Last modified: 2022-05-28 by rob raeside
Keywords: weesp |
Links: FOTW homepage |
search |
disclaimer and copyright |
write us |
mirrors
Shipmate Flagchart : http://www.flagchart.net
adopted c. 2000
The flag of Weesp was in disuse for a long time.
Until 1973 Weesp used horizontal blue-white or blue-white-blue
stripes. If flags were used at all. In that year it appeared that Weesp
used the flag of Almelo and a flag with the
monogram WS in center was the replacement. At the time it was not known
where that came from.
Mr. Klaes Sierksma mentioned in the magazine "Tussen Eem en Vecht",
that this flag was taken in use c. 1595. For Muiden (his residence at the
time) he provided a new flag (see <nl-nh-mu.html>. A member of the Weesper
municipal council propagated a flag like the arms, as could be seen in
the Great Church of Gouda (Zuid-Holland).
Since 1973 Weesp uses a flag with serif-less "WS". In the last years of the 1990's there were 3 flags like that... The present mayor, Ms. Hofkamp, wanted to present her new municipality with a new flag. Mr. Burggraaff wanted to use that flag for a special "Koninginnedag"-Taptoe. He discovered that there was no flag at all - no old one, no new one. No Weesper vlag on the Taptoe.
Mr. Burggraaff went searching and found in Den Haag a resolution of the States of Holland and Westvriesland of 13 Jul 1595, in which the flags of Weesp and Muiden were determined after a row between Weesper and Muider sailors. Muiden got a horizontal BWB flag with in the center black connected letters "MD" (for MuiDen), and Weesp the same with big black letters "WS" (for WeSop).
These data were presented to the Mayor, but she didn't consider that
as a viable option - she organized a designing competition. Mr. Burggraaf
sent the design of Frank van der Horst (based on his findings). The Committee
for the Preservation of the Weesper Flag (CPWF) meanwhile had 100 copies
made of the design of 1973, which was used enthusiastically!
The vd Horst/Burggraaff design won the contest; it was blue-white-blue
with in the center serif black "WS" - the "W" was inspired by the Dutch
national hymn "Wilhelmus", or rather how the W was printed. Weesp
is a small town with a history of over 650 years, and should be proud of
this, according the the CPWF. It has asked the High Council of Nobility
about the flag change, and was told that it didn't constitute any real change.
The Weespers on the contrary find the serif letters far more authentic
than the plain letters, and are eager to associate it with an ancient historic
background."
Hans Burggraaff, 7 Jan 2005
The City of Amsterdam administrative-territorial structure now has 8 city
districts and one urban area. These are further subdivided into settlements,
villages and hamlets. Most of them are flagless.
The only urban area in
Amsterdam is the former City of Weesp, which had/has its own flag.
Administratively, under Weesp is the Village of Driemond (Village Assembly),
which adopted its own flag. There is also the flag of the former Municipality of
Sloten, which territory now is divided among three villages.
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weesp
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sloten_(Noord-Holland)
Valentin
Poposki, 12 April 2022
Shipmate Flagchart : http://www.flagchart.net
Shipmate Flagchart : http://www.flagchart.net
Description: two equally wide horizontal stripes of blue and white.
This flag was not official, but used on festive occasions. The colors
were derived from the municipal arms.
Source: Sierksma's Nederlands Vlaggenboek, 1962.
![[Weesp pre-1595 flag]](../images/n/nl-nh0ws.gif)
by Jarig Bakker, 6 Nov 2003