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Herpen (The Netherlands)

Oss municipality, Noord-Brabant province

image by Shipmate Flagchart : http://www.flagchart.net
Adopted 1 Feb 2003

Herpen village
Herpen Coat of Arms
Herpen Carnavalflag

See also:

Herpen village

Herpen is a former municipality in Noord-Brabant province, since 1941 part of Ravestein, which in its turn was absorbed by Oss in 2003.
Herpen village flag: five stripes of white and red, proportioned 2:1:2:1:2; on the white stripes eight red merlettes, placed 3,2,3
Adopted 1 Feb 2003

The old municipality didn't have arms; it was discussed in 1940 with the High Council of Nobility, which adviced against it pending the merger into Ravenstein. There is a Herpen Coat of Arms in the Koffie Hag album, erroneously based on the Cuijck arms (or instead of argent).
The Herpen arms is based on the van Herpen family, a branch of the Cuijck family. Later the Lordship of Herpen was renamed "Land van Ravenstein", after the seat, and came in 1397 in the possession of the Dukes of Kleef/Cleve, in 1630 to Pfalz-Neuburg; occupied by the French in 1794, in 1800 awarded to the "Bataafsche Republiek". The "Land of Ravenstein" consisted of: Ravenstein (seat), Uden, Bedaf, Volkel, Boekel, Zeeland (the village in N.Brabant), Velp, Reek, Herpen, and Schaijk.
Source: communication by Marcel van Westerhoven.
Van Goor's Aardrijkskundig Woordenboek van Nederland, 1968.
Jarig Bakker, 28 Apr 2005

The municipality of Herpen existed from 1810-1941. In olden days Herpen included the whole Land van Ravenstein, of which it was the nucleus. But the Lords of Herpen built a new castle and a puppet-town along the Maas river and called that "Ravenstein". Herpen had to play second fiddle.
The aldermen of Herpen used a common seal, and versions of 1522 and 1651 showed the shields with arms of the former Lords of Herpen (from the Van Cuijck family) and their successors, the counts, later dukes of Kleef. According the Armory of Bellenville it was already in the 14th century red (two desses and eight merlettes) on silver. In 1940 the (presumably NSB) mayor of Herpen tried to get those arms confirmed, but he was too late.
The Noordbrabantse Commissie voor Wapen- en Vlaggenkunde advised in 1992 to have that coat of arms introduced as village arms. After a while the municipality of Oss granted that wish. The flag is according to the arms.
Willem van Ham, 7 May 2005

Herpen Coat of Arms

image by Jarig Bakker, 28 Apr 2005, after image from the Koffie Hag album.
Adopted 1 Feb 2003

Arms: argent two fesses and eight merlettes, placed 3:2:3, all gules.

Herpen Carnavalflag

image by Ivan Sache, 13 May 2009

The "Stichting Carnaval Herpen" (Herpen Carnaval Foundation), organizer of the yearly local carnaval, presented on 19 May 2008 the carnaval flag, offerred for sale. The flag is in size 1 m x 1.5 m, divided red over black (the village's colours) by the ascending diagonal, with, in the middle, the Herpen Swan outlined in white and the words CARNAVAL and HERPEN, in white letters, above and below the swan, respectively.
Sources: this webpage, big image, photo of the flag on stage.
Ivan Sache, 13 May 2009