Last modified: 2002-11-30 by dov gutterman
Keywords: zagreb | agram | croatia | tower | star | crescent | castle | st. marco |
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by Zeljko Heimer, 13 November 2002
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I started to notice during this summer or maybe a moth or two
beofre that the flags infront of the civic office buildings
(there are quite a number of those in Zagreb) are being slowly
changed. The Previous old blue flags with
white silhueted CoA are by now all (or mostly) replaced with new
blue flag with the coat of arms in full colours.
On the official site of Zagreb at <www.zagreb.hr>
there are images of the CoA and the flag, and there is also link
to the full text of the current Statute, text including the 1999
Statute and amendments of 2001 (which I don't kown if include any
amendemns regarding the symbols): Statut Grada Zagreba,
Službeni glasnik Grada Zagreba 19/99 Statutarna odluka o
izmjenama i dopunama Statuta Grada Zagreba, Službeni glasnik
Grada Zagreba 19/01 Statut Grada Zagreba (procišceni tekst),
19. 12. 2001
The article 8 determines the design of the CoA and the flag:
"In blue field on a green hill a silver city with three
towers and opened golden doors, in chief dexter a golden
six-pointed star and in chief sinister a silver crescent. [...]
The flag in ratio 1:2 is blue with the coat of arms in the middle
bordered yellow."
Articles 9 and 10 determine the basic usage princilpes of the CoA
and the flag, and articles 14 and 15 calls for the decision of
the City Assembly about the details of the design layout and
construction details etc. The statutes are signed by the chairman
of the statutory commission, Dr. Dembitz.
I don't think that the 1999 Statutes actually introduced this
particular design, but for now this is the best I have.
I belive that Janko showed this flag few years ago, possibly
before 1999, but as I have noticed, it has been put in the public
use only in 2002. Probably due to financial reasons, the flags
were replaced only when the old ones (bought I believe in early
1990's, so dozen years old) became quite unsuitable for futher
hoisting.
Zeljko Heimer, 13 November 2002
![[Zagreb]](../images/h/hr-zg-ci.gif)
by Zeljko Heimer
by Zeljko Heimer
The flag is blue with white outlined coat of arms of Zagreb -
a castle on ground with three towers and opened doors followed by
a crescent and a star. The arms originated at circa 13th
century (they are on a stone capitell with a year 1269 (if I
recall correctly), held by a lion rampart.
On images used today it is mostly uncoloured, i.e. just the
outline like in the flag, but the colours used were blue
background, green ground, white castle, with red doors, white
crescent and golden star. Sometimes it was pictured with a red
background, as one can see on the roof of St. Marko's church in
the old town next to the Croatian Parliament (Sabor).
The flag is blue, that is traditionally the colour of Zagreb
(trams and buses are blue, phone boots also, etc.). The castle
with open doors represents that Zagreb was declared a royal free
market place, open to merchants and visitors, in 1292 by the
Croato-Hungarian king Bela IV which hid himself there from the
Tatars attacking from east over all his land up till Zagreb. The
crescent and star are ancient symbols used on the oldest coat of
arms of Croatia (see the first arms in the crown of Croatian
state's arms). The windows on the castle are of the type used for
shooting from them, symbolizing, that tough open, it is ready for
defence if necessary.
The flag is used in a few variations, without the determined
proportions, most often they are 1:2. It is much more often to
see it with the arms rotated 90 degrees, and hanged verically,
and sometimes there is no white outline of the shield of arms.
Zeljko Heimer, 18 March 1996
zg-zg.gif)
by Zeljko Heimer, 13 November 2002
Zagreb was recently divided into 17 districts. In fact the
division was legally made several years ago, but the districts
were never actually made. Only recently the first elections for
the districts were made and they are now in process of
establishing themselves. At this momnet there is no yet talk not
as far as I now any discussion among legislators either, about
possible symbols of those districts (nor even right of adopting
some is mentioned, I believe). However, I don't doubt that
eventuialy there shall be some symbols.
Since 1993 when the new administratrive subdivision of Croatia
was made zagreb was functioning as "unitary" city
without any subdivisions, but until that time the City of zagreb
was since some time in 1960's composed of 14 communities. In fact
the communities were the main "bearers" of the
governmnet and selfgovernment, and the city was an assembly of
those made for better functioning. Similar organization was made
in other larger cities in Yugoslavia, like in Croatia Split
(communities of Split, Solin and Kastela), in Slovenia Ljubljana
(5 communities, now disbanded) and Maribor (6 communities, some
disbanded some "independent" today), furthermore
Sarajevo consisted of 10 communities (I'm not sure about the
current stataus, some may be still valid), Beograd of 16 (I
believe all still funtioning), Novi Sad of 7 (also) and Skopje in
Macedonia of 5 to which I am not sure how are doing now. Well, in
any case, the communities that Zagreb was composed of were:
1. Centar
2. Crnomerec (Ernomerec)
3. Dubrava
4. Maksimir
5. Medvescak (Medveseak)
6. Novi Zagreb
7. Pescenica (Peseenica)
8. Samobor
9. Sesvete
10. Susedgrad
11. Tresnjevka (Tresnjevka)
12. Trnje
13. Velika Gorica
14. Zapresic (Zapresia)
(names in parethesis are proper spelling with Croatian letters
with hatcheks)
The communities of Samobor, Velika Gorica and Zapresic nowdays
are entirely separate cities (though the latter two were
incorporated, obviously "experimentally" in the
"unified" Zagreb between 1993 and 1995).
As fully quailified communities each of them had right to adopt a
CoA and a flag, but as far as I am aware, none of them adopted
any flag ever (until 1993, that is), and only few that I am aware
adopted CoA. I believe that only Dubrava, Susedgrad and
Tresnjevka adopted CoAs in late 1970's, though Samobor that
already had a historical CoA (same as used now) may have used it
officially or traditionally without some legal confirmation.
The three that adopted CoAs in 1970's adopted designs made by
Petar Cimbur, designer and journalist from zagreb, who designed
several other CoA of Yugoslav cities in 1970's and 80's. He had
issued a book on his heraldical expiriences. From what I remember
from the book, the CoA of Dubrava was white shield with blue 20
or so rectangles set in shape of a fivepointed star, reminding on
the modern blocks of flats and with a red star in the middle. The
CoA of Susedgrad was also white shield with blue representation
of the ruined tower of the medieval city of Susedgrad, possibly
with red star or lightning, I don't remember any more exactly.
Both had the name of the community inscribed in chief.
All communities used the flag of Zagreb (at that time with red
star in canton, also in several variations in the shape and
colouring of the shield, but that is wholly another question),
and if maybe some table flags were made with the community CoAs
on white background, where were purely ornamental and not flags
in any sence.
As these CoAs included strong ideological symbols of the time of
their adoption, it is not very porbable that they would serve as
basys for the adoption of the symbols of the new Zagreb
districts, even if some may share common name (territoy would
surely be smaller). However, these CoAs are examples of the best
heraldic design of the time (considering the artistic taste of
time, of course) and however we may look at such design nowdays.
Zeljko Heimer, 5 March 2001
zg-tr.gif)
by Zeljko Heimer, 5 March 2001
The CoA of Tresnjevka I remember very well this being the
community where I lived (and still live though there is no
community of than name any more). A lapel pin I preserved helps
my memory, too. The shield is white with blue cog wheel with
three towers from the CoA of Zagreb being incorporated as the
three topmost cogs and though it flying a red flag with golden
outlined fivepointed star, in the chief is the name of the
community (in black or blue?). The cog wheel represents the
industry that is (or was) very strong in the community, three
towers are clear connection with Zagreb. The red revolutionary
banner is reminder that Tresnjevka, as workers' suburb at the
time, the core of the revolutionary movement in Zagreb (it was
nicknamed "Red Tresnjevka").
Zeljko Heimer, 5 March 2001
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