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Flags of the World

Page created: 1st October 2000 Last updated: 14th October 2017
The FAME is a site devoted to the systematic and scientific study of flags and coats of arms. Such symbols often bear strong political and other messages. Inclusion of those symbols here does not mean that the author supports or approves of the ideas they may stand for.	This site is harvested for the NSK digital archives.

Map of the Vukovar and Srijem County.

Vukovar and Srijem County - Cities

Vukovarsko-srijemska županija - gradovi

1. Vukovar
   • Vukovar, 1993 – 1995
2. Ilok
   • Ilok, 1993 – 2000
3. Otok
4. Vinkovci
   • Vinkovci, ca. 1950 – 1990
   • Vinkovci, 1923 – 1945
5. Županja

Since 1993 the Croatian legislation allows the units of local self-government (counties, cities and communities) to have their coat of arms and flag, however these may be legally used only after they are approved by a central state authority. The a flag of a city or community should be of a one colour field with the coat of arms in the centre or offset towards hoist. Some exceptions from this rule are tolerated for the cities with traditional flag established before these rules were made. The coat of arms must follow also a set of rules to be approved. Some cities and communities use unapproved designs nevertheless. See more on the approval dates. Prior to 1993 the coats of arms and flag were not regulated by state legislation.
The official bazon (heraldic descripton) of the coats of arms and descriptions of the flags are according to the approval text of the central state authority, other description according to other city documents.
Until 1997 the temporarily seat of administration of the County was in Vinkovci. In 2006 the community of Otok was granted city status.

• Vukovar and Srijem County
• Croatia - Counties
• Croatia

Vukovar

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The coat of arms of Vukovar is modernized version of the historical one: gules between two towers connected with an arch all argent a maiden standing afrontant holding an inescutcheon azure a lion rampant holding the shoulder a flag all or. Symbols with an "oriental man" (a Turk) holding the inescutcheon were used in the seals of 18th century. Afterwards the figure was replaced with a maiden, or, as some claim, an angel, however, there is no original written explanation of the symbolism, so the intention remained unclear. In this form the coat of arms was established in 1871, when the Old and New Vukovar were jointed into a single city, that was symbolised with two linked towers. It is said that the lion represent the resistance and endurance.
The flag is triband of light blue - white - light blue with the coat of arms set in the centre of it, partially entering the blue stripes. This basic design of the flag is described already in the first temporary city statutes of 1993. The green dress the maiden is wearing, that is still mentioned in the descriptions, is since the 1995 design not actually visible any more (just as the white shoes as well).

Vukovar, 1993 – 1995

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The description of the coat of arms of Vukovar in the 1993 decision determined slightly different depiction: the shield is there prescribed in very high ratio of 4:7 again with the arc in the lower 3/4 of the shield. In the base of the shield at 4/5 of the height is a green horizontal stripe 1/17 of the height high atop which are set two silver towers linked with a masoned arch between which is standing a blonde haired maiden clead in a green dress holding in front of her a blue shield with a golden lion (it is not mentioned that the lion is rampant and that it holds a flag, but seems implied). It is prescribed that the name of the city may be inscribed in the shield along the bottom arch, and if so, it should be in silver Roman capitals. The shield should be bordered with silver. However, the depictions used several variations of shield shape and artistic designs, including versions with red inescutcheon and lion rampant turned both dexter and sinister. The flag was prescribed as the current one, with determinations that 1/6 of the shield enters each blue stripes. Both horizontal and vertical (with arms rotated) versions were in actual use, while also monocoloured flags of light blue with the coat of arms were occasionally used as well.

Ilok

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The coat of arms of Ilok is azure on a base vert a tower argent with closed doors or between two lions rampant of the last and in chief two escutcheon argent. It originates from the Middle Ages, and it is illustrated on a copy of the Ilok statutes of 1525 made by the famous artist Julije Klović (Giulio Clovio). His drawing was adopted as the official coat of arms in 1993, but was replaced in 2000 with a modernized version according to the state regulations.
Another coat of arms, not used any more, was granted to Ilok in 1836: gules on a base vert a paschal lamb passant argent holding a flag also argent with a cross Latin couped gules (Laszowski states that this coat of arms is based on a 1855 seal).
The flag, adopted only in 2000 with the modernized version of the coat of arms, is red with the yellow bordered coat of arms in the centre of it. The 1999 Statutes and the 2000 decisions prescribe also the ceremonial flag with the historical version of the arms of 1525. The actual flags recorded in use have Bordeaux red field and in some the coat of arms is witout the yellow border. Such flags are also used in vertical format as table flags.

Ilok, 1993 – 2000

The 1993 the coat of arms in its 1525 historical design by Julije Klović was adopted and in 1999 it was prescribed as the historical coat of arms, to be included in the ceremonial flag.

Otok

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The coat of arms of Otok is or on a base vert a 'Suvara' millhouse proper. This type of mill is driven by horse power and the oldest preserved in Otok are from early 19th century. The flag is yellow with white bordered coat of arms in the middle.
Prior to the adoption of these symbols, the place (then a subdivision of the Community of Vinkovci) run a competition for its coat of arms already in 1975, when the "Suvara" is mentioned as preffered element of design. It is not recorded if the symbols were adopted at the time.
The table flag is a vertical triangularly ending yellow flag bordered green with the coat of arms in the centre, the oak branches beneath and the city name inscribed golden in an arch and a line above.

In 2006 Otok was given city status. Beside this Otok by Vinkovci, there is also Community of Otok near Sinj in the Split-Dalmatia County.

Vinkovci

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The coat of arms of Vinkovci is adopted on 22 September 1922, after Vinkovci were given a city status in 1920. It was drawn by the painter Mirko Rački following suggestions by Ivan Bojničić after the idea of Mate Medvedović, city councillor and founder of the civic museum. The symbolic of the coat of arms is official explained like this - the mural crown reminds to the Roman city of Cibaliae, upon which Vinkovci was built; three bunches of grapes in the colours of the Croatian tricolour in golden field and three corn ears in the red one represent the wealth of the region; in the base blue field there is a stone table - the symbol of the part that Vinkovci had in the national movement of 1848; three silver storks are for the wealthy marshy area. The silver bars stand for the river of Bosut with its tributary Ervenica (or Nevkoš, according to another tradition).
The coat of arms was readopted already with the transitional statutes of 1993, while the flag was adopted a few months afterwards. The flag consists of a field of white and golden-yellow lozenges and with the coat of arms of the city in the middle. The official flag have the lozenges in lower edge continue into tails, while the more common version in use is rectangular.

Between 1993 and 1997 Vinkovci was temporarily seat of the County.

Vinkovci, ca. 1950 – 1990

Flag unknown.

The coat of arms adopted in 1922 is reportedly in continuos use in the city ever since - although it was really discontinued in use since 1945. It is mentioned again in the 1967 Statutes, without any hint of changes in the design. In 1974 the red five-pointed star is added (but the inscription fo teh city name is not mentioned). The original design was reintroduced in 1990, formally only in 1993.

Vinkovci, 1923 – 1945

After the city adopted its arms on 22 September 1922 it was submitted to King Alexander for approval. It was granted on 26 January 1923 and the grant was issued in the official gazette Narodne novine nr. 49 of 28 February 1923.

Županja

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The coat of arms of Županja is per fess embowed by a triple wattle or the chief per pale, chequy of nine goles and argent a church argent roofed or, argent a leavf bendwise sinistere per bend sinistre or and vert between two stumps per pale or and argent and in the base azure a plough or and issuant from the base a costume ornament argent embroideredor, toped with a ribbon azure inscribed ŽUPANJA argent. It is the Church of St. John the Baptist Martyrdom, built in 1800 at the ocation o fthe old wooden parish church of Županja. The stumps represent the clearings made in the woods when the city was formed, and are also canting since its is considered that the name of the city originates from "župa" (parish) and "panje" (stumps), the oak leaf represents the rich oak woods of the region. The light blue of the base and the white are the traditional colours of the national costume of the region, and the base ornament is from ceremonial costume embroideried with golden threads.
The flag is white and light-blue bicolour vertically hoisted with the coat of arms set slightly towards the top. When occasionally it is used horizntally, the blue is set at the top. The colours of the flag again represent the traditional costumes.

* Note: the official blazon in the Ministry approval was simply copied from city decisions; the approval was granted prior to the establishment of the Coats of Arms and Flags Approval Commission, and unlike the subsequent approvals, it does not contain the heraldic blazon written by an expert.

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Flags of the World