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![[Nagele flag]](../images/n/nl-fl_ng.gif)
by Jarig Bakker, 26 Apr 2005
Arms: quartered or and gules; in 4 charged with a "hunebed" azure.
This is the coat of arms of Ahaus (Germany) with reversed colors; a
"hunebed" is a giant's grave, as found in Drenthe.
Once upon a time Nagele was a beautiful city. Then a brawl happened
in a small pub. A priest went there to soothe the hotheads, who were threatening
each other with flashing knives. One of them struck the priest, who, before
he died, prophesied: "Nagele will be swallowed by the waves! Fishers will
later see their nets torn by stones!"
And so it happened, 700 years ago. It became known as the graveyard
of Nagele, and many a fisher lost his nets.
In 1942 the Noordoostpolder was made dry land, and the beautiful village
of Nagele is now on the site where the former glorious city was. The Society
for Village Interests (Dorpsbelang) Nagele has made a study of the past
of Nagele.
Before 1204 Johan I, Lord of Ahaus received the lease of the island
of Nagele from the Bishop of Utrecht. Nagele was between the islands of
Urk and Schokland, which was swallowed by the waves c. 1250. After Johan's
death his son Godfried became Lord of Ahaus, who received Nagele in 1226,
and after him Johan II. That is why Nagele got the arms of Ahaus in reversed
colors.
The flag is explained thus:
Blue is: water and space; red is the horizon. The emblem is from the
rich family Ahaus, which owned much land in the Middle Ages. Nagele, or
as it then was named: Naghele or Nakala, belonged to their possessions.
Nagele officially asked permission from the Mayor of Ahaus, for use
on flag and arms, and this permission was granted. Nagele added its own
monument, the "hunebed" to the arms. The Mayor of Ahaus was
present, when in 1991 the flag was taken officially in use. Since that
time Nagele has a warm relationship with Ahaus.
c. 30 years ago every village in the Noordoostpolder was allowed to
choose a monument. Nagele insisted on a "hunebed", because in that
way a relationship between old and new could be made. At first one thought
of a "hunebed" floating in air, but that didn't seem to be very practical.
A local artist then made a concrete table, on which big rocks were put.
It was inaugurated in 1976.
Source: "Vlaggen" (magazine edited by Anton Jansen), no. 91 (1996):
1290.
Jarig Bakker, 26 Apr 2005
![[Nagele Coat of Arms]](../images/n/nl-fl)ng.gif)
by Jarig Bakker, 26 Apr 2005