At least twice a year, usually around Independence Day and Statehood Day, and sometimes even more often, the flag with lilies becomes a topic of debate, political disputes, and even misdemeanor charges in the territory of the Republika Srpska (RS) for those who display it.
This was the case again two days ago in Banja Luka, when a group of women unfurled the flag with lilies, prompting a reaction from the police as well as from politicians, both from the ruling party and the opposition. Both sides labeled the display of the lily flag in Banja Luka as a provocation. In RS politics, whether ruling or opposition, this flag is branded as a war flag, and its display is treated as a serious offense.
For RS politics, this flag symbolizes division, a tool eagerly exploited for political purposes.
How did it all begin?
The white flag with golden lilies on a blue shield is the flag of the internationally recognized Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (RBiH), which was raised on May 21st in front of the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York. This flag, now called a war flag in RS, was the official flag of RBiH and served as a state symbol during and after the war, up until 1998.
The political changes of the early 1990s, particularly the dissolution of Yugoslavia, created the need for new state symbols. Efforts were made to mitigate national divisions, as tensions had already risen significantly by the end of 1991. Medieval symbols seemed like an ideal solution for a unifying flag.
The idea of creating a new flag and coat of arms was initiated in late February 1991, when the Assembly of the Socialist Republic of BiH (SRBiH) decided to amend the Constitution and adopt new symbols for RBiH. A commission of five members, including historians, an archaeologist, and a designer, was formed, with Kasim Trnka as the legal advisor. It was proposed that the primary color of the flag be light blue, symbolizing peace and prosperity.
The design featured a BiH coat of arms with lilies, rooted in medieval royal seals and coins. The key inspiration for identifying the medieval BiH coat of arms came from the funeral shroud of King Tvrtko I Kotromanic, found during excavations at the coronation and burial church of BiH rulers in Mile (present-day Arnautovici) near Visoko. Thus, the symbol of the lily from the Kingdom of Bosnia, a unifying and non-ethnic symbol, was chosen to represent the state.
The new symbols were presented to cultural organizations like Preporod, Napredak, Prosvjeta, and La Benevolencija for feedback and potential adjustments. All agreed on the proposed design, except for the Serbian organization Prosvjeta, which advocated for the inclusion of Serbian symbols in the flag.
Meanwhile, the war began, and the working group dissolved. Historians Enver Imamovic and designer Zvonimir Bebek continued the project on their own initiative. Within about 40 days, they made only “cosmetic changes,” altering the border of the shield from silver to gold and the flag’s base color from light blue to white.
On May 4th, the Presidency of RBiH adopted the proposed design, and the flag with lilies on a shield on a white background became the official state flag. Although the commission tried from the very beginning to avoid any ethnic symbolism, the lily flag remains a topic of controversy to this day.
It is important to note that, in addition to the challenges in creating the new flag, a major issue was the war and the destruction it brought, which caused a shortage of materials and created difficulties in producing the first flags. At that time, Salem Malovic, the owner of a graphic studio, stepped in to assist with the flag’s production. As a result, the flag with lilies soon flew in front of the Presidency of RBiH building, but only for two weeks, as it was almost entirely destroyed by shelling. The damaged flag is now displayed in a museum.
Post-war perceptions
Despite some Serbs and Croats initially accepting the lily flag, the war led to its association mainly with Bosniaks, as an ethnic group, and the Army of RBiH (ARBiH). Although initially designed as civic and supra-ethnic, it increasingly became linked to one ethnic group.
During the war in BiH, other symbols also emerged, representing the warring sides or factions within them. The Croatian side primarily used a stylized “checkerboard”, while the Serbs drew their symbols from the heraldic tradition of Serbia.
The flag with lilies remained in use until 1998, when, after numerous failed attempts by domestic politicians in the BiH Parliament to agree on the design of a future flag, the then High Representative Carlos Westendorp made the decision on the appearance of the new flag, which remains in use to this day. It is important to emphasize that Serbian and Croatian delegates rejected various proposed designs for the new flag, even though all the proposals were ethnically neutral, insisting instead that the future flag include symbols of ethnic groups. Since no agreement was reached, the High Representative imposed his decision.
In any case, the story of the lily flag remains a subject of political exploitation, despite its historical roots, the circumstances of its creation and adoption, and the fact it was recognized by the UN. Ignoring the historical fact that BiH gained independence in 1992 with this flag and was accepted into the UN is unrealistic given today’s political climate.
Historian Emir O. Filipovic, who specializes in heraldry and medieval BiH, has written extensively on this topic, including in the work “The Nation Emblem and the Flag of BiH in the 20th Century.”, Klix.ba writes.
E.Dz.
