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![[Municipality flag]](../images/h/hr-sk-to.gif)
Flag of Topusko - Image by Željko Heimer, 19 December 2009
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The municipality of Topusko is located at the top of the north-western "peak" of Bosnia and Herzegovina, on river Glina, half way between the town of Glina and its confluence into Una on the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, between the traditional regions of Kordun and Banovina. The municipality has some 3,200 inhabitants, which is about half the number before the 1990s war; the town of Topusko itself has no more than 800 inhabitants, others living in 15 villages surrounding it. There is now about 30% of Serb population, that was in large majority before 1990.
In the Roman period the place was known as Ad Fines. In the vicinity, at Petrova Gora mountain, in a battle fought in 1097, the last Croatian native king Petar Svačić was killed.
A legend says that the name of the town originates from the word top ("cannon"), refering to the cannons used by the Turks in 1556 to demolish a Cistercian monastery that was standing nearby, built by King Andrew II after his vow to build it if he returns sucessfully from the crusade to Jerusalem. Only the monumental Gothical portal is still standing, today a recognizable symbol of the town.
After the liberation from the Ottomans, Topusko was part of the Military Frontier. In the early 19th century spa tourism began to form using thermal springs, when the town flourished. During the Second World War, the 3rd session of ZAVNOH, the anti-fascist government assembly, was held on 8-9 May 1944, establishing the Federate State of Croatia as part of the Federative Yugoslavia - the modern Republic of Croatia considers to be the sucessor of the state established there.
During the 1990s war, the town was held by secessionist forces, much of the population was relocated and it suffered much demolition. The Sector North HQ of UNPROFOR was located in Topusko in 1992-1995.
Željko Heimer, 19 December 2009
The symbols of Topusko are prescribed by Decision Odluka o grbu i zastavi Općine Topusko (text), adopted on 3 September 2008 by the Municipality Council and published on 24 June 2009 in the official gazette Službeni vjesnik, No. 18.
Amendment Odluka izmjenama i dopunama Odluke o grbu i zastavi Općine Topusko, adopted on 27 October 2009 by the Municipality Council and published on 10 November 2009 in Službeni vjesnik, No. 43, changes only minor wording regarding the competences of the Mayor.
Articles 4-6 of the Municipality Statutes Statut Općine Topusko, adopted on 8 September 2009 by the Municipality Council and published on 11 September 2009 in Službeni vjesnik, No. 34, include the same description of the symbols.
The flag is blue with the coat of arms, bordered yellow, in the middle.
Željko Heimer, 19 December 2009
![[Municipal coat of arms]](../images/h/hr)sk-to.gif)
Coat of arms of Topusko - Image by Željko Heimer, 19 December 2009
The coat of arms of Topusko is "Gules a masoned portal or and a spring-fountain issuant from the base".
The portal is standing for the remaining Gothical portal of the Cistercian monastery, the spring refers to the thermal spas. I wonder whether the choice of the red background may be a subtle reference to the Communist-lead ZAVNOH, although this may be a mere coincidence.
Željko Heimer, 19 December 2009