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Haastrecht (The Netherlands)

Zuid-Holland province

by Jarig Bakker, 3 Nov 2003
Adopted 1938

Haastrecht former municipality
Haastrecht Coat of Arms

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Haastrecht former municipality

Haastrecht is a former municipality in Zuid-Holland province, since 1 Jan 1985 part of Vlist. It had 3.500 inhabitants, east of Gouda along the Hollandsche IJssel. Settlements: Haastrecht (seat), Beneden-Haastrecht, Boven-Haastrecht, Rozendaal, Stein, and Vliet. Famous citizens: Hein Vergeer, Leo Visser and Desiderius Erasmus.
During the European Speedskating Championships in the Bislet Stadium in Oslo, 25/26 Jan 1986, Mr. Anton Jansen observed on his TV an unusual flag: two equally wide horizontal stripes red over yellowwith in the canton on blue three yellow towers, the central one being a bit higher than the other two. After a long search among the Dutch village-flags he still didn't find it, so he concluded that it was probably one of the municipal flags, used at the occasion of Queen Wilhelmina's 50 years reigning jubilee in 1938, where the provincial colors of Zuid-Holland were red over yellow, with in the canton the municipal arms. The arms were of the former municipality of Haastrecht, from which two participants of the Championship originated (Visser and Vergeer). Apparently Haastrecht had kept its parading flag, while most other municipalities had exchanged it for another.
Source: "Vlaggen", no. 39 (1986) (magazine edited by Mr. Anton Jansen.
<I don't think that there are many people in the Netherlands who could have solved this puzzle>.
Jarig Bakker, 3 Nov 2003

Haastrecht Coat of Arms

by Jarig Bakker, 3 Nov 2003