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Baranya County (Hungary)

Baranya megye

Last modified: 2004-12-30 by dov gutterman
Keywords: hungary | baranya | baranja |
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by Mello Luchtenberg, 9 April 2001



See also:

Municipalities (302 settlements, including 11 towns and 1 city):

City (not part of the county):

Towns:

  • Bóly (Since 1997)
  • Harkány (Since 1999)
  • Komló (Since 1951)
  • Mohács
  • Pécsvárad (Since 1993)
  • Sásd (Since 1995)
  • Sellye (Since 1997)
  • Siklós (Since 1977)
  • Szentlorinc (Since 1996)
  • Szigetvár (Since 1966)
  • Villány (since 2000)

Overview

Res. No.6/1991.(V.31.) of the County about its symbols at <www.bmonk.pecs.hu>. The inscription is in gold (10th paragraph).
István Molnár, 9 April 2001

The Coat of Arms of Baranya county (Comitatus Baraniensis) was granted by King Leopold in 1694. The seal was renewed by King Ferdinand in 1838 and the inscription became Hungarian. Like Fejér county. The shield was silver originally. The L and I letters on the small silver shield relate to the King Leopold and King Joseph (Habsburg). The tower relates to the border [between Hungary and Croatia or Sclavonia?]. The two people on the tower is from the Bible (in Hungarian "Józsue és
Kaleb")
The territory of Baranya before the Treaty of Trianon (1920) was 5.177 km2. The treaty is divided it. 1.136 km2 got to Yugoslavia (now Croatia), 4.0412 stayed in Hungary.
Source: Hoppál Dezso: A történelmi Magyarország vármegyéinek címerei, Bp. 2001 (The Coat of Arms of the counties of the historical Hungary)
István Molnár, 9 April 2001

I am not sure to what border the tower might relate. It may be as Istvan suggested the border of Hungary with Croatia and Slavonia. It was the Croatian king Tomislav that "pushed out" the Hungarians "over the Drava river" (Drava running along the whole south edge of historical Baranya) in early 10th century, and the border on Drava was then established as the border among the two nations. However, in the time when the CoA was granted the two nations were under the same rule and this then already historical border was maybe not so important. In 17th century the border was that one against the Turk (Ottoman) empire. Still it took almost a hunderd years after the king Leopold granted the arms that the Slavonia to the south was librated from Turks...
Regarding the two human figures, I believe that they are called in English Joshua (renambed by Moses to Jehoshua) and Caleb. The story is probably well known (Numbers 13:1 throgh 13:20), but in short when the tribes of Israel lead by Moses rewached the Paran wilderness, Moses sent the two as spies in the land of Kanaan. They returned with the stories of the rich country (of milk and honey) but well defended. The standard picturing of the return of the two is with the vine grape so big that it had to be held by the two. This exact sceene is also shown in the Baranya Coat of Arms, I guess in reference to the richness of this region, comparable to Biblical Land-of-Milk-and-Honey.
Zeljko Heimer, 10 April 2001

In 1694 (when King Leopold granted this Coat of Arms) the whole territory of Croatia and Slavonia was liberated. The most of Hungary, northern Serbia, western Bosnia was under Habsburg military occupation. The Treaty of Karlowitz (1699) joined the territory of Croatia, Slavonia, Hungary (without the Temesköz - territory between the Tisza, Maros/Mures and Transylvania) and Transylvania to the Habsburg empire. Maybe, the tower relate to the Hungarian-Turkish (new) border.
István Molnár, 10 April 2001


Flag in Use


by István Molnár, 27 August 2001

Flying flag at the Conquest Statue, Opusztaszer NHP. Ratio: 3:1. The width of the Coat of Arms is the 1/3 of the width of the flag. The Coat of Arms is on the 1/3 of the flag's height. The inscription is gold
István Molnár, 27 August 2001


Coat of Arms


by István Molnár, 17 April 2001


Baranya (HU) - Baranja (HR)

Geographically, it goes for the same traditional region, which was afterr WW I divided between Croatia (soon to merge into Yugoslavian Kingdom) and Hungary. Baranya is
Hungarian spelling , while Baranja is Croatian spelling. There are actually counties in both countries using that name - Baranya Megye in HU, and Osjecko-baranjska zupanija in HR (to use their local names).
Zeljko Heimer, 22 September 1999

The souther part of histrical Baranya county was included after the World War I in what became latter known as Yugoslavia, and consquently in Croatia. The current Croatian County of Osijek and Baranja gears the connection in the name, but also inthe flag - the tower characteristic for the Baranya coat of arms is set above the Osijek bridge in the County coat of
arms.
Zeljko Heimer, 9 April 2001