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Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina - Proposals

Federacija Bosna i Hercegovina

Proposals for the Flag

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Bosnia and Herzegovina

Proposals for the Flag

There was on TV last night that there is a competition going on for the new flag of Federation in Bosnia. I haven't seen it, but I was told that it is probably going to be a combination of Croatian checkered gules-argent, and Muslim fleur-de-lys or.
The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has been created by the so called Washington agreement (if I remember right some time a year ago) among Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats, consisting of territories held by both Croatian Defence Council (HVO) and Sarajevo government troops (Armija BiH). As is the situation on the field now it is approximately 50% of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Federation is supposed to be one of the two entities in Bosnia according to the plan of Holbrook's shuttle diplomacy (the other would be Republic of Srpska). What would be of it, we will see, but obviously they are trying to make a flag for it.
Until now, two flags have been used. By the Sarajevo government was made a Bosnian flag well known, with fleur-de-lys design, and by the Croatian Republic of Herceg-Bosna (HRHB) was used one very similar to the flag of Croatia.
I was trying to find any mention of that in newspaper, but I didn't succeed.
Željko Heimer, 25 October 1995

image by Željko Heimer and Jorge Candeias , 27 Febuary 1999

image by Željko Heimer

On the news today, and in the newspapers, there has been shown the proposal for the new flag of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
As I understood, the proposal is quite serious, and will be discussed on the next session of the Parliament. There are, in fact, two proposals shown: two coats of arms, and two matching flags. They both agree with what I reported some time ago that it will be combination of checquy, and fleur-de-lys.
Both proposals mix those two elements in most simple way, basically Checquy Gules and Argent, and Fleur-de-lys Or on Vert. Both arms are just shield, of the 'Nordic' type, i.e. very simple in shape.
The first proposal combines them in a way that the shield is divided diagonally in zigzag, in the way that a row of white fields is completely visible. In the upper part there is a fleur-de-lys.
The maching flag have it in the middle in a way similar to the Croatian flag, i.e. the shield comes across all the stripes. The flag itself is horizontally red over white over green.
The second one is vertically divided. Left (heraldicaly) is Gules chief checquy Gules and Argent, right Vert Fleur-de-lys Or. The flag to go with this one was shown as a banner of the arms and in vertical form approximately 3:2.
The fleur de lys is probably a bit bigger than I represented it (I was trying to be fast with the info).
Željko Heimer, 7 March 1996

In the weekly magazine Tjednik of 1 March 1997 I found a picture of one of the flags in use. The image is scanned from a small photo accompanying an article, and is picturing Kresimir Zubak, the president of the Federation, in front of a flag. The flag is obviously, a variant (or maybe original, which I misinterpreted) of one of the flag proposals that I posted. The notable differences are the chequy fields that are in lower end, and the fleur-de-lys is white, not gold. I have no idea when the photo was taken (I would guess before the current flag was adopted, but maybe not), but it obviously shows that such flag was used, even if not officially adopted.
One should also note that in front of the President there is the Bosnian coat of arms! I think that the photo was made in the Parliament in Sarajevo, but I don't know for sure. (the caption under the image doesn't help much, it tells that it is President Zubak, and that I know without it, anyway).
Željko Heimer, 2 March 1997

image by Željko Heimer, 26 October 1998

On the TV news on HRT (Croatian TV) on 21-OCT-98 there was a report on B&H issues, otherwise not much interesting for this list, except for a document shown named "New proposal for the coat of arms and flag of the Federation of B&H". From what you will see, I believe that this is not a new proposal, but rather was new when the talks about the flag adoption were held, and I believe that it is one of the final proposals - very similar to what was finally adopted.
The document was open on the table where the talks (if it were talks) were held, focused by the camera so that much details were visible. The papers were in the leater folder, looked like it were prepaired for some ceremonial signing or something of such importance, the paper and printing was looking of high quality. The page that was opened consisted of several images of CoA and flag in several sizes, and was titled "Novi prijedlog grba i zastave Federacije Bosne i Hercegovine" (New proposal for the coat of arms and flag of the Federation of B&H). The CoA was per pall, dexter: vert fleur de lys argent; sinister: gules in chief chequy gules and argent 5x5. The flag is RWV vertically 1:2:1, with CoA in the middle. Overall ratio 1:2.
Željko Heimer, 26 October 1998

image by Željko Heimer

A proposal of vertical shape was considered as a solution that would resolve the question which colours should be above. This variation had the symbols dynamically unbalanced in chief and base.
Željko Heimer

image by Željko Heimer

Widening of the white stripe seemed the result of rejection of "simple" tricolours that were mostly already taken by other nations. Quartering of the central square was due to symbolize equivalence of the two nations.
Željko Heimer

image by Željko Heimer

This vertical variant is similar to the one above. Even if the proposal was rejected by the Parliament of Federation, this flag was hoisted in the Parliament sessions almost since the debate on the new flag was started, until the new flag was finally adopted, so this flag may be considered de facto flag in use since April 1996 till November 1996.
Željko Heimer