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Slovakian regional flags

Last modified: 2009-08-15 by jarig bakker
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Slovakian regional flags

Similarly as in the Czech Republic, Slovakia has recently also been divided into several semi-autonomous regions. According to Petr Exner (after his discussions with Slovak vexillologists), the regional flags will probably be horizontal tricolors with regional Coat of Arms's situated identically as in the Slovak national flags. The colors of the flags will be derived from the regional Coat of Arms's, and the latter from (combinations of) the historical Hungarian provinces ("ľ upa").
Let's look forward to new info...
Jan Zrzavy, 10 Nov 2001

The historical Hungarian provinces in Hungarian: megye (1837-1849; 1867-1920), in German: komitat (1790-1837, 1849-1867), and in Latin: comitatus (before 1709). Ľupa means county in Slovakian.
István Molnár, 7 Apr 2002

Yesterday, the first assemblies of the new regions of the Slovak Republic were elected. New regional symbols are to be expected.
Jan Zrzavy, 3 Dec 2001

Nowadays on regional level there are State adminstrative offices called Krajske urady (sg. Krajsky úrad) with a Head called "prednosta" and Self- government entities called Vyššie územné celky (Higher territorial units, sg. Vyšší územný celok - VÚC). What should be the Arms of VÚC from the article by Leon Sokolovský, member of Heraldic Commission, Slovakian Ministry of Intern. Newspaper Pravda, Saturday, January 1, 2002 ... Although regional parliament will decide about design of these symbols, from formal point of view the ought to be certain common parameters, which make regional symbols clearly distinguishable from the others in the Slovakia.  It would be pity if high quality of modern Slovakian Heraldry were lowered by uncontrolled approvals of regional arms. In October 2001 a following conception were discussed in Heraldic Commission.
By law sanctioned self - governed regions are artificial entities without link to historical administrative division of Slovakian
territory. ... That’s why also VÚC Coats of Arms shell be wholly new. It is nonsense to use ho motifs from all Counties....
The Arms of VÚC shell be on “Late- Gothic” shield (with round base).
There should be only one figure, as typical as possible for the region, for occupations of its population, for natural conditions of it etc. All these Arms should have white bordure.
Recommended symbols for particular regional Arms:  -
Nitriansky samosprávny kraj: three linden rods
Trenciansky samosprávny. kraj - three maple leaves
Trnavský samosprávny. kraj. - wreath of three ears
Bratislavský samosprávny. kraj. - bunch of grapes
Prešovský samosprávny. kraj. - three spruce trees
Žilinský samosprávny kraj -  a pine branch
Banskobystrický samosprávny kraj  - three oak trees
Košický samosprávny kraj - three roses.
Aleš Křížan, 21 Mar 2002

I am sending a copy of newspaper article (Hospodarske noviny, 11-01-2002) concerning proposals for Slovak regional COAs made by the ministry of interior of the Slovak Republic (that Petr Exner sent me). As the Bratislava Region COA has actually be approved (and is identical to the proposal), it seems to me that other proposals are also promising. However, I've only b/w image but experts on the old Hungarian symbolics are likely to be able to make color versions.
No info about flags so far.
Jan Zrzavy, 31 Mar 2002

Some info reported by Aleš Křížan (based on Slovak newspapers):
It seems that
1. Zilina Region has "quartered flag yellow-green-blue-red".
2. Nitra Region has "quartered (?) flag of three colors, blue, yellow and red".
3. Trencin Region has COA, no info about the flag.
4. Presov Region should have discussed its symbols on April (no info about results).
5. Bratislava Region has at least COA.
6. Kosice Region - the flag has been reported earlier (two hoist square fields, yellow over blue, and two horizontal stripes, red
over yellow).
At present, the info is quite vague. However - as we know Slovak obsession in making "unified flag patterns" - it is not excluded (*my* interpretation!) that all regional flags will follow the Kosice Region pattern (the only whose image is known). However, we have no information about formal approving even the Kosice Region's flag by the Slovak heraldic commission.
Jan Zrzavy, 28 May 2002

New site of Zilina Region is open: it shows valid Arms of the Region - see this website.
According to my infos, Presov Region is still flagless.
Ales Krizan, 21 Aug 2002