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Slovakian Municipal flags: Introduction

Introduction
Typology

See also:

Introduction

I have received from a visitor of my pages a photocopy of a poster with Slovakian municipal CoAs and flags. The poster is issued by Slovenska genealogicko-heraldicka spolocnost pri Matici slovenskoj 1996. There are 136 CoAs on the poster around the map of Slovakia with flags on the sites of the cities on it. All Slovak municipal flags are swallow-tailed, and with no exception with simple geometric divisions. Most of them are horizontally divided in 2,3,4,5 and even more stripes usually in several colors, seemingly based on the colors of the COAs. Several are quartered in 4 and some in 6 fields. Some are of saltire pattern, and just a few are simple monocolored, or with a border.
Zeljko Heimer, 18 Dec 1997.

"I have attached a few Slovakian GIFs and Vectors as well for you to use. These were made based on a site with Slovakian flags, called 'Erbya vlajky slovenských miest' (located by Jan Oskar Engene- not available at the moment), and I have asked for permission to use the images on the FOTW, but several [three or four] requests have gone unanswered. All the simple images sent in the attached ZIP files are totally re-drawn and in my opinion may be used without permission. I wish no credit for these images."
Submitted through Rob Raeside , 14 July 1999

During my visit of Slovakia last year I bought the map with Slovak Civic Coats of Arms and Flags (edited by "Slovenská geneaologická a heraldická spolocnost pri Matici slovenskej", 1996) mentioned by Zeljko Heimer. I also have the book "Erby a vlajky miest v Slovenskej republike" (Ministry of Internal affairs, Bratislava 1991) and I suppose, that this is the main source for the former Tatrarevue and for FOTW. Since the book was edited in 1991, some of them are not valid anymore. Professor Jozef Novák, Slovak Heraldic, one of the authors of that book had a questionable theory: in his opinion the figures (or characters) of Saints shouldn't be used as the main figure. In a "correct" Coat of arms that is always a character replaced by his (or her) Attributes. His "scientific" theory was based on the fact, that many Saints were in Seals and some of them were really this way replaced - e.g : St. Catherine was in CoA of Kremnica replaced by the "broken wheel" and the letter "C" for Latin "Cremnicia" for Kremnica ).
Aleš Křižan, 22 Jan 2001

Typology of Slovak Civic Flags

Very strict regulations for the approval of municipal flags led to a standardized system of uniform and simple patterns in Slovakia. They might be criticized for not leaving enough self-determination to the local authorities; on the other hand they created a very clear vexillological typology and simple distinguishable flag designs.
In 1975 the Heraldic Commission was established by the Slovak Ministry of the Interior in order to revise old and a