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Ljubljana (Civic Municipality, Slovenia)

Last modified: 2013-04-20 by ivan sache
Keywords: ljubljana | dragon (green) | castle (white) | kaselj | rabbits: 2 | cabbage | proposal | letter: k (red) | jadralni klub ljubljana | letters: jkl (green) |
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[Flag of Ljubljana]         [Vertical flag]

Municipal flag of Ljubljana, horizontal and vertical versions - Images by Željko Heimer, 5 November 2012


See also:


Presentation of Ljubljana

Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, was before 1995 divided into the communities of Bezigrad, Center, Moste-Polje, Siska and Vic-Rudnik, though the town had minor administrative status. In 1995 (or 1994), the communities were re-united into the municipality of Ljubljana, which was gratend in 1996 (?) the status of civic municipality.

Željko Heimer, 5 January 2002


Municipal flag of Ljubljana

The symbols of Ljubljana are prescribed by Decision Odlok o grbu, zastavi in imenu Mestne občine Ljubljana ter znaku Ljubljana, adopted on 23 April 2012 and published on 4 May 2012 in the official Slovene gazette Uradni list Republike Slovenije, No. 32 (text).

The flag is in proportions 2:5, horizontally divided white-green, with the municipal coat of arms in the middle, the width of which is 1/2 of the hoist size.
The white and green colurs have been associated with Ljubljana since the 19th century, but their origin and meaning are unknown.

Željko Heimer, 5 November 2012


Coat of arms of Ljubljana

[Coat of arms of Ljubljana]         [Coat of arms of Ljubljana]

Coat of arms of Ljubljana, complete (left) and simplified (right) versions - Images by Željko Heimer, 5 November 2012.

The coat of arms of Ljubljana is "Gules issuant from three mounts vert a city tower argent port and windows sable on which is sitting a dragon of the second".

The town reverted in 2012 to a design similar, but not entirely equal, to Valt Jurečič's design adopted in 1998. Minor improvements made by Jurečič in the mean time, are, most notably, the golden tongue and claws of the dragon. The new Decision also prescribes a simplified design (without the golden elements and without some details in the drawing) to be used on depictions less than 20 mm in height.

Municipal seals used in the 13th century show an old town with a tower. The dragon was subsequently added above the shield, and eventually integrated inside the shield in the 17th century.
The dragon is the symbol of Ljubljana, as explained on the municipal website:

A long time ago, the Greek hero Jason and his companions from the ship Argo, stole the Golden Fleece from the Colchian king. In an effort to escape its pursuers the ship took a wrong turn and, instead of sailing south on the Aegean Sea, it found its way to the mouth of the Danube river.
As there was no way back for them, they continued on up the Danube, the Sava and eventually the Ljubljanica. At the source of the Ljubljanica they stopped, took the ship apart, put the pieces on their shoulders and thus carried the ship to the Adriatic sea, where they put it back together and continued their way back home.
Between the present-day Vrhnika and Ljubljana the Argonauts found a big lake surrounded by a marsh. It was here that Jason came across a terrible marsh monster, which he fought and eventually slew. This monster was the Ljubljana dragon, which today has its permanent abode on top of the castle tower in the Ljubljana coat of arms.

Željko Heimer, 26 June 2010


Flag and arms of Ljubljana, 2008-2012

[Flag of Ljubljana]         [Vertical flag]         [Coat of arms]

Flag and arms of Ljubljana, 2008-2012 - Images by Željko Heimer, 26 June 2010

The symbols of Ljubljana used in 2008-2012 were prescribed by Decision Odlok o uporabi grba, zastave, imena in znaka Mestne občine Ljubljana (text), adopted on 30 June 2008 and published on 17 July 2008 in Uradni list Republike Slovenije, No. 72.
The Decision prescribes the flag (images), coat of arms (images), name and logo (images) of Ljubljana.

The coat of arms is outlined in yellow; from the image, the width of the outline is 1 unit used for coat of arms construction, so the coat of arms, outline included, is in proportions 30:35.
Compared with the previous versions of the arms, the dragon is more stylized and without the internal lines. The details of the portcullis are simplified as well. The municipal administration unilaterally decided to change Valt Jurečič's design adopted in 1998 for a simplified and, according to Jurečič, heraldically incorrect design.

Željko Heimer, 5 November 2012


Flag and arms of Ljubljana, 1998-2008

[Flag of Ljubljana]         [Vertical flag]         [Coat of arms]

Flag and arms of Ljubljana, 1998-2008 - Images by Željko Heimer, 26 June 2010

The flag and arms used in 1998-2008 were prescribed by Decision Odlok o spremembah in dopolnitvah odloka o uporabi grba, zastave in imena Mestne občine Ljubljana (text and images), adopted on 2 July 1998 and published on 25 September 1998 in Uradni list Republike Slovenije, 65/1998.

The symbols were designed by Valt Jurečič of Heraldika d.o.o. and Heraldica Slovenica, who kindly provided drawings from which the images shown on this page were made.

Željko Heimer, 26 June 2010


Flag and arms of Ljubljana, 1996-1998

[Flag of Ljubljana]         [Coat of arms]

Flag and arms of Ljubljana, 1996-1998 - Images by Željko Heimer, 26 June 2010

The flag and arms used in 1996-1998 were prescribed by Decision Odlok o uporabi grba, zastave in imena Mestne občine Ljubljana (text and images), adopted on 2 April 1996 and published on 5 July 1996 in Uradni list Republike Slovenije, 35/1996.

Željko Heimer, 26 June 2010


Flag and arms of Ljubljana, 1979-1996

[Flag of Ljubljana]         [Coat of arms]

Flag and arms of Ljubljana, 1979-1996 - Images by Željko Heimer, 26 June 2010

The early flag and arms of Ljubljana were prescribed by Decision Odlok o uporabi grba, zastave in imena mesta Ljubljana, published in the official gazette of the Socialist Republic of Slovenia Uradni list SRS, 3/1979.

Željko Heimer, 26 June 2010


Local community of Kašelj

The local community of Kašelj, formed of the two villages of Zgornji Kašelj and Spodnji Kašelj (Upper and Lower Kašelj, respectively), is located some 8 miles east of Ljubljana. Kašelj (German, Kaschel) means "cough", therefore many believe that the place does not exist while its inhabitants ("coughers") enjoy explaining that they are famous worldwide, up to China.

While Kašelj has no official symbols yet, the Kašelj portal, maintained, by Matija Alič, shows different flag proposals.

[Kaselj, flag proposal #1]

Proposal of a flag for Kašelj - Image by Ivan Sache, 8 April 2000

A blue flag with two cute rabbits flanking a cabbage was designed by Matija Alič. Cabbage is the most famous product of Kašelj, "grown there since immemorial times". The blue color represents freedom and the sky over Kašelj.

[Kaselj, flag proposal #2]         [Kaselj, flag proposal #4]

Proposals of flag and ensign for Kašelj - Images by Ivan Sache, 8 April 2000

A flag horizontally divided yellow-black-green and charged with a yellow helmet place over a white rectangle was designed by Gregor Smrekar. The proposed ensign (pomorska zastava) is similar, but without the helmet, "to make identification easier".
Green represents river Ljubljanica, which should be green if it was clean, agriculture, and Ljubljana.
Black represents iron mining in the Kašelj hills.
Yellow represents independence, recalling that the place had once a free administration. Yellow is also the color of the ruins of the castle.
The yellow helmet represents a generic knight of princely or famous origin. The white rectangle under the helmet represents the stone base of the castle, freedom and democracy and the stones extracted from the Kašelj hills to build the village.

[Kaselj, flag proposal #3]

A proposed flag diagonally divided green-blue-brown witha red "K" in the middle was once shown in a previous version of the Kašelj portal. It must have been grazed by the cute rabbits.

Željko Heimer & Ivan Sache, 1 September 2011


Yacht Club of Ljubljana (Jadralni Klub Ljubljana)

[Yacht Club of Ljubljana]

Burgee of Yacht Club of Ljubljana - Image by Ivan Sache, 6 October 2001

The burgee of the Yacht Club of Ljubljana (Jadralni Klub Ljubljana), as shown on the yacht club website (page no longer online) is dark green with a white triangle placed along the hoist and spreading over 1/3 of the burgee. Letters "JKL" in dark green are placed horizontally in the middle of the white triangle.

Ivan Sache, 6 October 2001