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Obdam (The Netherlands)

Noord-Holland province

Shipmate Flagchart : http://www.flagchart.net
adopted 8 Jan 1982.

Obdam municipality
Obdam Coat of Arms
Obdam old flag and Coat of Arms
Hensbroek
Hensbroek Coat of Arms

See also:

Obdam municipality

Number of inhabitants (1 Jan 2003): 6.629; area: 20,95 km². Settlements: Obdam (seat), Berkmeer, Hensbroek, Wogmeer (part).
On 1 Jan 1978 part of Hensbroek municipality was joined to Obdam.
The flag contains the municipal arms, three crescents on a red field, after the 17th century admiral Jacob Wassenaer van Obdam (wassenaar=crescent) became the owner of Obdam in 1624.

Obdam Coat of Arms

from Ralf Hartemink's website.

Granted 27 Nov 1979. The top contains the three wassenaars (crescents) of Obdam; the bottom the hen on the broek of Heinsbroek.

Obdam [former municipality]

by Jarig Bakker, 6 Apr 2005
adopted 12 Dec 1975, design: Stichting Banistiek en Heraldiek

Obdam is a municipality in Noord-Holland province between Alkmaar and Hoorn.
The present municipality was formed in 1979 by the merger of the former municipalities of Obdam and Hensbroek.
The old municipality had a flag adopted 12 Dec 1975, designed by the Stichting Banistiek en Heraldiek, with the following description: Red with three yellow crescents, two in the top half and one in the center below them; each crescent of 4/9 flagheight. The flag is identical to the municipal arms.
Source: Vexilla Nostra 15 (111), p. 120.
Jarig Bakker, 6 Apr 2005

Obdam old Coat of Arms

by Jarig Bakker, 6 Apr 2005, after Koffie Hag album

Granted 26 Jun 1816

Description: Gules three crescents or.
This is evidently connected to the family Wassenaar van Obdam ("wassenaar" = crescent).
Jarig Bakker, 6 Apr 2005

Hensbroek [former municipality]

by Jarig Bakker, 13 Jul 2003

Hensbroek is a former municipality in Noord-Holland province, now part of Obdam. It was a small municipality with a little more than 1000 inhabitants.
It was founded as "Heynsbroec", meaning the marshy wetland of Heyn; however local etymology preferred a different meaning - and that has been made visual on Coat of Arms and flag.
Adopted 4 Sep 1962. Description: two vertical stripes of yellow and red, of which the width relate as 1:3, cut in to half flaglength.
The colors were derived from the municipal arms. The municipal arms are canting: a hen with a broek (trousers). The flag is equally canting: a hen (red comb, crest) and a broek - here a swallow-tail.
Source: Sierksma's Nederlands Vlaggenboek, 1962 [sie62]
Jarig Bakker, 13 Jul 2003

According to Hans van Heijningen the upper and lower side of the flag are not tapering but parallel.
Source: Vexilla Nostra no. 111 (nov.-dec. 1980), p. 102.
BTW, I always thought that the "broek" was made canting by the yellow stripe at the "broeking" (Dutch for hoist).
Mark Sensen, 13 Jul 2003

Hensbroek Coat of Arms

from Ralf Hartemink's website.
Granted 22 Oct 1817.