by Željko Heimer, 9 July 2005
Last modified: 2006-02-11 by dov gutterman
Keywords: croatia | anti-fascist fighters |
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A beautiful flag of 1886 could
be seen on the pages of the Croatian Graphic Music Society
"Sloga" (Hrvatsko graficko glazbeno društvo Sloga)
at <www.hggd-sloga.hr>.
The flag is, as the caption says, surely "one of the most
beautiful and most splendid of its time" and its place.
The flag is preserved today in the hall of the Society in
Brešcenskoga street 4, Zagreb, as I have noticed it
exhibitied a year ago or so when was on a concert
there.
Željko Heimer, 14 January 2006
I have received an answer from the webmaster of <www.hggd-sloga.hr> quoting a story about this flag. I translate it here as best as I could. The excerpt is from the book issued on the 130 anniversary of the society by Lucija Benyovsky [my comments in brackets].
"For it 10th anniversary the Society [Croatian Graphic Music Society "Sloga"] decided on its main annual assembly (on 15th March 1885) to acquire a new flag. They chose a committee for the acquisition comprising Ivan Justic, Dragutin Kafka, Dragutin Petrovic, Fran Opava, Gjuro, Majcen and Mirko Krsnik. The contributions for the new flag were also granted from such digniteries as prof. Ladislav Pejacevic, prof. Gustav Norman, Aladar pl. Jankovic, L. Milar and Miloš Zec. To gather the remaining funds a large public festival was prepared in Maksimir [a park in Zagreb] on 28 June 1885. The performers on the festival were also other cultural societies as "Kolo", "Hrvatski sokol", "Hrvatska lira" with its tamburiza choir and the workers' choir "Sloboda" (established in 1884 composed by manufacture workers from all political parties). It was festive occasions with many pavillions built, with firefighters' and military band playing sequentially. A large fireworks were prepared on the lake by a pyrotechnician Dittmayer. The flag was manufactured by Dragojla Lopašic (Source: Spomen knjiga 1870-1940, Zagreb, 1940. Stota obljetnica rodenja Dragojle Lopašic, uzorne Hrvatice, zaslužne uciteljice i spisateljice (1838-1925)), a teacher in a Higher Girl School in Karlovac after a design by prof. Fridrich. The flag was made of heavy white silk edged on both sides with a thin tricolour ribbon. On the obverse it was set the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Croatia and the Zvonimir's crown*] and the inscription around it "Hrvatsko typografsko pjevacko društvo Sloga" [Croatian Typographic Singers' Society Concordia]. On the revers was a harp and the society's motto: "Rad i pjesma nek nas vode, do prosvjete i slobode" [Work and song shell lead us to enlightenment and liberty]. The flag field was scarcely sown with stars. The coat of arms and the harp were surrounded with green wreaths. For the manufacture of the flag were used gold, silver and silk, and the work was very professionally and cunningly performed, so the flag could indeed be counted among the most exquisite artworks of that kind (Source: Spomen knjiga 1870- 1940, str. 161). The flag is preserved until present and is still kept in the halls of the Sociaty in the Typographers' House [Dom graficara], (Brešcenskoga 4), in a showcase specially made for it. Due to its old age and value the flag is not used any more. To the ceremony of the introduction of the flag was sponsored by prominnt lady Mrs. Franjica Albrecht (Source: Graficko pjevacko društvo "Sloga"; pola vijeka borbe.., "Graficka revija".). The consectarion ceremony was held on Sunday, 20th September 1885 and in the eve of that ceremony on Sathurday evening (on 19th September) the "sloga" prepared a serenade to the sponsor."
* As could be seen from the pictures, the Coat of Arms is that
of the Triune Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia-Dalmatia and the crown
is the standard heraldic royal crown. However, since the official
Coat of Arms at the time was supposed to have the Hungarian crown
of St. Steven, the use of the other type royal crown was meant by
"Zvonimir's crown.
Željko Heimer, 21 January 2006
by Željko Heimer, 9 July 2005
The League of Anti-fascist Fighters and Antifascists of the
Republic of Croatia (Savez antifašistickih boraca i
antifašista Republike Hrvatske, SABA H) is the veteran
organization of the fighters of the National Liberation Struggle,
i.e. of partisans fighting against fascists, nacists and their
collaborators in the World War II. Today the organization also
include the youth that preserves the antifascist ideals. The
organization is the successor of the Union of Associations of
Fighters from the National Liberatioin War of Croatia (Savez
udruga boraca narodnooslobodilackog rata Hrvatske) established in
1948, renamed to the League of Anti-fascist Fighters, SAB H in
1992 and slightly again in 1997, finally getting the current name
in 2002. The flag of SABA H is the Croatian tricolour with
the emblem of the organization in the middle. The emblem consists
of a five-pointed star composed of red rays and in the middle of
it a partisan three- pointed cap with a five-pointed star. Flag
ratio 1:2.
Adopted 16 April 1992.
Source: Statut SABA RH, 4. 11. 2004.
I contacted the organization, so I learned that in fact no flags
were made yet in the organization headquarters in Zagreb (due to
the cost), but some better standing subdivisions do use it (as I
reported several years ago, I believe, in Istria and in Rijeka).
The previous organization SUBNOR was using similarly made flags
and there are still several examples to be found preserved in
Zagreb. The flags are in ratio 3:5 (I estimated), Yugoslav
tricolours with the emblem in the middle - the emblem being a
rayed golden five-pointed star with a figure of man and woman
fighters (very much like the emblem of the Order of National
Hero). Around the emblem circulary trhough all three stipes is
inscribed name fo the organization, on one side of the flag in
Cyrillic and on the other in Latin script.
Željko Heimer, 9 July 2005
Here is photo of the
flag of the Society of the Criminologists of Croatia (Strukovna
udruga kriminalista), a professional society closely connected to
the Ministry of Interior. Image from <krim.mup.hr>.
Željko Heimer, 14 January 2006
