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Polaca (Zadar, Croatia)

Opc'ina Polača

(1:2)
image by Željko Heimer

Overview
Coat of Arms

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Collection of Croatian Local Flags at FAME

Overview

Flag of a small municipality in Croatia - as seen on a TV reportage on the region (23 November 1999, HRT 1). Polača - a municipality in hinterland of northern Dalmatia, behind coastal city of Zadar, in region known as Ravni Kotari. It main place is one of several places in Croatia bearing that name, and is therefore often written as Polača (Benkovac), according to a bigger city of Benkovac some 10 km more from the coast. However, it is the only community with this name. Polača was right on the frontline in the latest war (actually forming the border of Republic of Srpska Krajina) and suffered much devastation. The community is today part of Zadarska zupanija. When it was formed in 1992 by the general administrative reform the county was called Zadarsko-kninska and at that time the Community of Polača was included in theory in Kotar Knin (semi-autonomous subdivision created as possible compromise which Croatian Serbs, but which never lived up due to the virtual occupation). With 1997 reform the two kotars were de jure abolished from Croatian subdivision system, and the previous Zadarsko-kninska zupanija was divided more naturally (and lost Knin region to Sibenska zupanija).
The coat of arms is Or, Walls with a Tower embattled Azure. Shield is of the classical early heraldic "Nordic" shape . The walls are slanted on each side of the
massive tower, this probably referring to a remains of an ancient fortification (against Turks?) in the area.
The flag is dark blue, with the coat of arms in the middle. Ratio 1:2. The coat of arms are about (and probably indeed) 1/2 of the flag hoist wide.
From the same source it has been noted that there is another flag in use - one looking like a gonfanon, hoisted vertically from a crossbar, three-tailed, blue, richly golden embroidered, which coat of arms differing in that that the block forming the walls were clearly visible (masoned). This is probably the ceremonial flag of the community, and as such unique, while the official flag (seen on many places and in several occasions) is probably the one already mentioned. Such doublettes are not unknown, nor unusual in many places along the coast, and even further in the hinterland (e.g. Karlovacka zupanija have them, too).
I would guess that the coat of arms and the flag were adopted recently, certainly after 1997, and probably there were no earlier flags and coats of arms for Polača recorded in history.
Željko Heimer, 27 November 1999

The symbols were designed by the Heraldic Art d.o.o. from Rijeka.
Željko Heimer, 3 November 2007

Coat of Arms

image by Željko Heimer