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Broeksterwoude (The Netherlands)

Dantumadeel municipality, Fryslân province

image by Blas Delgado Ortiz, 26 Oct 2002
adopted 14 Sep 2001; design: P. Bultsma.

Broeksterwoude village (Broeksterwâld)
Broeksterwoude coat of arms

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Broeksterwoude village (Broeksterwâld)

Broeksterwoude is a village in Dantumadiel, Fryslân, the Netherlands. At this webpage is a 'flying' flag and a flag photo. There is a long explanation - just about the (not available) coat of arms.
Jarig Bakker, 18 Oct 2002

Broeksterwoude - Frisian name: Broeksterwâld - village in Dantumadeel, Fryslân, was a hamlet in the village of Akkerwoude, then named Broeke onder Akkerwoude - Ikkerwâldster-Broek. It became a separate village in 1964 with (1973) 1268 inhabitants. There is a stone reminding of the first baptism by a group of Mormons in the Netherlands (19th century).
Broeksterwâld: coat of arms: in gold an alder tree issuing from base with five leaves, two on each side , one on top; between the bottom leaves on both side a branch with two catkins and between the top leaves and on both sides of the top leaf a branch with three "elzeproppen" (=fruit of the alder-tree), all green; the tree in the shield corner with a blue chicory flower; a wavy base of six charges of black, gold, blue, gold, black, and gold, of which the black fesses lay over the green stem and the others pass behind it.
Flag: three horizontal stripes yellow - green - yellow, proportioned 2:1:2; at 1/3 flag length a vertical wavy stripe with a total width of 1/5 flag length; that wavy stripe consists of five wavy thin stripes of black, yellow, blue, yellow, and black with equal width; the black stripes lay over the green horizontal stripe, the others pass under it; in the canton a blue chicory flower.
The village originated by peat-digging. "Broek" means marshy soil. Here the black alder-tree occurred frequently. The word "wald" signifies low growth along ditches and tree banks, a fertile environment for the alder.
In the village-arms is a stylized alder with leaves, catkins and props, as symbol for the last part of the village name. The black wavy stripes in the shield bottom represents the "broeklân', the marshy soil used for peat-digging. The blue wavy stripe symbolizes the Broekstervaart, dug to transport the peat. The golden shield symbolizes the sandy soil of the "Dokkumer Wouden". In top of the shield are two chicory flowers, as a reminder of the cultivation of these plants, and the use, made of this in Broeksterwoude (ersatzkaffee - surrogate coffee).
In the flag the flowers and the wavy stripes have been adopted. The tree has become a green stripe on a yellow background.
coat of arms and flag were designed by P. Bultsma, member of the Fryske Rie foar Heraldyk.
The flag was unveiled in the villagehome of Broeksterwoude on 14 Sep 2001.
Source: the Broeksterwoude homepage.
Encyclopedie van het Hedendaagse Friesland, c. 1975.
Genealogysk Jierboekje 2002.
Jarig Bakker, 23 Aug 2003

Broeksterwoude coat of arms

image from Ralf Hartemink's site.