Flag of Vojvodina
Encyclopedia
The flag of Vojvodina
is based on the Flag of Serbia
of which Vojvodina is a northern province. The flag consists of three horizontal strands of red, blue and white with the blue portion being significantly wider.
The blue portion contains three yellow stars representing the three geographic regions of Vojvodina: Bačka
, Banat
and Srem
.
was introduced in 1848. Originally, it was a flag of Sombor volunteers' regiment from 1848 and 1849, but it was also used as an unofficial flag of Serbian Vojvodina
.
The coat-of-arms used on this flag was essentially the Austrian Habsburg imperial arms, with the coat-of-arms of the Serbs
(Serbian cross
, with four ocila (firesteels)) on the chests of the black eagle. The bearer of the Serbian arms was the Austrian black eagle, instead of the Serbian white one, in order to show the fidelity of the newly established Voivodship to the Imperial Court in Vienna.
The coat-of-arms was added to the Serbian national tricolour
. Thus the flag differed from the flag of the Principality of Serbia, which had a different arms in the middle of its state flag.
The blue-yellow-green flag (vertical and horizontal) was used as unofficial flag of Vojvodina by some regionalist political parties such as League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina
, Vojvodina Coalition
, etc. This flag was introduced during the 1990s (at the time when Vojvodina did not had its official flag) with the proposal that it should become the future flag of Vojvodina. Since the adoption of the official Vojvodina flag in 2004, the proposed flag has mostly been abandoned as an unofficial symbol of the province, and is today only sporadically used as the LSV
party flag. The proposed 1990s flag is based on the similar flag that dates back to 11 May 1848, when it was adopted as the flag of the Serb revolutionaries from Šajkaška
(central part of Vojvodina
, east of Novi Sad
). More precisely, that flag was used by the Šajkaš Battalion that belonged to the Germanic-Illyric Regiment of the Banatian Military Frontier. However, the original flag had a brownish colour instead of green. There are horizontal variants of the flag as well.
Those who proposed the flag during the 1990s contended that blue, yellow and green colors representing the sky, corn and grazing land (pasture), respectively. Another interpretation is that those colors representing the sky, sun and fertile land of Vojvodina, respectively.
During the 1990s, this flag was one of the symbols of Vojvodinian regionalist movement that was opposing Milošević's regime in Belgrade. Today this flag is used as a party flag of the League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina, which advocating that Vojvodina should become a constituent republic of the new regionalized and federalized Serbia. However, even this party now using official flag of Vojvodina, as a symbol of the region.
Vojvodina
Vojvodina, officially called Autonomous Province of Vojvodina is an autonomous province of Serbia. Its capital and largest city is Novi Sad...
is based on the Flag of Serbia
Flag of Serbia
The flag of Serbia is a tricolour consisting of three equal horizontal bands, red on the top, blue in the middle and white on the bottom. The same tricolour, in some variations, was the flag of Serbia throughout its history, and is the ethnic flag of the Serbian people.The state flag bears the...
of which Vojvodina is a northern province. The flag consists of three horizontal strands of red, blue and white with the blue portion being significantly wider.
The blue portion contains three yellow stars representing the three geographic regions of Vojvodina: Bačka
Backa
Bačka is a geographical area within the Pannonian plain bordered by the river Danube to the west and south, and by the river Tisza to the east of which confluence is located near Titel...
, Banat
Banat
The Banat is a geographical and historical region in Central Europe currently divided between three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania , the western part in northeastern Serbia , and a small...
and Srem
Syrmia
Syrmia is a fertile region of the Pannonian Plain in Europe, between the Danube and Sava rivers. It is divided between Serbia in the east and Croatia in the west....
.
Historical flag of Serbian Vojvodina
The historical flag of the Serbian VojvodinaSerbian Vojvodina
The Serbian Vojvodina was a Serbian autonomous region within the Austrian Empire...
was introduced in 1848. Originally, it was a flag of Sombor volunteers' regiment from 1848 and 1849, but it was also used as an unofficial flag of Serbian Vojvodina
Serbian Vojvodina
The Serbian Vojvodina was a Serbian autonomous region within the Austrian Empire...
.
The coat-of-arms used on this flag was essentially the Austrian Habsburg imperial arms, with the coat-of-arms of the Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
(Serbian cross
Serbian cross
The Serbian Cross is a national symbol of Serbia, part of the Coat of Arms of Serbia, and the flag of Serbia. It is composed of a cross symbol with four C-shapes on each of its corners, in use as a national emblem since the 14th century....
, with four ocila (firesteels)) on the chests of the black eagle. The bearer of the Serbian arms was the Austrian black eagle, instead of the Serbian white one, in order to show the fidelity of the newly established Voivodship to the Imperial Court in Vienna.
The coat-of-arms was added to the Serbian national tricolour
Flag of Serbia
The flag of Serbia is a tricolour consisting of three equal horizontal bands, red on the top, blue in the middle and white on the bottom. The same tricolour, in some variations, was the flag of Serbia throughout its history, and is the ethnic flag of the Serbian people.The state flag bears the...
. Thus the flag differed from the flag of the Principality of Serbia, which had a different arms in the middle of its state flag.
1990s Proposed unofficial flag
League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina
The League of Vojvodina Social Democrats is a regionalist social democratic political party in Serbia...
, Vojvodina Coalition
Vojvodina Coalition
Vojvodina Coalition is a political party in the Serbian province of Vojvodina....
, etc. This flag was introduced during the 1990s (at the time when Vojvodina did not had its official flag) with the proposal that it should become the future flag of Vojvodina. Since the adoption of the official Vojvodina flag in 2004, the proposed flag has mostly been abandoned as an unofficial symbol of the province, and is today only sporadically used as the LSV
League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina
The League of Vojvodina Social Democrats is a regionalist social democratic political party in Serbia...
party flag. The proposed 1990s flag is based on the similar flag that dates back to 11 May 1848, when it was adopted as the flag of the Serb revolutionaries from Šajkaška
Šajkaška
Šajkaška is a geographical region in Serbia. It is southeastern part of Bačka, located in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina. Territory of Šajkaška is divided among four municipalities: Titel, Žabalj, Novi Sad, and Srbobran. Historical center of Šajkaška is Titel.-Name:Name Šajkaška means "land...
(central part of Vojvodina
Vojvodina
Vojvodina, officially called Autonomous Province of Vojvodina is an autonomous province of Serbia. Its capital and largest city is Novi Sad...
, east of Novi Sad
Novi Sad
Novi Sad is the capital of the northern Serbian province of Vojvodina, and the administrative centre of the South Bačka District. The city is located in the southern part of Pannonian Plain on the Danube river....
). More precisely, that flag was used by the Šajkaš Battalion that belonged to the Germanic-Illyric Regiment of the Banatian Military Frontier. However, the original flag had a brownish colour instead of green. There are horizontal variants of the flag as well.
Those who proposed the flag during the 1990s contended that blue, yellow and green colors representing the sky, corn and grazing land (pasture), respectively. Another interpretation is that those colors representing the sky, sun and fertile land of Vojvodina, respectively.
During the 1990s, this flag was one of the symbols of Vojvodinian regionalist movement that was opposing Milošević's regime in Belgrade. Today this flag is used as a party flag of the League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina, which advocating that Vojvodina should become a constituent republic of the new regionalized and federalized Serbia. However, even this party now using official flag of Vojvodina, as a symbol of the region.
Similar flags
- Flag of Vojvodina is somewhat similar to the Flag of GagauziaFlag of GagauziaThe flag of Gagauzia has served as the republic's flag until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 with slightly different colors and no stars or white, although these symbols were sometimes used in the flag on some official occasions....
. - The organization of the stars in the Flag of Vojvodina is similar to the AmericanUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
state Flag of TennesseeFlag of TennesseeThe flag of the state of Tennessee consists of an emblem on a field of red, with a strip of blue on the fly. The emblem of the middle consists of three stars on a blue circle. The flag was designed by Colonel LeRoy Reeves of the Tennessee National Guard. The Tennessee State Legislature officially...
.