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Limbricht (The Netherlands)

Limburg province

image by Jarig Bakker, 23 Apr 2005
adopted 30 Oct 1963

Limbricht former municipality
Limbricht Coat of Arms
New flag?

See also:

Limbricht former municipality

Limbricht is a former municipality in Limburg province, since 1982 part of Sittard, and since 2001 part of Sittard-Geleen.
Flag: seven stripes of red and yellow, proportioned 45:15:22:15:22:15:45, with in top hoist a yellow square of 60/179
flagheight, charged with a black eagle.
adopted 30 Oct 1963 by municipal resolution.

Arms: gules three chevrons or; the shield placed on a double eagle noir, armed or, tongued gules.
Granted 21 Jul 1947 by Royal Resolution.

This coat of arms is derived from the arms of the first lords of Limbricht, who were possibly related to the lords of Elslo and Born. The eagle may have been used as a representation of the fact that Limbricht was a free imperial lordship.
Here was a Roman settlement along the military road Sittard - Limbricht - Born - Grevenbicht. End 9th century king Swentibold of Lotharingia (888-899) had a "palts" here (a palace for traveling emperors and kings used for administering justice) in the tiny Grasbroek castle, between Guttecoven and Born. - Swentibold (aka Zwentibold) was the illegitimate son of Emperor Arnulf (of Carinthia), the illegimate son of Carloman, king of Bayern, who a.o. fought against Svatopolk, duke of Moravia (870-894), in Western realms his name was rendered as Swentibold.
Since 1400 it was a free lordship around the castle of Limbricht, with its own mint. The oldest known name was "Leymborgh", in which "Leym" = loam.

Nickname: "Bielemen" - men with axes, walking in front of processions to clear the road.
"Vriedoordedaak" - Limbrichters were very poor, their "daak" (roof) consisted of straw and the houses were loamy, so they frequently offered a free view of their houses' interior through the roof. (and what did the government do: geen moer! (not a lot)
"Zwigelmenkes" - men selling sulphur sticks (matches)
"Gansrijders" - a life goose was hung somewhere and horsemen had to pull off the head.

Source: Derkwillem Visser's "Gemeentevlaggen en Wapens Koninkrijk der Nederlanden", 2001.
Groot Schimpnamenboek van Nederland, by Dirk van der Heide, 1998
"Limburg in vogelvlucht", n.d. (c. 1970)
Sierksma's "De gemeentewapens van Nederland", 1960 [sie60]
Jarig Bakker, 23 Apr 2005

Limbricht Coat of Arms

image by Jarig Bakker, 23 Apr 2005
Granted 21 Jul 1947

New flag?

image sent by Maurice Stassen, 7 Jun 2006

I am glad to have finally found the original flag of the former municipality of Limbricht on your pages on the internet. Pity that it wasn't there in the 1990's, because it was then that a surrogate flag was taken into use, see image on this webpage. A local association had this flag produced, a white banner with in center the old municipal arms. This 'new design' is rather popular. On festive occasions one can see one or two flying in every street. Hopefully people will order the original flag in future.
Maurice Stassen, 7 Jun 2006