double eagle (i.e. the old CoA) should be readopted
or not, and if yes, weather it shall be crowned and if the motto
would be included. The debate was also induced as a side matter
for other political strougle, and was not resolved of the same
reason. However, finally the city council made decision "Odluka
o grbu i zastavi Grada Rijeke", 26-MAR-1998, additionally
adjusted by "Odluka o izmjenama Odluke o grbu i zastavi
Grada Rijeke", 26-NOV-1998 (I believe that the text of the
decision that I have is "cleared" text of the first
decision with changes of the amendmends incorporated). That CoA
and flag were approved by the Ministry of Administrattion (Rjesenje
Ministarstva uprave, Kl UP/I-017-02/98-01/13 Urbr. 515-02-01/1-99-4,
15-JAN-1999).
The coat of arms is balzoned in the decision as (my translation):
In an oval shield Gules a doubleheaded eagle Sable both heads
looking to sinister with rised wings beaked and membered Or and
langued Gules standing with its dexter on a clif and its sinister
holding a vase proper from which is pouring water filling the
space around the clif.
The flag is blue with yellow bordered coat of arms in the middle.
Ratio 1:2.
My image of this flag is based on the coloured sheet sent to me
from the city administration, that is accompanying the Decision.
Zeljko Heimer , 24 March 2000
by Zeljko Heimer
I have had 4 hours waiting In Rijeka, so I used them to try to
find something about flags of P-G county and city of Rijeka. But,
alas. Yes, there is a huge flag of P-G county hoisted on the
building of the county seat (as far as i was able to see, and I
saw it quite good, the image above is good representation). I was
not able to buy the table version of that one - I was even looked
wierdly when I asked for flag of any kind in bookstores and
similar shops where one could expect to find such things. Maybe I
was not looking good enogh.
AFAIK, Rijeka still has not adopted the flag (and COA) due to
discrepancies of opinion of locally ruling colation and local
oposition that is ruling the country, wheater the COA should be
historical from Austia-Hungarian times (with double eagle and
latin
motto) or if some more modern versions should be adopted. It is
to be suspected that this issue is of less importance, but is
used as a probe for more important political issues, a situation
that is not unknown. Anyway, that is reason why there is no flag
of Rijeka to be seen. But, in one window of local library (or
something of the sort) there was a small table flag that was
obviously to represent Rijeka. It had some inscription painted on
it (greetings), but it was origanally made without it - simply
vertically hoisted flag horisontally divided red-yellow-blue,
with lower end finishing with three short rectangular tails. I
take this as a confirmation that the RYB flag is in unofficial
use.
Zeljko Heimer , 1 March 1999
ri-ri.gif)
by Zeljko Heimer
Today's offitial coat of arm of Rijeka, which is a
modification (stilisation) of ancient one from 1659.
Nenad Labus, 23 August 2002
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