5th June, Croatia celebrates the Day of the Croatian Flag. This date is significant, as it marks the occasion when, during the enthronement of Ban Josip Count Jelačić Bužimski, the Croatian tricolor flag was first introduced in its official royal and national capacity.
Croatia since its earliest founding days has a thousand-year-old tradition of using flags, generally separated by function into flags of the Royal and Ban's standard, various coronation, ecclesial, military, civil and other type of standards. Throughout Croatian history, these flags reflected the development of Croatian culture and history throughout the ages. From the old coronation oaths, we know that together with the crown, sword and scepter, royal standards were also given to the Croatian kings. As a notable example of this stands the coronation oath of king Dmitar Zvonimir:
“I, Dmitar, who is also named Zvonimir, by the grace of God the Duke of Croatia and Dalmatia, am unanimously elected, in a synod of all clergy and people, to reign over the Kingdom of Croatians and Dalmatians. From you, Gebizone, who has the authority from our Pope Gregory, as a legate of the Apostolic See, am vestured as King in the Solin basilica given with a flag, sword, scepter and crown.”
We also have the memory of the oldest still preserved Croatian royal flag, which was used during coronation of Croatian king Ferdinand II Habsburg in 1647. From strictly codified traditions and various drawings depicting them, we know that the Croatian coronation (or royal) flags were composed out of four flags which depicted historical Croatian states: Croatia, Slavonia, Dalmatia and Bosnia (Rama). These four flags, in addition to other Hungarian flags, were a Kingdoms of the Holy Crown. The first use of a tricolor red-white-blue flag happened during the reign of queen Maria Theresa who gives it as a symbol to the Severin County in the Triune Kingdom of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia. In official capacity as a strictly national flag, this tricolor was first used in the Spring of 1848. The tradition of flag giving during coronation survived until 1916 when Croatian king Blessed Charles IV Habsburg-Lothringen was crowned and enthroned. Flags of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia were used during this ceremony and still survive. It’s interesting to note that this coronation was also the last Croatian and Hungarian coronation, as well as in general terms the last Catholic coronation in all of Europe.
The oldest Croatian royal flag, the coronation flag from 1647During the tumultuous 1848 when Croatia aligned with reactionary forces against the liberal Hungarian revolution aspiring to annex Croatian Lands, Croatian Sabor requested from king Ferdinand V to enthrone then Colonel Josip Baron Jelačić Bužimski as the new Croatian Ban. Anticipating this move, at this point Ferdinand V had already done the deed. On 5th of June the ceremony of enthronement for Croatian Ban (latin: Banus) was held. A long-held tradition, during the enthronement people went to the streets to witness the ceremony as proof of Croatian sovereignty and its statehood continuity. Following the ceremony, large festivities were held with dozens of chariots full of dignitaries from outside the city arriving to participate.
Baron Josip Jelačić Bužimski gave his solemn pledge of a Croatian Ban before the Sabor (parliament), which those proficient in Croatian can read on the next image:
Banal oath of Josip Count Jelačić Bužimski, 5th June 1848
Royal-Bans flag of ban Josip Count Jelačić Bužimski (office held 1848 - 1859). The flag is considered to be the nucleus from which the modern Croatian tricolor state flag is derived.The flag is held in Croatian history museum in Zagreb.During the ceremony symbols of the Ban were given to Jelačić, Among others, these include the scepter, ceremonial saber and the royal-bans standard. With these, a new Ban is enthroned as the representative of the Croatian king. All these symbols had a specific meaning in the context as the king’s representative (similar to Vicerex) and Croatian Ban, supreme judge and the captain of the whole Croatian and Military Frontier military, regent of Rijeka, regent of Dalmatia etc. Following Jelačić’s enthronement, for the first time, in the Habsburg monarchy all Croatian lands were united under the Bans rule. The tradition of enthroning the Croatian Ban was held uninterrupted for centuries until the enthronement of Count Levin Rauch in 1868 after which there was only a symbolic ceremony. The office of the Croatian Ban was maintained until 1941/43 the last being Ban Šubašić later Prime Minister of the Yugoslav government in exile. One interesting aspect of it was that after the solemn oath and receiving of the symbols, the new Ban who held the symbols while on his throne would be lifted with the throne into the air three times! With this ceremony on the 5th of June 1848, the Croatian tricolor came into use as the new national and state flag.
Ceremonial entrance of Jelačić into Zagreb on 4th of June 1848. On the left side we can se a Seressaner holding a Croatian tricolor with a crowned chequy arms (Croatian: okrunjeni šahirani grb). On the right-side members of the Illyrian movement, lead by Ljudevit Gaj greet Jelačić.Symbolism and meaning of the Croatian flag
There are myany theories, stories and myths explaining the meaning of the Croatian tricolor flag. Some say they represent the Pan-slavic colors, while others contend that they represent the merging of the flags of Croatia-Slavonia (red-white for Croatia and white-blue for Slavonia). Some theories interpret Red as representing blood spilled for the Homeland, White as representing peace or wheat fields of Slavonia and Blue as the Adriatic Sea or the Danube or Sava River. These theories are historically unfounded. A simple answer can be found in the science of heraldry, for which we contacted our expert and heraldist Ante Brešić pl. Mikulić:
„If we ignore the reinterpretations from the age of Romanticism inside the National movement, we’re left with a simple heraldic fact. Ever since Ban Toma II (Bakač) Erdődy and his efforts to heraldically unite the three Croatian Kingdoms which was formed around the legal framework of a Triune Kingdom (three state which are one) which brought together a united coat of arms of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia. So was the need to unite the colours of the Kingdom into one vexillological entity. So were united the three dominant colours from the Croatian coat of arms into their representative colour stripes on the flag. Red as for Croatia, White as for Slavonia and Blue as for Dalmatia. This can also be validated under the influence of the Pans Slavic congress in Prague or the historical connection either in the Severin County which was formed with those coloures by Queen Maria Theresia or the several State (Landes) colours in use. Anyhow, the most logical is that Jelačić's time was that of a vexillological encompasment of the question of Croatian unity represented in its national flag instead of older historical practices which had separate flags by types and not a single national one. In the end, the flag united all the colours as did the Croatian coat of arms unite all the Croatian lands of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia, and depending on the period the arms of Illyria (often used as a synonym for Ottoman-alienated lands such as Bosnia or other Slavic lands in the Monarchy such as Slovene lands). Supporting this is Jelačić's ceremonial dress which made use of these three colors to represent the new spirit which spread throughout the country by people celebrating the union of Croatian lands under him. In conclusion, Croatian unity can be seen throughout the Croatian coat of arms, as well as the use of the colors in the tricolor.” (ABM)
Throughout all of this, it’s easy to understand how essential it was to 19th century Croats to achieve the unity among themselves and their lands. With this, it becomes obvious why Croatian literary tradition features so many poems and songs about the Croatian flag. In the end, the tricolor flag has become the symbol of the Croatian people and nation.
Croatian flag day?
Croatian Royal Council, NGO, started marking this day since its very inception, as a holiday which we consider to be one of the focal points celebrating Croatian national symbols. Because of this, since 2015 we held various lectures on the topic throughout social networks. We campion the idea that Croatia should have its National Flag Day just like many other European countries. Our members have also championed the idea of the return of the original Royal-Bans tricolour standard into the Croatian Sabor (Parliament) where it was held for a short while during the 1990s.
Flag of the Triune Kingdom, a replica of the Royal-Bans standard in the Croatian Sabor in 1990 (left to the temporary state flag)The royal Croatian Flag (known as the Croatian historic flag) and coats of arms were used during the key moments of the 1990s when president Franjo Tuđman was followed by flag bearer Mile Krajina bearing this exact flag. During this era, on Zagreb’s main Josip Jelačić square for years the royal flag prominently fluttered. Since then, this tradition was ended and new historically forged traditions such as the presidential guard were put in place of true Croatian historic traditions. It’s important to note that this historic flag and coat of arms survived throughout history, including the dark age of Yugoslav states when even used by Radić Croatian Peasant Party (HSS). For this reason, we support the initiative of four other organizations from 2018 (HPM, HDGZ, HIP i DBHZ), even though we contend that the way some approach the problem should be much more refined than it was in 2018. Current laws interpreting the the coat of arms, flag and hymn of the Republic of Croatia are neither uniform nor follow heraldic laws, rules and descriptions. Even further, the currently used state coat of arms is not heraldically correct (which makes Republic of Croatia a unique case in all of Europe). Furthermore, we have no official explanations of terms such as national or civil flag, which opens the doors to various interpretations, including a complete ignoring of historical Croatian flags and coats of arms, or a strong emphasis on them. In essence, the laws create a complete vacuum. Because of this, using juristic principles, if the law doesn’t explicitly forbid, it allows. Thus, we champion the idea of a more serious and widespread attempt to solve the problem of the Croatian coat of arms and flag and the introduction a national holiday which would highlight today as the nucleus of Croatian tricolor flag and in the end, solve the problem of heraldic errors among Croatian state symbols.
Once again, it’s an honor to use this day to congratulate the Croatian flag day to all members and sympathisers of the Croatian Royal Council and Croats in general! Hoist your national, historic and civil flags high up!
Oldest Croatian tricolor flag design in national usage from 1848Croatian Royal Council
2021
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