by Zeljko Heimer, 9 June 2001
Last modified: 2003-08-21 by dov gutterman
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I was recently contacted from the staff of the Croatian
Historical Museum, informing me that they have put up their site
with lots of images of the items they are preserving. For those
who are not familiary with the exhibition on flags from their
collection that the Museum made in 1996, this is a great place to
start. The catalogue of that exhibition still remains the most
through book on Croatian flags. The Museum site is at <jagor.srce.hr>.
However, naigating through the site is not quite easy, so if you
are interested only in flags, go directly to the page considering
their flag collection <jagor.srce.hr/hpm/k0006003.htm>.
and for even more flags (those that are parts of other
collections), see: <agor.srce.hr/hpm/predmee.htm#flag>.
There is also many other interesting stuff of all kinds on the
site - heraldry, maps, uniforms, to name few that are flag
related .
Zeljko Heimer, 17 April 1999
Here are few explanations on the coronation flags used on the
Habsburg coronation ceremonies in the city of Bratislava (then
called Pozsony in Hungarian, Pozun in Croatian and maybe
something more). My main source is [bor96]
exhibition cataloge of the Croatian Hitorical Museum in Zagreb
that I shall exhensivly quote. There exisits [bor96a] the same book in English.
Translation is mine from the Croatian version. [My comments in
brackets.] This book deals with Croatian vex-history, so it is no
wander that the focus is much on the Croatian flags used on the
ceremonies.
Quoting from footnote 64 on page 42 (the main text here only
mentiones the coronation flags):
" The Ceremonies of crowning the Habsburgs for the
Hungarian-Croatian kings was held in Pozun [Bratislava]. For such
occasions were being made flags of the kingdoms, prinicipalities
and adjoined lands, and so the flags of the Croatian Kingdoms
[i.e. Croatia, Slavonia, Dalmatia] that would in a symbolical way
highlight their sovereignity. Those [flags] were in the shape of
the cavalry two-tailed flags and adorned with painted coat of
arms of the kingdom and the date of the corronation. Flag HPM/PMH
inv. nr. 11751 [this is reference to such flag in inventory of
the Museum, so latter on]. See more in Stefan Holcik:
"Krunovacne Slavnosti Bratislava 1563 -1830",
1986."
The page 61 of the catalogue conatins a bit longer article on the
subject :
"Corronation flags of the Kingdoms - Even if we have in our
collection only two flags of that type - flag of the Kingdom of
Croatia (inv. nr. 11752) and flag of the Kingdom of Slavonia
(inv. nr. 37100) made in 19th century, they are important source
because in a symbolic way they illustrate the place and position
of the Croatian Kingdom within the Habsburg crownlands. The flags
are made with praticular goal - for the corronation ceremonial
for Habsburgs for the Croatian and Hungarian kings. In that
occasion they symbolize the Triunar Kingdom of Croatian, Slavonia
and Dalmatia. The Croatian "bans" [viceroys, palatins]
and the most important members of the Croatian nobility
participate in the corronation ceremony. On the coronation of
Maximilian (1564-1576) for the Croatian and Hungarian king on 8
September 1563 in Pozun (today Bratislava) participated ban
Nikola IV. Zrinski with his sons Juraj and Krsto accompanied with
168 riders. On the occasion Nikola Zrinski carryed the royal orb,
while the other noblemen carryed the flags of Kingdoms; Ladislav
Bánffy carryed the flag o Kingdom of Croatia and Nikola Báthory
that of Kingdom of Dalmatia.
Footnote: Stefan Holeik: "Krunovaeke slavnosti Bratislava
1563 - 1830", Bratislava 1986. The same author notes that
Matija Keglevia carryed the flag of Bulgaria, as the tradition
says that Keglevia family comes from that country. [As you might
have guessed, Zrinski, Bánffy, Báthory and Keglevia are
Croatian-Hungarian noble families. The same about Frankopan and
Erdedi mentioned latter on.]
For the corronation of Ferdinand II on 1 July 1618 it was ban
Nikola Frankopan that carryed the royal scepter, and count Krsto
Erdedi (Erdödy) carryed the flag ofthe Kingdom of Slavonia. The
illustrations of the corronation in Pozun (Holcik, p. 18) are
preserved in form of graphic prints. So, on a contemporary print
showing the corronation of Leopold I on 26 June 1655 are pictured
dignitaries with flags of the Kingdom of Croatia and the Kingdom
of Dalmatia. (Holcik, p. 100).
The corronation flag of the Kingdoms are made according a
determined principle; they are in shape of cavalry flag (so
called swallow tail) just as are the "ban" instalation
flags [those are covered earlier in the catalogue, the same shape
as cavalry swallow-tailed guidons, as we would maybe classify
their shape] and have painted on them heraldical device and
inscription. On the obverse it is the name of the ruler being
corronated and the date, while on the reverse it is the coat of
arms and the name of the Kingdom. The flag field is bordered with
fringe and along the edges it is ornamented with painted
vegtablile border. (Holcik, p. 49)"
The mentioned print of Leopold I corronation is shown from the
collection of the museum, but differing in one detail from the
image shown on <www.sulinet.hu>
- it is not coloured! When analyzing this image we should
therefore have in mind that it was coloured afterwards and
prossibly by someone who was not rpesent on the ceremony and the
colours therefore are assumed. In particular, it may be noted
that the flag filed of the Croatian flag (third from
"top") is chequy while all others are multistriped in
various directions. It wouldbe interesting to identify each of
the flags .But, to get back to the catalogue, on page 91 are
given catalogical entries for the two flags:
"1. Corronation flag of the Kingdom of Croatia, 1830. yellow
silk damast, pozamantery fringe, painting size 131 x 200 cm,
staff 290 cm Swallow-tailed flag with painted coat of arms,
inscription and vegetabile ornamentation. Obverse: on the flag
field horizontal inscription in Latin: "FERDINANDUS V. / IN
/ REGEM HUNGARIAE / CORONATUS POSONII / DIE ... SEPT. /
1830." Reverse: in the middle of the flag field a crowned
coat of arms of Croatia and above it inscription
"CROATIAE". The flag is made for the corronation
ceremony of Ferdinand V in Pozun. The staff is painted spirally
red white green, and the finial is not preserved. HPM/PMH 11752.
[see: Flag of the Croatian Kingdom 1830].
2. Corronation flag of the Kingdom of Slavonia, 1867. silk
damast, pozamantery, painting size 80 x 120 cm. - Cavalry flag on
both sides ornamented in golden paint. Obverse: in the middle of
the flag field a crowned coat of arms of Slavonia and above it
inscription "SLAVONIAE". Border ornamented. Reverse:
"FRANCISCVS JOSEPHVS I. / IN REGEM HVNGARIAE CORONATVS /
BUDAE PESTINI / DIE VIII. IVNII. / MDCCCLXVII." HPM/PMH
32446. The delegation of the Croatian palrilament was not present
on the corronation in [Buda]Pest in 1867."
The flag with number HPM/PMH 11752 was published on a phone card
issued by Croatian telecom.
Zeljko Heimer, 9 June 2001
by Zeljko Heimer, 9 June 2001
This is, so called corronation flag of the Kingdom of Croatia,
used in occasion of corronation of the Austrian emperor Ferdinand
V for Croato-Hungarian king in Bratislava 28-SEP-1830. Such flags
were used on corronations representing each of the realms. The
high representatives of the realms would carry such flags
together with other regalia.
Zeljko Heimer, 16 March 2000
Coronation flag from 1830 coronation of Ferdinand V (know as
Ferdinand I of Austria). Also there is a a scan from the phone card
showing the same flag. The damasqued silk used for the flag field
look the flag even more rich then it looks on my image. I believe
that by changing the shield of the CoA and the inscription above
it would yeald all the flags present at the ceremony. Now we only
have to get the list of countries that were represented. From the
Hungarian site that incited this discussion we learn that there
were flags of Hungary, Kumania and Bulgaria. If I am counting
rightly, there seems to be 10 flags shown on verious images shown
on that site. Unfortunately, the scans are too small to identify
details.
Zeljko Heimer, 9 June 2001
Before 1848, when tricolours were introduced, the main flags
representing Croatia were the inaugurational flags of bans. Since
originally ban was a military commander of Croatian kingdom, the
flags were cavalry guidons as used at the time - red and swallow
tailed. The image on a phone card shows a detail from the center
of the flag reverse. The obverse had Vlasic family CoA in this
place. The flag is semee of "tulips" which are also
visible on the card. Ban Vlasic was inaugurated in 1832, and this
must be the inaugutrational flag. The museum cataloge clearly
date it 1832, and it is unknown why the card call it "first
half of 19th century" (that is what "prva Polovica
XIX" means).
Zeljko Heimer , 16 March 2000
It is a flag from the time of the Croatian national rebirth.
It is a square flag. On obvers there is the "Illirian"
CoA Gules, a crscent and mullet Argent, while on reverse the Coat
of Arms is Croatian chequy 4x5 Gules and Argent. It is unclear
what was the flag's purpose (maybe decorative)
Zeljko Heimer, 16 March 2000
