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Kranj (Civic Municipality, Slovenia)

Municipal flag of Kranj, horizontal and vertical versions - Images by Željko Heimer, 30 August 2004

Municipal flag of Kranj
Coat of arms of Kranj
Short lived flag, 1990
Former coat of arms

See also:

Municipal flag of Kranj

Tracking the exact history of the flag and arms of Kranj (51,923 inhabitants) in the last three decades of the XXth century and onwards is far from an easy job. The Decisions are relatively numerous and hard to compile. The fact that the municipality still often uses incorrect representations of the arms and that the report in Banderas is also full of mistakes does not help much to the research. I have to thank Stanislav Jesenovec, of Jest d.o.o. from Kranj, who helped me entangling the story, providing me with the texts of the pre-1995 Decision from his archive. Mr. Jesenovec is a heraldry activist and the designer of the current flag of Kranj.

The flag and arms of Kranj are prescribed by Decision Odlok o spremembah in dopolnitvah odloka o simbolih občine Kranj, adopted on 19 December 1990 and published in the official Slovene gazette Uradni list Republike Slovenije, 2/1991.
Decision Odlok o simbolih Mestne občine Kranj (prečiščeno besedilo), adopted on 23 February 2000, and published in the official Slovene gazette Uradni list Republike Slovenije, 25/2000, includes no changes; it is only the consolidated text of the numerous earlier Decisions.

The flag of Kranj (51,923 inhabitants) is rectangular, in ratio 1:2, horizontally divided white-Bordeaux red.

Željko Heimer, 30 August 2004

Coat of arms of Kranj

Coat of arms of Kranj - Images by Željko Heimer, 30 August 2004
Left, correct version
Right, incorrect version still often used

The coat of arms of Kranj is prescribed by Decision Odlok o simbolih opčine Kranj, adopted on 26 September 1990, and published in the official Slovene gazette Uradni list Republike Slovenije, 38/1990, on 19 October 1990, with effect on 26 October 1990, and confirmed by Decision Grafična podoba grba opčine Kranj, adopted on 16 September 1991, and published in the official Slovene gazette Uradni list Republike Slovenije, 15/1991.

The coat of arms of Kranj is based on the coat of arms shown on the city seal dated 1530.
According to the 1991 Decision the colour specifications are: Cobalt-grey-black, Pantone 428 c ( a very light grey shade) for the shield while the eagle and border are cinober-red, Pantone 179 c.

However, the coat of arms is (still today) often printed with a light blue background, which is, nevertheless, erroneous. Otherwise, based on the good heraldic tradition, the coat of arms is printed also with the silver metallic background coloured with Pantone 877u.

Željko Heimer, 30 August 2004

Short lived flag, 1990

Former flag of Kranj - Image by Željko Heimer, 30 August 2004

A flag and arms are prescribed in Decision Odlok o simbolih obcčine Kranj, adopted on 26 September 1990, and published in the official Slovene gazette Uradni list Republike Slovenije, 38/1990, on 19 October 1990, with effect on 26 October 1990.
This flag was officially prescribed for less then a year and was replaced with the flag currently in use. It is therefore possible that the short lived flag was never introduced into real use.
The coat of arms remained unchanged until today.

The flag is light grey with the coat of arms in the middle. The shade of grey is the same as for the coat of arms (cobalt-grey-black), and defined as Pantone 428c.

Željko Heimer, 30 August 2004

Former coat of arms

Former coat of arms of Kranj - Image by Željko Heimer, 30 August 2004

The former coat of arms of Kranj is prescribed by Decision Odlok o grbu občine Kranj, adopted on 17 January 1979 and published in the regional official gazette Uradni vestnik Gorenjske, 1/79.

This coat of arms marks a break with the ancient heraldic tradition, according to the taste of the art of the time. It is a white shield with a blue fimbriated red carnation. In its center, the carnation includes a five-pointed red star with a blue border. In the chief of the shield is written KRANJ in blue. The colours of the coat of arms are the same as the Slovenian national tricolour, while the carnation is both the Slovenian national flower and the symbol of Socialist revolution. No municipal flag was adopted nor used to go with this coat of arms.

Željko Heimer, 30 August 2004