Last modified: 2006-06-09 by dov gutterman
Keywords: polaca | zadarska | dalmatia | ravni kotari | benkovac | kotar knin | tower |
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Flag of a small municipality in Croatia - as seen on a TV
reportage on the region (23 November 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), according
to a bigger city of Benkovac some 10
km more from the coast. However, it is the only community with
this name. Polača was right on the frontline in the latest war
(actually forming the border of Republic of
Srpska Krajina) and suffered much devastation. The community
is today part of Zadarska zupanija. When it was formed in 1992 by
the general administrative reform the county was called
Zadarsko-kninska and at that time the Community of Polača was
included in theory in Kotar Knin (semi-autonomous 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 classical early heraldic "Nordic"
shape . The walls are slanted on each side of the
massive tower, this probably referring 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 coat of arms are about (and probably indeed) 1/2 of the
flag hoist wide.
From the same source 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 embroidered, which
coat of arms differing in that that the block forming the walls
were clearly visible (masoned). This is probably the ceremonial
flag of the community, and as such unique, while the official
flag (seen on many places and in several occasions) 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 coats of arms for Polača recorded in history.
eljko Heimer, 27 November 1999