This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website

Dongeradeel (The Netherlands)

Fryslân province

Last modified: 2011-06-11 by andrew weeks
Keywords: dongeradeel |
Links: FOTW homepage | search | disclaimer and copyright | write us | mirrors


[dongeradeel flag] Shipmate Flagchart : http://www.shipmate.nl/flags.htm
 

Other Dongeradeel pages:

See also:

Dongeradeel municipality

Number of inhabitants (1 Jan 2003): 24.957; area: 265,82 km²; Settlements: Aalsum, Anjum, Bornwird, Brantgum, Dokkum, Ee, Engwierum, Foudgum, Hantum, Hantumeruitburen, Hantumhuizen, Hiaure, Holwerd, Jouswier, Lioessens, Metslawier, Moddergat, Morra, Nes, Niawier, Oosternijkerk, Oostrum, Paesens, Raard, Ternaard, Waaxens, Wetsens, Wierum
Dongeradeel/Dongeradiel is a merger of the old municipalities (grietenijen) Oost- and West-Dongeradeel and the city of Dokkum in northeast Friesland in the Netherlands. It is thought it restores an old unit, as Dongeradeel originally was written "Dockingheradeel", Dokkum's municipality.
The three stars on the flags symbolize the three former municipalities (and I assume they remind of the three stars on the Dokkum Coat of Arms, which was taken to refer to the Trinity of God). The white middle-bar symbolizes the 'river' Paesens, which separated Eastdongeradiel from Westdongeradiel. It is possible, that the vertical blue bar and the horizontal red bars remind of the crescent on the Dokkum Coat of Arms, which according to legend was awarded to the city after the Crusaders won Damiette in Egypt (1217).
Jarig Bakker, 21 Aug 1999

These flags are based on a booklet by the municipality: 'Wapens en Vlaggen van stad en dorpen in de gemeente Dongeradeel', edited in Dokkum, March 1994. It was sent to me free of charge, and I scanned the images, sent it to Gerard van der Vaart, who included all (but two images so far) on his Shipmate site. The village flags were ratified by the municipal council on 28 January 1988. The flag of the city of Dokkum is much older.
Jarig Bakker, 26 October 2000

The combined municipal councils of Dokkum, Oostdongeradeel and Westdongeradeel adopted unanimously on 27 Oct 1983 a new municipal flag for Dongeradeel. The wavy middle stripe represents the river Peasens, between the colors of Oostergo: red-white-red; and to the hoist blue, in which per pale the three stars of the municipal Coat of Arms, referring to the three former judges' chairs of the municipalities, which were joined together on 1 Jan 1984.
Jarig Bakker, 19 October 2000

Wimpel

Wimpel Dongeradeel Ivan Sache 22 October 2000

At the instigation of the 'Fryske Rie foar Heraldyk' the council adopted on its own (as the first municipality) a municipal wimpel, together with the municipalities of Boornsterhem and Gaasterland. The wimpel of Dongeradeel consists of: 'a square hoist in blue on which a yellow star, and a long swallowtailed fly in the colors red and white.
Jarig Bakker, 19 Oct 2000

Dongeradeel Coat of Arms

[Dongeradeel Coat of Arms]by Jarig Bakker, 4 May 2004
Granted 25 Jan 1984

Description: "in blue a wavy silver chevron with in chief two stars of gold, in base with a turned crescent of silver, enclosing a golden star; the shield surmounted of a golden crown of three leaves and two three-pearls".
The arms are a combination of elements from the arms of the former municipalities, Dokkum, Oostdongeradeel and Westdongeradeel. The two wavy bends symbolise the Ee and Paezens streams which merge in the city of Dokkum, the municipal seat.