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Olterterp (The Netherlands)

Opsterland municipality, Fryslân province

Last modified: 2018-12-15 by rob raeside
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[Olterterp villageflag] image by Jarig Bakker, 16 Sep 2003
adopted 1995; Design: J.C. Terluin.

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Olterterp village

Olterterp is a village in Opsterland municipality, Fryslân province, with (1958) 163; (1974) 130; (2000) 94 inhabitants. Smallest village of the municipality. The village belonged to the "Algemene Friese Levensverzekeringsmaatschappij", a life-insurance company; it was a private domain of the van Boelens family, which opened it to the public in the 18th century. Here is the headquarters of the "Fryske Gea", an environment protection agency, and a very small church.
Olterterp coat of arms: Per fess 1. in red two oak branches of gold alongside each other, with two leaves and an acorn; 2. in gold a blue chalice-formed flax-flower, with visible three (of five) leaves and a green stem.
Flag: diagonally divided of red and blue, divided by a narrow yellow stripe from hoist-bottom to fly-top; on red a yellow oak branch.
Olterterp has always been a forest-village, dominated by impressive oaks. The oak branches represent that. The red color symbolizes the heather field (like the Boppefjild) around Olterterp. Gold/yellow is for the sandy soil, and old agricultural lands, on which rye was cultivated. The flax-flower symbolizes the Van Boelens family, which owned this village for two centuries. This family had extensive flax-fields.
The yellow diagonal stripe in the flag refers to the road Drachten-Beetsterzwaag, which runs through the village. The blue color symbolizes the "Ouddiep" (canal), and red the heatherfields.
Design: J.C. Terluin; coat of arms and flag adopted in 1995.
Source: Genealogysk Jierboekje 1995.
De Woudklank (local newspaper), 10 Sep 1998.
Encyclopedie van Friesland, 1958.
Jarig Bakker, 16 Sep 2003

Olterterp coat of arms

[Olterterp Coat of Arms] from De Woudklank (local newspaper), 10 Sep 1998.