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Spaarndam (The Netherlands)

Haarlemmerliede en Spaarnwoude and Haarlem municipalities, Noord-Holland

image by Jarig Bakker, 24 May 2006
adopted 2004; design: Co Loerakkers

Spaarndam villageflag
Spaarndam old Coat of Arms

See also:

Spaarndam villageflag

According to legend it was here that Hans Brinkers put his finger in the dyke and prevented a flooding catastrophe. There is even a statue in Spaarndam reminding the folks - of something fantasized by an American lady.
On this site a small image of the flag can be seen.
On this webpage is a photo of the statue of Hans Brinkers (anything to keep American customers happy!) - and happy customers may want a glass of Hansje
Drinckers beer :-)

Marcel van Westerhoven, in Vexilla Nostra 248, 2006, describes the villageflag of Spaarndam as: "Per white saltire of 1/10 flagheight blue and red; at the hoist on red three white perches in a vertical row, facing the fly".
The flag was designed in 2004 by Co Loerakkers, a Spaarndammer. He had talked to an Enkhuizenaar, who boasted that Enkhuizen was the only place in the Netherlands with <three fishes on> a "real" flag. Co took that as a challenge, and came up with this flag. The colors are the Dutch flagcolors. The red hoist with the perches represents Old (West) Spaarndam; the fishes are from the old Coat of Arms. The red fly represents New (East) Spaarndam. The blue top and bottom represent the mighty Spaarne river; the saltire the roads; in the center the dam in the Spaarne can be imagined.

Spaarndam is an old village, until 1927 a separate municipality, when it was annexed by Haarlem. East of the dam in the Spaarne river, in the municipality of Haarlemmerliede en Spaarnwoude, a new settlement arose, which actually forms part of Spaarndam - which has been emphasized by the new flag.
Jarig Bakker, 24 May 2006

The American novelist Mary Mapes Dodge wrote in 1873 the book "Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates". I expected eels on the flag, since the "Guide Vert Michelin Hollande" (sic), says that smoked eel is eaten in Spaarndam. As usual with Guide Vert, the phrasing suggests that everybody there eats smoked eel three times a day all the day long. Thus probably explaining why there is no eel left for the flag.
Ivan Sache, 24 May 2006

Spaarndam old Coat of Arms

image by Jarig Bakker, 24 May 2006, after the Koffie Hag album
granted 26 Jun 1816

Coat of arms: argent three swimming perches or.
Presumably fishing was one of the main activities here in the past. It has been said that the shield had formerly the form of a ham, which is reflected in an old rhime:
"Drie baarsjes en een ham,
Is 't wapen van Spaarndam".

Three perches and a ham
is the arms of Spaarndam.
Jarig Bakker, 24 May 2006