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Antwerp (Municipality, Province of Antwerp, Belgium)

Antwerpen, Anvers

Municipal flag of Antwerp - Image by Ivan Sache, 22 September 2001

Presentation of Antwerp
Municipal flag of Antwerp
Municipal flag of Antwerp with the coat of arms?
Former flags of Antwerp
Former municipality of Berchem
Former municipality of Borgerhout
Former municipality of Hoboken
Former municipality of Wilrijk

See also:

Presentation of Antwerp

The municipality and town (Stad) of Antwerp is the capital city of the arrondissement of Antwerp and the province of Antwerp.

On 1 January 1983, the municipality of Antwerp incorporated the former municipalities of Berchem, Borgerhout, Deurne, Ekeren, Hoboken, Merksem and Wilrijk.

Their flags are displayed on the Antwerp Town Hall, together with a great many others, mainly from seafaring nations.

Jan Mertens, 23 October 2002

Municipal flag of Antwerp

The municipal flag of Antwerp is made of three horizontal stripes red-white-red (1:3:1).

Source: Van evers en heiligen. Wapens en vlaggen van de gemeenten in de provincie Antwerpen [pbd98]

Jarig Bakker, 22 September 2001

Municipal flag of Antwerp with the coat of arms?

Unofficial flag of Antwerp - Image by Thomas Maes, 12 March 2003

The flag without the coat of arms is not the main flag of the municipality of Antwerp. It is used mainly as that of the district (in Belgium, former municipalities that have now become subdivisions of larger municipalities are called districts) of Antwerp. The flag of the full municipality incorporating the outer boroughs has the municipal coat of arms on it.

Thomas Maes, 12 March 2003

The official municipal flag of Antwerp does not have the coat of arms in the middle. You can see the illustrated version quite often though. However, I once saw a white, red-lined triangular car pennant with the coat of arms near the staff.

Jan Mertens, 12 March 2003

Former flags of Antwerp

Former municipal flags of Antwerp, c. 1900 - Images by Ivan Sache, 12 June 2005

Nouveau Larousse Illustré, Dictionnaire Universel Encyclopédique (7 volumes, published in Paris, 1898-1904) shows the flags of the main Belgian cities, then based on the traditional colours of the cities.
Two flags are shown for Antwerp, the first vertically divided red-white and the second horizontally divided red-white.

Jan Martens & Ivan Sache, 12 June 2005

Former municipality of Berchem

Flag of Berchem - Image by Jarig Bakker, 23 October 2002

The flag of the former municipality of Berchem is white with three vertical red stripes. It is a banner of the municipal arms: Argent three pallets gules.

The arms formerly belonging to the local lords. This coat of arms could be a variant of the Berthout arms: Or three pallets gules. The Berthout were a powerful family in the medieval Duchy of Brabant. The van Berchems were probably related to them. A quick look at municipal flags in the Province of Antwerp will reveal how much land the Berthout and their various branches once possessed.

The flag was adopted by the Municipal Council on 24 February 1981 and approved by Royal Decree on 26 February 1982. The Flemish decree promulgating various municipal coats of arms and flags, including the flag of Berchem, was published on 4 January 1995, i.e. twelve years after the demise of the municipality of Berchem!

Jan Mertens, 23 October 2002

Former municipality of Borgerhout

I recall seeing a large banner of arms on the former town hall years ago. The arms of Borgerhout are: Gules, three chevrons argent an escutcheon argent a tree vert.

Jan Mertens, 13 Avril 2003

Former municipality of Deurne

The flag of the former municipality of Deurne is blue with two horizontal yellow stripes. I seem to recall that the middle blue stripe was wider than the four other ones. The design in any case was symmetrical. The colours are taken from the municipal arms, which are a variant of the arms of Borgerhout: Azure three chevrons or an escutcheon azure a tree or.

Jan Mertens, 13 April 2003

Former municipality of Hoboken

The flag of the former municipality of Hoboken is vertically divided red-white.

Jan Mertens, 13 April 2003

Former municipality of Wilrijk

Flag of Wilrijk - Image by Thomas Maes, 12 March 2003

The vertically divided blue-yellow flag is used by the District Council of Wilrijk.

Thomas Maes, 12 March 2003

In the 1960, the municipal flag of Wilrijk had the same colours on a flag divided diagonally. Later, only the vertical division was used. Yellow is the more important colour and ought to have been placed next to the staff, since the arms of Wilrijk are: Azure St Bavo or.

Jan Mertens, 15 March 2003