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Sveta Nedelja (Town, Zagreb County, Croatia)

Flag of Sveta Nedelja - Image by Željko Heimer, 17 November 2013

Presentation of Sveta Nedelja
Flag of Sveta Nedelja
Coat of arms of Sveta Nedelja
Former symbols of Sveta Nedelja

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Presentation of Sveta Nedelja

The Town of Sveta Nedelja (15,506 inhabitants, 1,257 in the village of Sveta Nedelja proper) is located between Zagreb and Samobor, which provides for vivid new enterprises to be located in it recently. The name of the town means "Holy Sunday", which is not uncommon in Croatia, though it slightly differs in dialects: there is a Municipality of Sveta Nedelja / Santa Dominica in Istria and a few others settlements of lower adminitrative status, such as Sveta Nedilja on Hvar.
The status of Sveta Nedelja was upgraded from a Municipality to a Town status by the new Law on local subdivision Zakon o podrucjima županija, gradova i opcina u Republici Hrvatskoj (text), published on 28 July 2006 in the Croatian official gazette Narodne novine, No. 86. The spelling was changed from Sveta Nedjelja to Sveta Nedelja, which makes it more critical for differentiation from the Municipality of the same name in Istria.

Željko Heimer, 12 November 2006

Flag of Sveta Nedelja

The symbols of Sveta Nedelja are prescribed by Decision Odluka o grbu i zastavi Grada Svete Nedelje, adopted on 17 September 2013 by the Town Assembly and published on 18 September 2013 in the Town official gazette Glasnik Grada Svete Nedelje, No. 6 (text).
The Town officials were instructed by the Ministry to keep using the previous, unapproved symbols as long as they do not get the new design formally approved, which is expected to be in 2014. So, the new design is not in actual use yet.

The symbols were designed by Studio Grozić, a Samobor-based company, who also deigned the current symbols of Samobor. The symbols were presented during the 3rd Session of the Town Assembly held on 17 November 2013 by Aida Grozić, Romano Grozić, and their coworker Mišel Kovačić.

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

The Decision was adopted with 10 votes for, 1 against and 5 abstaining. It was much criticized in local media.
The independent Sveta Nedelja portal (article) criticized the lack of transparent process and public competition. They also suggested that the municipality should have consulted the Croatian Association for Heraldry and Vexillology (HDZG.
The other local magazine, Glasnik SSN, reported on 18 November 2013 (article) some issues raised on the discussion in the Town Assembly: why there was no public competition, that several variants should have been presented for the Assembly to choose from, that the propèsals should have been presented to public first and get their opinions, that the background colour of the coat of arms should have been green, that the coat of arms should have included the Kerestinec castle or the parish church, that it is not "appropriate to this climate", that it reminds the Olympic symbols or the Audi sign. Anyway, the Mayor answered most of the questions, while the designers replied that they had prepared some 30-ish variants that were consulted upon with the State Archives and the Heraldry Commission of the Ministry of Administration. The shield shape, out of three variants, was, they explained, chosen to match the 15th century style, since the town was first mentioned in 1501. The designers also stated that the interlaced rings symbolize, besides the main symbolic of the Holy Trinity, also road crossings, economy, sports... The local representative of the Pensioners Party was furious that they shall have to change their own logo which includes the Town arms - and that it shall be very expensive. The reports eventually compares the new symbols to the one used by Led Zeppelin rock band and their (supposed) Satan worshiping and the like, asking why a Satanistic symbol should be on the flag of "tame and Catholic Sveta Nedelja".
The third report is by the local radio Radio Samobor. Among other things, the report includes some of the issues raised on the session, not to repeat it - but to add one not mentioned above - that the design is too futuristic!

Željko Heimer, 7 December 2013

Coat of arms of Sveta Nedelja

Coat of arms of Sveta Nedelja - Image by Željko Heimer, 17 November 2013

The coat of arms is "Azure three annulets fretted argent, one and two."
The three interlaced rings are a version of a trefoil knot known as triqueta (triketa), otherwise found in various depictions. They are here the symbol of the Holy Trinity. This is in a way a continuation of the previous arms, as a symbolic representation of the dedicatee of the church shown in the old emblem.

Željko Heimer, 7 December 2013

Former symbols of Sveta Nedelja

Former flag and arms of Sveta Nedelja- Images by Željko Heimer, 10 August 2013

The former flag of Sveta Nedelja, as locally used relatively frequently and seen on TV, was white with the former coat of arms in the middle.

The former coat of arms(image) pictures in a blue shield on a green base the town's churches and the Eye of Providence (an eye in a triangle within a halo) in chief sinister and includes a white ribbon inscribed with the name of the town.
The heraldic and artistic qualities of the coat of arms are not on the level that the Ministry of Administration expects, so that the coat of arms was not approved

Željko Heimer, 9 June 2004

Former flag and arms of Sveta Nedelja (unknown status) - Images by Željko Heimer, 9 June 2004

A set of slightly different symbols was previously used. Whether this were former official symbols or simply variants is unknown. The different spelling of the name is notable, "Sveta Nedjelja" - as was the official name when the municipality was formed in 1993 -, the official spelling being changed in 2006.

Željko Heimer, 10 August 2012