Last modified: 2010-02-19 by dov gutterman
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The city of Rijeka, the capital of Primorsko-goranska
zupanija, known otherwise after her Italian name Fiume, had rich
history. As it was a separate "crown-land" under
Hungarian crown, separated from Croatian background to serve as
Hungarian port city, it had its own "landesfarben" -
three striped flag based on the coat of arms. The colour order is
quated differently in several sources as blue over red over
yellow and red over yellow over blue. However, as we shall see
further on, it seems that the last variant was more popular, even
if possibly the first one may be more according to the letter of
law.
The coat of arms were granted on 6-JUN-1659 by Croatian king and
Austrian emperor Leopold I. It considsted of red oval shield with
bicefalous eagle looking sinister standing on a clif holding a
vase pouring the watter around the clif. The coat of arms is
reference to Rijeka (litterary meaning "river") and the
short swift water-rich river Rjecina after which the city is
named.
In any case, after the World War I the city was proclaimed
independent Free City, soon occupied/liberated by D'Anunzio
troops and eventually incorporated in Italy in 1924. The free
city used her tricolour of red-yellow-blue with or without the
shield, and during D'Anunzio government some other flags are
noted,
It is possible that during the Italian rule the histroical
tricolour of RYB was reused, but I have no data on it. As
suggested by Jaume, during Italian rule the eagle in the Coat of
Arms "lost" one head. After the WW II Rijeka was
reincorportaed in Croatia within Yugoslavia. It is quite possible
that the civic flag was used with the fivepointed red star in the
middle, in the same design as in Yugoslav flag. For what is sure
is that the coat of arms that was used those days was
"only" the vase pouring watter, without eagle at all.
After the independence of Croatia in Rijeka was long debated
weather the double eagle (i.e. the old Coat of Arms) should be
readopted or not, and if yes, weather it shall be crowned and if
the motto would be included. The debate was also induced as a
side matter for other political strougle, and was not resolved of
the same reason. However, finally the city council made decision
"Odluka o grbu i zastavi Grada Rijeke", 26-MAR-1998,
additionally adjusted by "Odluka o izmjenama Odluke o grbu i
zastavi Grada Rijeke", 26-NOV-1998 (I believe that the text
of the decision that I have is "cleared" text of the
first decision with changes of the amendmends incorporated). That
Coat of Arms and flag were approved by the Ministry of
Administrattion (Rjesenje Ministarstva uprave, Kl
UP/I-017-02/98-01/13 Urbr. 515-02-01/1-99-4, 15-JAN-1999).
The coat of arms is balzoned in the decision as (my translation):
In an oval shield Gules a doubleheaded eagle Sable both heads
looking to sinister with rised wings beaked and membered Or and
langued Gules standing with its dexter on a clif and its sinister
holding a vase proper from which is pouring water filling the
space around the clif.
The flag is blue with yellow bordered coat of arms in the middle.
Ratio 1:2.
My image of this flag is based on the coloured sheet sent to me
from the city administration, that is accompanying the Decision.
Željko Heimer, 24 March 2000
The flag and the coat of arms were adopted in 1998 by a
decision Odluka o grbu i zastavi Grada Rijeke, 26.03.1998,
Službene novine Primorsko-goranske županije, br. 6/98,
31.03.1998. This was, after the opinion from the Ministry
soon changed with the subsequent decision: Odluka o izmjenama
Odluke o grbu i zastavi Grada Rijeke, 26. rujna 1998,
Službene novine Primorsko-goranske županije, br. 24/98
However the first decsision included the description of
the flag and the coat of arms after which I make my
reconstruction. The coat of arms included the Austrian imperial
crown above the eagle's heads with two blue ribbon attached to
it. below the shield was a white ribbon inscribed INDEFICIENTIER.
This is in accordinace with the coat of arms garnted on 6 June
1659 by Croatian king and Austrian emperor Leopold I. The flag
prescribed in the decision is the tricolour of red (dark carmine)
over yellow (dark goldish yellow) over blue (ultramarine) with
the coat of arms in the middle. See: Symbols of
1998.
Željko Heimer, 6 March 2005
Robert gribiša sent me from the Rijeka newspapers
"Novi list" (<www.novilist.hr>)
about the initiative for the change of the Coat of Arms and the
flag of Rijeka stopped.
I reported recently on the initiative of a several councillory of
Rijeka for the change of the symbols, adding the Austrian
imperial crown and ribbon with the motto to the Coat of Arms as
in the original grant, and for use of the traditional tricolour
of Rijeka as the city flag. Apparently the mayor and the civic
government is against the proposal. They say that in principle
they might have even supported it, but since it is the last
session of the assembly beofre the elections they do not want to
adopt an initiative that would have to be done by the people in
the new assembly after the election, as it would have to be a
long process. Anyway, it may well bethat the story is
not quite over, and we may hear about it after the April
elections for local assemblies that we have schedduled in
Croatia.
Željko Heimer, 23 March 2005
The decision: Odluka o davanju odobrenja za uporabu grba Grada
Rijeke, 20.03.2003, Službene novine Primorsko-goranske
županije, br. 9/03, 04.04.2003, grants the right to use the
Coat of Arms of Rijeka to a company Rijecanka d.o.o. on a
commerical and on the letterheads.
Željko Heimer, 15 October 2005
The symbols were designed by the Heralid
Art d.o.o company in Rijeka.
Željko Heimer, 4 November 2007
Here is an addition to flag related legislation from the site
of the official gazette of the County at <www.sn.pgz.hr>:
Odluka o davanju odobrenja za uporabu grba Grada Rijeke,
22.07.2008, Službene novine Primorsko-goranske
županije, br. 29, 25.07.2008.
Odluka o davanju odobrenja za uporabu grba Grada Rijeke,
08.07.2008, Službene novine Primorsko-goranske
županije, br. 27, 11.07.2008.
Two decisions on grant for use of the City of Rijeka Coat of Arms
to commercial companies (one for inclusion in a calednar, the
other for inclusion in propaganda materials of a book festival in
Pula).
Željko Heimer, 5 October 2008
The new 2009 statutes of Rijeka does not have description of
the symbols just as the previous statutes, only prescribing their
existence and separate decision to regulate them. In the city
assembly when the new statutes was discussed, an opposition party
proposed that the descriptions are included in the statutes as
well, but the ruling party and the mayor Obernesl were against,
explaining that this is not necessary. (see "Usvojen
novi statut Grada Rijeke" (S.R.), 2.07.2009)
However, soon after the adoption of the new statutes the 1998
decision on the Coat of Arms and the flag was amended to reflect
the new city administrative structure (without changing anything
else of immediate interest to us): Odluka o izmjenama i dopunama
Odluke o grbu i zastavi Grada Rijeke, 23.07.2009, Službene
novine Primorsko-goranske županije, br. 29/2009, 25.07.2009.
Željko Heimer, 6 December 2009
image by Željko Heimer, 6 March 2005
riri6.gif)
Coat of Arms
image by Željko Heimer, 6 March 2005
I received info on the previously used flag of Rijeka from
Rober Grubiša of Rijeka. He sent me copies of some documents
that were presented to the public on an exhibition held in 1999
in Rijeka. These are original winning proposal for the Coat of
Arms and the flag of Rijeka on a competition held in 1967. Mr.
Grubiša also supplemented to my weak memories of how the
flags were used in Rijeka in the socialist period.
The exhibition was "Rijecki povijesni grbovi - izbor grade
iz fonda Sveucilišne knjižnice u Rijeci" 14-16.
srpnja 1999. ("Historical coats of arms of Rijeka - selected
material from the collection of the University library in
Rijeka" 14th - 16th July 1999). I am searching for a
possibile catalogue.
The winning proposal was made by Dorian Sokolic. It includes a
drawing of a coat of arms and a typewrited sheet explaining the
proposal (if there was a drawing of a flag it was not included,
but Rober provided excellent description). The proposal was
titled "Rijecina", this being the Croatian name of the
river on which Rijeka is built (also known as Fiumara or River of
St. Vito). The explanation is short and interesting so I
translate it in full:
"Idea: Rijecina, the flow of which in history divided the
two banks connects them today in a singular unit - city of Rijeka
Form: basic shape reminds on a cross section of a ship's hull and
reminds on a clasic form of old coats of arms. In the middle is
an amphore from which water is flowing as a symbol of
endles movement i flow of life. at the same time this is also the
oldest symbols of this city. Colour: Blue - reflection of the sea
and the sky, Golden - richness of the city in the history,
present and the future. Flag: simplified contents or stylization
of the flow and the delta of the Rijecina river."
The coat of arms adopted in 1967 is variation of the historical
coat of arms of Rijeka in accordance to the style of the period.
It may be noted that the coat of arms (nor the flag) did not
include the red five- pointed star otherwise a necessery element
in the emblems of the period.
The flag adopted at the same time is blue with two white trangles
next to the hoist representing the flow and the delta of the
Rjecina river. Mr. Grubiša describes the flag construction.
The flag is in an unusually long ratio, 1:4. It is light blue.
The width of the central blue stripe is 1/4 of the hoist size and
the triangles are reaching to the 3/5 of the length.
This flag was hoisted often in Rijeka during Yugoslavia regularly
together with the contemporary flags of Yugoslavia, Croatia, the
Italian minority and the League of Communists (SKJ). The flags
were usually hoisted publicly on the lamp posts, so that each
lamp post was addorned with as many as 6 or 8 flags of the same
kind. While all the flags except that of Rijeka were in ratio
1:2, the flag of Rijeka preserved it's unusual ratio so that it
was made equally long but noticably less wide. On several places
in the city were also the masts set in a line where the order of
the flags was from observer's left to right:
YU-SKJ-HR-Rijeka-Italian minority. In my opinion, this was not
quite the proper order, but it was used so nevertheless. The
"ordinary" houses uses the usual combinations used at
the time in the rest of teh country with only three flags
HR-YU-SKJ. A large flag of Rijeka was also regularly hoisted from
the watchtower of the Civic Dome on the Corso in Rijeka.
Anyway, it may be noted that this hostorical coat of arms and the
flag are not quite forgoten. Even if they were formally abandoned
in 1998 (I think, though I am not sur eif they were used much in
official circumstances since 1990). This coat of arms is until
today used in some occasions, e.g. by the Rijeka public transport
company "Autotrolej" and in the emblem of the F.C.
"Rijeka". Their fans use the blue and white flags
togther with the historical red-yellow-blue tricolours and as
well as the current flags of the city.
Also, it may be worth of noting that at the time when this flag
was official there were those who opposed it, mockingly comparing
it with hospital pijamas. Those were presumably in favor of the
historical tricolour.
In connection with this, recently there was made an initiative to
readopt the historical coat of arms of RIjeka (adding the
imperial crown above the eagle and the ribbon with motto
"Indeficienter" below the shield of the current design)
and the historical tricolour flag. See: <www.rijeka-drzava.com>.
The proposal was signed by eight civic councellors, mostly from
the mariginal parties. I estimate that there is no much chance in
this being adopted.
Željko Heimer, 6 March 2005
Robert gribiša sent me Obituary to Dorian Sokolic,
designer of the 1967 Coat of Arms and flag of Rijeka from the
Rijeka newspapers "Novi list" (<www.novilist.hr>):
Mr. Sokolic (24.02.1928-20.03.2005) was a painter and a
scenographer in several theatres in Rijeka, Novi Sad and in
various theatres in Europe. He was also commissary of the
Croatian National Theatre in Rijeka 1969-1980.
Željko Heimer, 23 March 2005
Robert Grubiša forwarded me a photo of example of this flag
as being used recently by the football fans. The fans of the FC
Rijeka use various flags, among many specific to the club and the
fan they use the three flags of the cty - the current one,
and the two historic flags - this one and the tricolour.
Željko Heimer, 30 May 2005
image by Željko Heimer, 6 March 2005
riri9.gif)
Coat of Arms
image by Željko Heimer, 6 March 2005
I have had 4 hours waiting In Rijeka, so I used them to try to
find something about flags of P-G county and city of Rijeka. But,
alas. Yes, there is a huge flag of P-G county hoisted on the
building of the county seat (as far as i was able to see, and I
saw it quite good, the image above is good representation). I was
not able to buy the table version of that one - I was even looked
wierdly when I asked for flag of any kind in bookstores and
similar shops where one could expect to find such things. Maybe I
was not looking good enogh.
Rijeka still has not adopted the flag (and Coat of Arms) due to
discrepancies of opinion of locally ruling colation and local
oposition that is ruling the country, wheater the Coat of Arms
should be historical from Austia-Hungarian times (with double
eagle and latin
motto) or if some more modern versions should be adopted. It is
to be suspected that this issue is of less importance, but is
used as a probe for more important political issues, a situation
that is not unknown. Anyway, that is reason why there is no flag
of Rijeka to be seen. But, in one window of local library (or
something of the sort) there was a small table flag that was
obviously to represent Rijeka. It had some inscription painted on
it (greetings), but it was origanally made without it - simply
vertically hoisted flag horisontally divided red-yellow-blue,
with lower end finishing with three short rectangular tails. I
take this as a confirmation that the Red-Yellow-Blue flag is in
unofficial use.
Željko Heimer , 1 March 1999
The currunt flag and the coat of arms were adopted in 1998 by
a decision Odluka o grbu i zastavi Grada Rijeke, 26.03.1998,
Službene novine Primorsko-goranske županije, br. 6/98,
31.03.1998. This was, after the opinion from the Ministry
soon changed with the subsequent decision: Odluka o izmjenama
Odluke o grbu i zastavi Grada Rijeke, 26. rujna 1998,
Službene novine Primorsko-goranske županije, br. 24/98
However the first decsision included the description of
the flag and the coat of arms after which I make my
reconstruction. The coat of arms included the Austrian imperial
crown above the eagle's heads with two blue ribbon attached to
it. below the shield was a white ribbon inscribed INDEFICIENTIER.
This is in accordinace with the coat of arms garnted on 6 June
1659 by Croatian king and Austrian emperor Leopold I. The flag
prescribed in the decision is the tricolour of red (dark carmine)
over yellow (dark goldish yellow) over blue (ultramarine) with
the coat of arms in the middle.
Željko Heimer, 6 March 2005
ri-ri.gif)
image by Željko Heimer
Today's offitial coat of arm of Rijeka, which is a
modification (stilisation) of ancient one from 1659.
Nenad Labus, 23 August 2002
