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Altweerterheide (The Netherlands)

Weert municipality, Limburg province

image by Mark Sensen, 29 Aug 2003
adopted 1990; design: J.F. van Heyningen.

Altweerterheide village
Altweerterheide coat of arms

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Altweerterheide village

Altweerterheide is a village in the municipality of Weert, Limburg province, between the city of Weert and Stramproy.
Mark Sensen forwarded an article (thanks!) from the local advertisement paper "Land van Weert", from 20 Jun 2001.
Altweerterheide has its own coat of arms and flag. A remarkable initiative of the church-board, lead by father Noordermeer, was taken in 1990 for a coat of arms and flag for the village of Altweerterheide. Top right on the coat of arms is a horn, derived from the coat of arms of Weert - three horns were representing the counts of Horne. Bottom left in the arms is a leech-leaf, referring to the neighbouring municipality of Bocholt - that name is derived from "boeckholt" = beech bush. Horn and beech leaf are on a violet field, symbolizing the heatherfields in the environment. Oblique over the arms is a diagonal stripe, referring to the Weerter Beek, and/or the Bocholter Beek (beek = brook). That brook used to flow through Altweerderheide. Now there is a road from Weert to Bocholt, which passes through Altweerterheide. In the center of the brook/road is a red heart, penetrated by a Latin cross, which of course symbolizes the parish of the Holy Heart of Jesus. "The Heart that is open for everybody", said father Noorderweer. The motto for the coat of arms of Altweerterheide is "Cor unum et anima una" (one heart and one spirit). The flag of Altweerterheide has a violet field with a diagonal white wavy stripe with a red heart with a Latin cross.

In Vexilla Nostra nr. 187 is an article by Hans van Heijningen, who designed coat of arms and flag in consultation with father Noordermeer.
Additional notes from that article: the coat of arms is based on a tile scene in the customs office near the Belgian border. That tile was unveiled in 1957 on the occasion of the opening of the Bocholterroad, which passes through Altweerterheide towards Bocholt (Belgium). On that tile we find:
1. The year 1296; in that year the Weert- or Bocholterbeek was dug, flowing from the watermill in Bocholt to the Wijffelterbroek, near Weert.
2. The year 1956, when the Bocholterroad was constructed, nearly coinciding with the old (now filled up).
Jarig Bakker, 29 Aug 2003

Altweerterheide coat of arms

image by Mark Sensen, 29 Aug 2003
adopted 1990; design: J.F. van Heyningen.