Last modified: 2017-10-27 by antónio martins
Keywords: mining | hammers: 2 (yellow) | hammers: crossed | derrick |
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image by Željko Heimer and
António Martins, 10 Jun 2017
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It is the flag of miners, I think used all over the world. At least in
Croatia it is used by miners unions, as much as, by
mining companies, it is hoisted in front of the mine entrances, and in
front of the mining (and oil) companies, it is used during strikes and
demonstrations and other pubic gathering of miners. I seem to recall
seeing this flag on some news clips from former
D.D.R., but also later in
Germany, and in Poland.
Željko Heimer, 13 Apr 1996
The flag was used in Yugoslavia, and is still
used in Serbia and Croatia,
and probably in other ex-Yugoslav countries, but these two are the only
ones for which I can confirm: for Serbia, by viewing it on the television
and photos, and for Croatia, by it being listed among the contemporary
Croatian flags at the
FAME
website.
Tomislav Todorović, 10 Jun 2017
This mining flag seems to be indeed a kind of signal flag (and
messaging flags are signal flags, but not all
signal flags are messaging flags), pretty much as the
“diver down” flag is, in as much as these two
unrelated activities, mining and diving, could be. Its regionally
restricted use (eastern Europe) doesn’t hinder its
classification as an international flag.
António Martins, 10 Jun 2017
It actually represents an occupation — buildings, outdoor
installations, mines themselves, companies, trade unions and so forth,
are all known to use it when their activity is inherently related to the
mining.
Tomislav Todorović, 10 Jun 2017
This is not a flag that would be prescribed by some law or
similar.
Željko Heimer, 24 Oct 1999
Its current use in Serbia also implies the
continuity of use in Yugoslavia until 2003, as well
as in the Serbia and Montenegro 2003-2006. The date
of adoption is currently not known, but the use in
D.D.R. and Poland suggests
dating it into the 1945-1948 period, i.e. between the introduction of
Commmunism and the Soviet-Yugoslav split. It would be interesting to
explore its possible use in other ex-Communist countries as well, for it
seems to have been introduced along with, or shortly after the Communist
system — perhaps imported from the U.S.S.R..
Tomislav Todorović, 10 Jun 2017
It is green over black flag with two yellow crossed hammers in the
middle.
Željko Heimer, 13 Apr 1996
There are variations of the same basic shape.
Željko Heimer, 24 Oct 1999
The symbolic of the flag is more than obvious green ground and black
coal (I think the coal was main thing that was excavated when the flag
came in use), and hammers as typical mining tools was used as sign of
miners probably even before.
Željko Heimer, 13 Apr 1996
Since this is not a flag that would be prescribed by some law or
similar, no wander that there are variations of the same basic shape.
Željko Heimer, 24 Oct 1999
As I probably noticed when I was writing about it long ago, it is not
unusual to see the same flag with third element between two hammers
— an oil drill tower. At least, this is used on
several companies in Zagreb, all connected more or less with oil business
(hoisted beside the national and company flags).
Željko Heimer, 24 Oct 1999
Recently I have also seen versions that have golden oil drill in
between the two hammers.
Željko Heimer, 13 Apr 1996
image by Željko Heimer and
António Martins, 20 Oct 2017
Some weeks ago I found
a photo of this flag, but (according photo) is slightly different: first
time is black over green instead green over black. Second, the
central device seems to be displaced to hoist, and smaller in size that in
Željko’s picture. The identification is confirmed because the
caption in the photo says it is the miner flag.
Jaume Ollé, 23 Oct 1999
Well, this may be a variation, but from the symbolic that I was told,
green over black seems more logical — green represent the earth
surface (“green grass”), while black is the coal (or
nowadays oil) underneath.
Željko Heimer, 24 Oct 1999
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