Last modified: 2023-03-18 by rob raeside
Keywords: bjelovar-bilogora county | bjelovarsko-bilogorska zupanija | st. george | cross: saltire (white) |
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![[County flag]](../images/h/hr-bj.gif)
image by Željko Heimer, 22 October 2000
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Bjelovar-Bilogora County is situated east from Zagreb, in middle Croatia, encompassing the valleys of rivers Česma and Ilova, between Bilogora in the north and the Moslavina mountains in the south.
Željko Heimer, 22 October 2000
The symbols of Bjelovar-Bilogora County are prescribed by Decision Odluka o grbu i zastavi Županije bjelovarsko-bilogorske, adopted on 12 December 1995 by the County Assembly, but, seemingly not published in any official gazette. The symbols were approved on 19 April 1996 by the Ministry of Administration. Decision Odluka o opisu grba i zastave, kao i uvjetima načina uporabe grba i zastave Županije bjelovarsko-bilogorske, adopted by the County Assembly on 29 May 1996 and published on 28 June 1996 in the County official gazette Županijski glasnik Županije bjelovarsko-bilogorske, No. 5, confirms the symbols, adding detailed prescription on their use.
This Decision was amended by Odluka o izmjenama i dopunama Odluke o opisu grba i zastave kao i uvjetima načina uporabe grab i zastave Bjelovarsko-bilogorske županije (text), adopted on 21 December 2009 by the County Assembly and published on 24 December 2009 in Županijski glasnik Bjelovarsko-bilogorske županije, No. 29. The changes are not substantial, providing the Mayor with power to grant the use of the symbols for commercial purposes.
The 1995 agenda for the County Assembly Program rada Skupštine Županije bjelovarsko-bilogorske za 1995, adopted on 30 March 1995 by the County Assembly and published on 18 April 1995 in Županijski glasnik Županije bjelovarsko-bilogorske, No. 4, lists among the tasks the Decision on the symbol, providing basic legal requitements for it and giving this task to the office of the County Mayor for the 2nd quarter of 1995.
The Decision says: "The flag is bicolor, golden yellow above green in equal width [height], with the coat of arms in the middle of the flag on both sides." The horizontal division of the coat of arms does not lay on the horizontal division of the flag, but a little above it. According to the image attached to the 1996 Decision, the height of the coat of arms is 7/10 of the flag's hoist.
Željko Heimer, 7 October 2011
![[County coat of arms]](../images/h/hr)bj.gif)
image by Željko Heimer, 22 October 2000
The coat of arms of the County is described in the aforementioned Decision as: "...simple shield divided horzontally in two. The upper part is divided in two equal fields. In the first on a blue background there is a figure of St. George on horse killing the dragon. The figure is white with a red cloak, while the dragon is green. In the second field is on a red background a white Andrew's cross. In lower half is a part of the Croatian historical coat of arms of five horizontal and three vertical red-white pieces, the first piece being red."
Krešimir Ivanček, owner of the Colorsoft Ivanček company in Bjelovar, is
the designer of the current artistic rendition of the county's coat of arms, which is based on the historical coat of arms.
When the new County was established in 1993, Ivanček prepared a modernized version of the coat of arms. He himself
admits that the new, computerized design is appearing much "colder" than the historical original, and the design
differs from the original pettern in some minor details - the number of squares in the bottom field, some details in the depiction of St. George and the cross.
Željko Heimer, 1 November 2007
![[Ceremonial flag of thr County]](../images/h/hr-bj1.gif)
image by Željko Heimer, 5 October 2008
The ceremonial flag of Bjelovar-Bilogora County, also designed by the Colorsoft Ivanček company, is a gonfalon horizontally divided dark yellow and green with the coat of arms in the middle topped with a golden crown and with blue floral mantle, and with the name of the County in white on three lines below it. The
gonfalon is bordered yellow and ending in five semi-sircular unequal tails ending with yellow fringe and with two yellow tassels.
The ceremonial flag was designed in 1993. There should be just under the crown inscribed the year of establishment of the new County, 1993. Below the coat of arms in the ceremonial flag is the name of the county as was official at the time ("Županija Bjelovarsko-bilogorska"), changed in 1997 for "Bjelovarsko-bilogorska županija" - but naturally, the ceremonial flag was not changed. The actual flag, made from silk and embroidered by Mrs. Barica Majcen from Bjelovar, is today kept in the County Mayor's office in Bjelovar.
Željko Heimer, 2 September 2008
Bjelovar County, 1871
![[Bjelovar County flag]](../images/h/hr-ah-bj.gif)
image by Željko Heimer, 16 July 1999
Flag of Bjelovar County, 1871
Bjelovar County (Bjelovarska Županija, Belovár vármegye, Komitat Belovar) was formed from regions that were removed from the Military Frontier (known as Varaždin Frontier) and incorporated into civilian Croatia in 1871.
The coat of arms granted in 1872 by Emperor Franz Joseph I was "Per fess, 1a. Azure, St. George killing the dragon, 1b. Gules, a saltire botonny argent, 2. Checky gules and argent 5 x 3."
The Varaždin Frontier was manned mainly by people from Varaždin region serving in the 6th Varaždin St. George's Regiment.
The original coat of arms was probably made in the Vienna heraldic offices; graphics were prepared in 1886 in Bjelovar by the local painter Josip Hohnjec, Professor of Arts at the "Grand Royal College in Bjelovar" (as the high school was titled at the time). Some sources give Hohnjec the authorship of the coat of arms, however he would have been a bit too young in 1872.
Željko Heimer, 1 November 2007
Bjelovar-Križevci County, 1903
![[Bjelovar-Krizevci County flag]](../images/h/hr-ah-bk.gif)
![[Bjelovar-Krizevci County arms]](../images/h/hr)ah-bk.gif)
images by Željko Heimer, 16 July 1999
Flag and arms of Bjelovar-Križevci County, 1903
In 1886 the County of Bjelovar was joined with the County of Krizevci (Križevačka županija, Körös vármegye, Komitat Kreuz). The new coat of arms was made (officially in 1897) simply
by showing the arms of the two counties side by side in two shields, held by Justitia, with the motto "Justitia - Clementia". The coat of arms of Križevci County was granted in 1759 by Maria Theresa.
The flag of this County from 1903, preserved in the Bjelovar Museum, is a red rectangle with a golden ornamented border, the coat of arms in the middle and inscription in gold embroidery with name of the county above and year 1903 below the coat of arms.
Željko Heimer, 2 September 2008
Imre Csáki shows in A magyar királyság vármegyéinek cimerei a XVIII-XIX. században (Corvina, Budapest, 1995) all the coats of arms of the Counties of the Hungarian part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the 18th-19th centuries. The coat of arms of the former County of Bjelovar-Križevci (Belovar-Körös vármegye) is described as: A woman of justice [that is a woman with a ribbon on the eyes, holding a sword in the right hand and here a sheet of paper in the left hand] with green clothes holding two shields. Dexter, per fess: 1. Chappé courbé [divided in three fields the one in the middle forming a sort of curved triangle]: a. Azure a crowned lion's head or, b. Vert a running marten proper, c. Checky of 25 pieces argent and gules, 2. Per pale: a. Argent a part of a pond argent with reed and grass proper and a duck taking flight proper, b. Gules a lion or on a crown of the same. On the whole an inescutcheon Gules a Latin cross argent between the letters "M" and "T" or [Maria Theresia]. Sinister, per fess: 1. Per pale : a. Azure St. George proper on a horse argent and gules fighting the dragon vert, b. Gules a cross terefoiled per saltire, 2. Checky of 18 [6 x 3] pieces argent and gules. Above the whole, there is a royal crown or. Under the whole there is a ribbon argent fimbriated azure with the writing or "JUSTITIA" "CLEMENTIA".
Pascal Vagnat, 28 June 1998