^{This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website}

Knin (Town, Šibenik-Knin County, Croatia)

Flag of Knin - Image by Željko Heimer, 13 January 2003

Presentation of Knin
Flag of Knin
Coat of arms of Knin
Ceremonial flag of Knin
Former coat of arms of Knin (1980s)

See also:

Presentation of Knin

The Town of Knin (15,407 inhabitants in 2011, 10,633 in the town of Knin) is located in the hinterland, some 60 km northeast of Šibenik.
Knin flourished during the reign of King Dmitar Zvonimir in the 10th century, so it is often nicknamed "Zvonimir's Town" (Zvonimirov grad, just like Šibenik is nicknamed Krešimirov grad). The town is located at an important road and railway junction. In the recent history, it became infamous as the capital of the self-proclaimed Republic of Serbian Krajina, liberated in August 1995. A large, iconic Croatian flag, today preserved in the Military Museum, was then hoisted on the Knin fortress.
Knin was a Municipality in Zadar-Knin County until 1997, when it gained the Town status and was included in the (since then called) Šibenik-Knin County. Before 1997, Knin was also the capital of the kotar (district) of the same name that included several other municipalities, but this organization never functioned properly as the area was occupied.

Željko Heimer, 9 November 2013

Flag of Knin

The symbols of Knin are prescribed by Statutory Decision Statutarna odluka o grbu i zastavi Grada Knina, adopted on 13 April 2001 by the Town Assembly and published on 18 April 2001 in the County official gazette Službeni vjesnik Šibensko-kninske županije, No. 3. The companion Decision Odluka o mjerilima i postupku za odobravanje uporabe grba i zastave Grada Knina, adopted on 13 April 2001 and published on 18 April 2001 in Službeni vjesnik Šibensko-kninske županije, No. 3, determines the rules and procedures of the grant of use of the coat of arms and the flag.
The symbols are described in the Town Statutes Statut Grada Knina, adopted on 31 October 2001 and published on 11 December 2001 in Službeni vjesnik Šibensko-kninske županije, No. 17.

The 2001 Decisions were superseded by Decisions Statutarna odluka o grbu i zastavi Grada Knina and Odluka o mjerilima i postupku za odobravanje uporabe grba i zastave Grada Knina, adopted on 21 July 2006 and published on 30 August 2006 in Službeni vjesnik Šibensko-kninske županije, No. 12. Here the description of the coat of arms is somewhat simplified; the excessive description of what is symbolizing what was removed according to the blazon provided by the Ministry in its approval Decision. Moreover, the new Decision includes drawings of the coat of arms, the flag and the ceremonial flag. The two Decisions were amended by Statutarna odluka o izmjenama i dopunama Statutarne odluke o grbu i zastavi Grada Knina and Odluka o izmjenama i dopunama Odluke o mjerilima za uporabu grba i zastave Grada Knina, respectively, both adopted on 21 December 2009 and published on 28 December 2009 in Službeni vjesnik Šibensko-kninske županije, No. 17 (text).

The symbols, designed by the Heraldic Art d.o.o. company, from Rijeka, were approved on 28 March 2001 by the Ministry of Justice, Administration and Local Self-Government.

The flag is in proportions 1:2, red with the coat of arms, bordered yellow, in the middle.

Željko Heimer, 18 July 2010

Coat of arms of Knin

Coat of arms of Knin - Image by Željko Heimer, 13 January 2003

The coat of arms is "Azure a lamb passant argent holding a cross-staff or an in the canton Zvonimir's crown or with stones gules".
The lamb is Agnus Dei (Jaganjac Božiji). The crown is basically the same as in the County's coat of arms.

Željko Heimer, 19 August 2006

Ceremonial flag of Knin

Ceremonial flag of Knin - Image by Željko Heimer, 13 January 2003

The ceremonial flag is a 80 cm x 160 cm red gonfalon bordered golden with a fringe at the bottom. In the middle is the coat of arms, above it golden inscription "Grad Knin" embroidered with golden outline. In the tails are golden branches of grapevine and olive, also bordered golden.

Željko Heimer, 19 August 2006

Former coat of arms of Knin (1980s)

Coat of arms of Knin - Image by Željko Heimer, 22 July 2004

During the last decades of the Socialist period (1980s), Knin used a coat of arms, based on the historical arms, showing the Paschal lamb passant in a blue shield on green a base, but devoided of any religious emblems (no flag carried on the staff and no halo either), but yet retaining the characteristic position of the lamb.

Željko Heimer, 22 July 2004