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Shipmate Flagchart : http://www.flagchart.net
adopted 29 Nov 1990
From: http://www.delfzijl.nl/gemeente/gemeentevlag.html:
Flag of the municipality of Delfzijl (province Groningen, the Netherlands)
By the amalgamation of the municipalities Bierum, Delfzijl and Termunten
on 1 January 1990 the municipality of Delfzijl was formed. On 29 November
1990 the municipal council resolved upon a flag with the following description:
"a rectangular flag with height 2/3 of the length, divided in three
horizontal parallel bars YRB. Along the hoist a rectangular triangle in
black with a yellow clover-leaf."
Historical background.
I. The bars "Yellow-Red-Blue", the socalled 'Eemse vlag' (Ems river flag). According to a letter of 27 January 1959 of Mr. Schoningh, city archivarian of Emden the ships from the East Frisian Eems-ports of Emden and Papenburg (now in Germany) had the "Eemse vlag", at first without local insignia. In the 18th century the COA of each city was inserted on the middle bar.
There is no source available to prove that this happened too with ships from Delfzijl. Only on 17 October 1961 Delfzijl adopted the 'Eemse vlag' with COA and Termunten did this since 9 April 1962 with a white trapezium at the hoist.
The municipal council of Bierum adopted 11 June 1979 a flag "yellow hoist, with 6 clover leaves, placed 2,2,2, with a flight of 5 equally high horizontal bars of BWBWB."
The colors of the "Eemse vlag" were derived from the COA of the city
of Emden, granted by Emperor Maximilian I on 10 August 1495, at the request
of count Ulrich Cirksena. These arms were called in 'plattdeutsch': "t
Engelke up der Muer" (little angel on the wall) - with this 'official'
description:
"ainen schilt in drey teil geteilt, das under mit fliessendem wasser
bedeckt, das mitter einen rote maur mit f|nff zinnen und das oberteil
swartsz darinn ein gelber vogel Harpya genannt mit einem gekronnten
jungfrauen haupt und seinen ausgespraitten fl|geln."
(A shield divided in three parts, below streaming water; in the middle
a red wall with 5 pinnacles; and on top black in which a yellow bird Harpy
with the head of a crowned maiden with wings spread.)
The harpy, a combination of a maiden and an eagle, is the COA of the
Cirksena family; via count Edzard the Great of Ost Friesland (1462-1528)
it became the seal of the 'Zijlvest' (polder?) of the three Delfzijlen,
which was called on 15 May 1663 "het nije sijlvestersegel" (the new polderseal),
from 1960-1990 part of the municipal COA of Delfzijl. Said count Edzard
put matters in order in Delfzijl and had a fort built.
By the common origins the arms of Emden and the polderseal of Delfzijl
have much in common. The yellow color of the harpy, the red wall with the
three openings, and the blue water, elements of the arms of Emden and Delfzijl,
form together the "Eemsevlag"
II.
The black triangle on the hoist was inserted to make it different from
the flags of Emden and Papenburg. It symbolizes the area of the municipality;
the clover-leaf, a symbol of of the independent farmer, wants to remind
of the agrarian character of the hinterland of Delfzijl.
All colors of this municipal flag are derived from or are connected
with the arms of Delfzijl and are a synthesis of land and water: Delfzijl
on the Eems!
©Jakob B. Bronsema, December 1990
Jarig Bakker, 6 June 1999
Shipmate Flagchart : http://www.flagchart.net
The flag : has a yellow hoist field, width equal to half the flag
height, and adorned with 6 cloverleaves in red, placed 2,2,2, and the fly
end divided into 5 equal horizontal stripes in alternative blue and white.
The flag was approved by the former council on the 11th June 1979
Franc van Diest, 31 October 2000
The flag has three equal stripes in yellow, red and blue, with a trapezium
shaped white field at the hoist.
Flag approved by the former municipal council on the 9th April 1962.
Franc van Diest, 31 October 2000