Yugoslavia Order of Yugoslavian Flag

[new world]

Here's 2nd class set from my collection.

About 1300 awarded.

Award was given to American engineer.

[new world]

and here's Yugoslavia Order of Yugoslav Flag 1st class

Issued during 1941 - 1990.

Order of the Yugoslav Flag 1st class in original case, with wearing ribbon bars, later emission.

Given to Yugoslav and foreign citizen in rank of minister and high representatives of states. Also awarded for exceptional civil merit.

Manufactured from silver, gilt and enamel, with few mintmarks on the back side of the star.

Only about 1400 were ever awarded.

William

Edited March 29, 2007 by new world

[new world]

case for 1st class and tube to store award document, awarded to Austrian diplomat.

Edited March 29, 2007 by new world

[Christian Zulus]

Dear William,

these are outstanding beauties - many thanks for sharing them to us .

The former President of our "Austrian - Yugoslav Society" (founded 1936, but now renamed to "Austrian - Serbian Union", where I have the honour to work as the Secretary General http://www.oejg.net ), Heinz Fischer (now President of Austria http://www.hofburg.at/index.php?sid=48&amp...amp;language=en ), got such a 1st class at the 12th of september 1988. Heinz Fischer had been President of our bilateral & official society from 1983 till 1993, when the Austrian state dissolved our society with the argument, that Yugoslavia as a state doesen't exist anymore . After the NATO-war 1999 we gained the right again - with strong support from Austrian industry & banks - to reestablish the "Austrian - Yugoslav Society" in january 2000. Heinz Fischer did a lot for the bilateral relations between Yugoslavia & Austria and is still President of the Austrian "Vuk-Karadzic-Society" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vuk_Stefanovi...ad%C5%BEi%C4%87 for cultural exchange and supports the needs of our "Austrian - Serbian Union".

Could you please tell me, who of our diplomats got - and when - the other 1st class of the Yugoslavian Flag ? I assume, that person had been a former ambassador to Yugoslavia.

Best regards

Christian

BTW: Do you collect YU-Awards, because of their sheer beauty - or do you have a special relationship or interest to the Westbalkans ?

[Piramida]

Here's 1st class awarded to my Grandfather, one of only 342 given to Yugoslav nationals

Another interesting fact is that the first class was awarded 1423 times alltogether while the fifth class was awarded only 769 times.....

Ivan

[Christian Zulus]

Dear Ivan,

so, your Grandfather and the President of Austria have 2 things in common:

Their love to Serbia/Yugoslavia and that special award .

Best regards

Christian

BTW: In summer 2005 there had been an official state visit of Heinz Fischer to Serbia and Montenegro, which had been very positivly presented in western medias - excellent PR for the Westbalkans!

[DutchBoy]

Hi Christian,

I see you live in Austria and are interested in Yugo awards. Check out my Yugo Order of the Flag 2nd class to the head of the Austrian Railways in the 1960s...I think you might appreciate the connection to your country.

Matt.

[Bryan]

This is a very nice group!

[Christian Zulus]

"Order of the Flag" 2cl - a strange private coincidence

Hi Christian,

I see you live in Austria and are interested in Yugo awards. Check out my Yugo Order of the Flag 2nd class to the head of the Austrian Railways in the 1960s...I think you might appreciate the connection to your country.

Matt.

Dear Matt,

many thanks for showing that outstanding decoration to us - and to me .

Congratulaions, you have an YU-Order in your collection, which had been confered by Marshal Tito to the - rather prominent - receipient by himself . That is very rare - specially for YU-Orders awarded to foreigners - and a good investment for the USD 800,-, you spent for the set.

The facts:

Dr. Bruno Kepnik had been a highest ranking civil officer and manager in the Austrian state and a prominent member of the Austrian "Socialdemocratic Party" SP?. He promoted at the beginning of the year 1967 to the head of the Austrian Railways ?BB and was called "Bundesbahngeneral" (General of the Austrian Railways). In terms of state protocol he had been just one rank under a federal minister. Kepnik had excellent contacts to Eastern Europe, as he had been the Vicepresident of the rather influentual "Austrian - Polish Society" and he also did a lot for the bilateral relations between Austrian and Yugoslavia - the reason, why he got that award. Bruno Kepnik died about 20 years ago in Vienna.

Marshal Tito and Jovanka made an offical state visit to Austria from the 13th to the 18th of february 1967.

Dear Matt, look at your document - 11th of february 1967. It is an Austrian habit, that a president, who makes an official visit to our country, has to bring a hughe box of orders & medals with him, which the invited president has to confer - personally! - to meritorious representitives of the Austrian state. As an exchange Marshal Tito got the highest order of Austria, as you can see at the attached photograph and his delegation also got fine Austrian orders.

So, if you want to push the market value of your YU-Flag 2cl, you might contact the daughter of Dr. Kepnik, MMag. Dr. Eva-Maria Kepnik (2 MAs + 1 PhD) and ask her about photographs of her dad with Tito. Her adress: 1080 Vienna, Trautsongasse 3, tel.: +43 1 405 14 11.

Private coincidence:

Bruno Kepnik had been a very, very close friend to my family. His house had been just 300 meters from our estate. He was famous for his hughe collection of fine arts - oil paintings from the 16th to the 19th century - and he actually made me - in the early 1970s - to a keen collector, by bringing outstanding paintings to our house for me - I choosed & father paid - and taking me to gallieries and exhibitions. The fact was, that Kepnik's villa had been completly cramped with objects of fine art, but he had been a notorious collector, who got high grade items for a bargain. So, the basis of my collection are the items Bruno Kepnik brought in our house.

Without Bruno Kepnik I wouldn't have started collecting fine arts - and consequently orders & medals. So, it has been his - bearer of the YU-"Order of the Flag" 2cl - "impulse", that you have to read my postings at GMIC .

The sad end of the story: After Kepnik's death his widow and daughter sold almost everything: Villa, hughe art collection and his orders .

Whenever you want to sell your YU-Flag 2cl, please let me know .

Best regards

Christian

Edited April 4, 2007 by Christian Zulus

[Christian Zulus]

Matt's YU-Flag 2cl

Gentlemen,

That order had been awarded 1967 - personally by Marshal Tito himself! - to an old personal friend of mine, who passed away 20 years ago.

Best regards

Christian

Edited November 5, 2007 by Christian Zulus

[DutchBoy]

Christian,

That is an awesome coincidence!! It sounds like Dr. Kepnik was a great man and a great influence in your life.

Thank you so much for the fascinating background info that I would never otherwise have learned about him. I will post a better scan of his document...it has a citation for the award (in Serbian of course) that may be interesting to you.

Again, fascinating stuff!

[Christian Zulus]

Christian,

That is an awesome coincidence!! It sounds like Dr. Kepnik was a great man and a great influence in your life.

Thank you so much for the fascinating background info that I would never otherwise have learned about him. I will post a better scan of his document...it has a citation for the award (in Serbian of course) that may be interesting to you.

Again, fascinating stuff!

Dear Matt,

yes, as I pointed out, Bruno Kepnik started my collecting career .

You will find an English translation of Kepniks citation at the "other" Soviet forum of Mr. Artur Bates the 3rd one.

Please post the additional material - and the results of your future research - at thread dealing with the "Order of the Yugoslavian Flag" - many thanks .

Best regards

Christian

[Explorer]

I love your set of 2cl. Very nice! Congrats!

Christian, does Bruno Kepnik have/had any relatives in Slovenia becouse his surname could be totally Slovene?

[Christian Zulus]

I love your set of 2cl. Very nice! Congrats!

Christian, does Bruno Kepnik have/had any relatives in Slovenia becouse his surname could be totally Slovene?

Dear Nejc,

if you look into the official phone directory of Vienna, you will find 2/3 of all entries with a pure slavonic name . Vienna had been in the 19th century the same as New York today: A melting pot of nations.

I can't remember, if Bruno Kepnik's familiy had been genuine Slovenian, but as an influential person in the state service he did a lot for the slavonic countries in Eastern Europe - specially Yugoslavia and Poland.

Another fact is, that the Slovenian Nation lives in 2 countries: Republic Slovenia AND Austria, Carinthia. The Slovenian language - as Croatian & Hungarian - is a official language in Austria and specially the Slovenian Nation has special minority rights in Austria, but since years big problems with the right-wing prime minister of Carinthia, Joerg Haider .

In the 1980s Austria had a Federal Prime Minister (Bundeskanzler), who came from the Croatian minority in the province Burgenland: Dr. Fred Sinowatz .

In Vienna the genuine German-Austrians are a minority .

Best regards

Christian

Edited April 4, 2007 by Christian Zulus

[new world]

Dear Matt,

yes, as I pointed out, Bruno Kepnik started my collecting career .

You will find an English translation of Kepniks citation at the "other" Soviet forum of Mr. Artur Bates the 3rd one.

Please post the additional material - and the results of your future research - at thread dealing with the "Order of the Yugoslavian Flag" - many thanks .

Best regards

Christian

Matt,

Congratulations on excellent 2nd class set.

I was offered this set a year ago .

I am glad it found good home!

William

[DutchBoy]

Thanks William, I obviously got a good one! I'm keeping it real safe until its next owner!

Matt,

Congratulations on excellent 2nd class set.

I was offered this set a year ago .

I am glad it found good home!

William

[Christian Zulus]

Citation (eng. trans.) of Matt's Flag 2cl awarded to Bruno Kepnik in 1967

Gentlemen,

that's written at the large document, Matt showed to us at the other thread (see my posting above):

By order (= Ukaz) from the President of the SFRJ Josip Broz Tito, order No. 13 of the 11th of february 1967, we award with that order to Mr. Dr. Bruno Kepnik, General Director (= CEO) of the Federal Railways of Austria (= OEBB, state railways) for his merits in developing and strengthening the peaceful cooperation between the SFRJ and the Republic of Austrian the ?Order of the Yugoslavian Flag 2nd Class?, which is stated by that document. Chancellery for Orders in Belgrade, 11th of february 1976. (Signature of the Chancellery?s officer.)

I am not sure, if the no. 13 refers to the number of orders of Marshal Tito in the year 1967 or if it is the serial number of that order ? I personally intend to the 1st version, because I assume, that in 1967 more Flags 2cl had to be issued already.

Best regards

Christian

Edited April 5, 2007 by Christian Zulus

[sperans123]

Dear Christian,

your assumption is correct. The number 13 on the document means the 13th awarded Order by the Titos order in year 1967.

[Christian Zulus]

Dear Christian,

your assumption is correct. The number 13 on the document means the 13th awarded Order by the Titos order in year 1967.

Dear Sperans,

many thanks for your expertise .

Best regards

Christian

[orden_master]

Here's 1st class awarded to my Grandfather, one of only 342 given to Yugoslav nationals

Another interesting fact is that the first class was awarded 1423 times alltogether while the fifth class was awarded only 769 times.....

Ivan

Hello

the order of the Yugoslav flag was used over the years more and more as a "diplomatic corps" order. Most of the diplomats having served in Belgrade have received this order. The same for diplomatic visits. So the IV and V class of the order was given mainly to "lower" ranked personel. And having heard many stories of people having served in this period many of those low level ordes have found their direct way to the garbage pile as they were not given this high attention as with higher class orders.

This fact reflects also in the very hard time to find complete sets (box/medal/certificate) of the lowest two classes of this order, same for the rather high prices for the 4th and 5th class.

regards

Milan

[Guest Rick Research]

Could you zoom in on the enamelled flags, please? Each one appears to be different. It must have been extremely difficult to mix three colors of enamel together like "toothpaste" without metal dividing each stripe from the next one. These must have been a nightmare to make, with many scrapped as defective. I can't think of any other Order that was made with enamel this way.

[Bryan]

.

Edited April 16, 2007 by Soviet

[orden_master]

Perfect observation Rick

indeed there exists two variants of the flag and the way how the star is made. The first one with the star drawn by hand and very variable on different items and afterwards with a metalic border as divider between the flag and the star. I will try to find some pics.

regards

Milan

Could you zoom in on the enamelled flags, please? Each one appears to be different. It must have been extremely difficult to mix three colors of enamel together like "toothpaste" without metal dividing each stripe from the next one. These must have been a nightmare to make, with many scrapped as defective. I can't think of any other Order that was made with enamel this way.

[Guest Rick Research]

About what year did that change occur?

[order_of_victory]

Heres a 5th Class for sale on ebay

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewIt...DME:B:FSEL:CA:1

A snip at $399

Order of Victory