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Gola (Koprivnica-Krizevci, Croatia)

Općina Gola

image by Željko Heimer, 22 May 2003

Overview
Coat of Arms

See also:

Overview

The official gazette of Koprivnica and Križevci County is available on line at <www.glasila.hr>. In the on-line numbers one can find descriptions of coat of arms and flags of communities, mainly in their statutes adopted in 2001 (after some non-flag related administrative changes requiering adoption of new statutes). So, these statutes do not introduce the symbols. Further on, not all new statutes describe the symbols. Some only mention that there is some other decision regarding the coat of arms and flag (sometimes quoting the titile, sometimes not), and sometimes there is provision that such decisions shall be made.
One of them is Statut Opcine Gola, 25. rujna 2001. Službeni glasnik Koprivnicko-križevacke županije, br. 10/01, god. IX, Koprivnica, 28. rujna 2001.
The coat of arms is: Vert within border or an oak leave argent in bend. The oak leave is said to represent the terittory of the community between Drava and state border towards Hungary, Gola being one of the rare places where Croatia speads on the other side of Drava on the whole its way between Medimure and Baranja. Green field and golden border stand for oak woods, pastures and corn fields of the region.
The flag is green with the coat of arms in the middle.
Željko Heimer, 21 Febuary 2003

The oak leave is described to be "slightly slanted", but this slightly is very literal, and I would never choose to describe it like that.
Ministry of Administration approved the design on 18 January 1996. The designer of this coa and flag is Mladen Vecenaj, famous painter from Gola - otherwise most well known for his nadve paintings, but he is also active in political life in Gola, and was member of community council at the time (and probably still is).
Source: [ern03]
Željko Heimer, 22 May 2003

The official gazette since 2000 is available on the web site of the County at <www.kckzz.hr> including decisions on symbols of its cities and communities. The communities adopted new statutes in 2006, typically containing the descriptions of coat of arms and flags adopted previously, so I just quote them for documetry purposes:
Gola: The new statutes adopted in 2005 and 2006 repeat the prescriptions of the previous statutes already quoted above: Statut Opcine Gola, 4.04.2005, Službeni glasnik Koprivnicko- križevacke županije, br. 5/05, 12.05.2005. Statut Opcine Gola, 16.01.2006, Službeni glasnik Koprivnicko- križevacke županije, br. 1/06, 26.01.2006.
Željko Heimer, 16 August 2006

The web site at <library.foi.hr> include a project of digitazing of the regional journal Glas Podravine, from its first issues in 1951.
- An article from 1994 is on a textile factory in Gola that uses in its logo a stork (allegedly, Gola means stork in Hungarian ) above what is in the article said to be the original coat of arms of Gola from 1822! The logo is illustrated.
However, I am very skeptical about this claim, as the coat of arms hardly looks like anything that might have been granted as a coat of arms in 1822 - including painters palette and brushes, marsh sadges, oak branches and the chequy shield. If there really was a 1822 coat of arms, it would have been readopted most probably - then again, the oak leaf of the Vecenaj's 1996 design might just be a reminiscentce to this "alleged" coat of arms.
- An article from 1995 has short report on the concourse of Gola and another article from 1995 reports the concourse for the symbols of Gola: 3000 and 200 HRK prizes.
- Another article from 1995 reports the adoption of the design by Mladen vecenaj from Gola for the coat of arms and the flag of this community.
- Another article from 1995 titled "Gola with a green coat of arms", reporting on the session of the community assembly of Gola adopting the coat of arms and flag on 28 September 1995, Mladen Vecenaj's design. It is described there: green shield with wide yellow border and a white oak leaf in the middle - symbolizing the territory of Gola, bordered with the state border and the Drava river.
- An article from 1996 reports on the first public use of the new coat of arms and the flag of Gola on the communty day (St. Anthony) celebrations on 13 June 1996. The symbols were consacrated in the Church of the Three Whise Man in Gola by priest Ferek from Đurdevci, who lead a concelebrated mass joined by other priests from the region. The article shows nice drawing of the coat of arms and a photo from a ceremony where the flag is visible. same photo, but larger. appears also at another page.
- An article from 1997 include photos of the flag of "Society of Women of Gola" - cultural association, designed by Mladen Vecenaj, including a chequy heart and a rosary.
Željko Heimer, 11 August 2009

From the official gazettes:
The description of the coat of arms and the flag is also repeated in the new 2009 Statutes: Statut Opcine Gola, 30.06.2009, Službeni glasnik Koprivnicko-križevacke županije, br. 9/2009, 15.07.2009. str. 766.
Željko Heimer, 13 September and 19 December 2009

Coat of Arms

image by Željko Heimer, 22 May 2003