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Groningen Province (The Netherlands)

Last modified: 2011-06-17 by andrew weeks
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[Provincial flag of Groningen] Mark Sensen, 29 June 1997

Adopted 17 February 1950 by the "Gedeputeerde Staten" (Deputed States, Provincial Legislature) of the province of Groningen. Official publication on 23 February 1950 in the "Provinciaal Blad" nr. 18, 1950.

Mark Sensen, 12 January 1998
 
 

See also:
  • Clickable map of Groningen [province]
  • Ommelanden
  • Groningen [municipality]
  • The Netherlands
  • Provinces and municipalities of the Netherlands
  • Groningen province - the municipalities
  • Clickable map of the Netherlands
  • The Netherlands - Index of all pages 

    • Official description

    "The flag is rectangular, height two thirds of the length. Partitioned into four parts by a white cross throughout, one third of the height of the flag, on which a green cross throughout, one ninth of the height of the flag. The upper part on the hoist and on the opposite lower part are red, both other parts are blue."

    Pantone colours: red: 032U; blue 300U; green: 355U; white: opaque.

    Mark Sensen, 12 January 1998

    Explanation

    The province of Groningen consists of two historical parts: the (Saxon) city of Groningen and the (Frisian) Ommelanden. They were united exactly 355 years before the flag was adopted.
    Green and white are the colours of the city, and they were placed in the centre of the flag to symbolise the central role that the capital always played in the province.
    The red, white and blue are derived from the arms and flag of the Ommelanden.
    Unintentionally the cross expresses the ties with the people of the Scandinavian countries.

    Mark Sensen, 12 January 1998

    1938 Parade flag

    Parade flag Groningen Jarig Bakker, 26 January 2001

    In 1938 Queen Wilhelmina had reigned the Netherlands for 40 years. On that occasion a lot of municipalities paraded in front of HM with their flags, which consisted of the provincial flag with the municipal Coat of Arms in the canton (or something...). Those municipal flags can only be considered as 'curiosities', while the status of the provincial flags is not quite clear.

    Jarig Bakker, 26 January 2001

    Groningen Coat of Arms

    Groningen Coat of Arms International Civic Arms : http://www.ngw.nl/heraldrywiki/index.php?title=Groningen_(provincie)

    "Quarterly; I and IV or, a double-headed eagle displayed sable; on his chest a small shield argent, a fess vert; II and III argent, three bends sinister azure, between eleven hearts gules, placed one, four, four and two, bend wise. The shield crested by a coronet of four pearls between five leaves or. Supporters: two lions rampant or."

    Groningen is a province in the North of the Netherlands. The arms are a combination of the arms of the city of Groningen and the so-called Ommelanden. The Ommelanden (meaning something like surrounding countryside) were independent of the city and part of Friesland. In 1476 Friesland was divided and the Ommelanden became a territory under direct government of the Emperor. Therefore new arms were necessary. The arms were derived from the Danish arms. The legendary Frisian King Radboud had his origins in Denmark and the Danish kings used the same arms with an additional lion. The arms without the lion were therefore the old Frisian arms. In 1598 the arms of the city and the Ommelanden were combined when the whole territory became one of the Dutch States.
    In 1600 the arms were changed to its present form.
     

    Flag according to the arms

    [Arms of province of Groningen] Mark Sensen, 20 May 1998

    Proposal for a flag according to the arms by Van der Laars in 1913 in Van der Laars [Laa13]: I and IV City of Groningen, II and III Ommelanden.

    Mark Sensen, 20 May 1998

    Proposals

    [Groningen, proposal 1] Mark Sensen, 12 January 1998

    In 1913 Van der Laars in Van der Laars [Laa13] proposed as provincial flag the flag of the Ommelanden with the central stripe changed to green to represent the city of Groningen.

    [Groningen, proposal 2] Mark Sensen, 12 January 1998

    As alternatives, he proposed horizontally-striped flags in the colours of the arms: green-white-blue-white-red-black-yellow, ....

    [Groningen, proposal 3] Mark Sensen, 12 January 1998

    .... or simplified: green-white-red-blue.

    Mark Sensen, 12 January 1998