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Herzele (Municipality, Province of East Flanders, Belgium)

Municipal flag of Herzele - Image by Arnaud Leroy, 21 September 2005

Presentation of Herzele
Municipal flag of Herzele

See also:

Presentation of Herzele

The municipality of Herzele (16,581 inhabitants on 1 January 2005; 47.4 sq. km) is located on the border of the hilly region known as the Flemish Ardennes, 20 km south-east of Ghent and 10 km south-west of Aalst. It is mad since 1977e of the former municipalities of Borsbeke, Herzele, Hillegem, Ressegem, Sint-Antelinks, Sint-Lievens-Esse, Steenhuize-Wijnhuize and Woubrechtegem.

Herzele developed around a castle built in the beginning of the VIIth century, probably a simple wooden structure defended by earthen walls and water. A stone castle was built in the XIth century, probably by Franco van Herzele before he left for the crusade.
In the XIVth century, the castle of Herzele was disputed between the burghers of Ghent and the Count of Flanders. The castle, then owned by Seger van Herzele, the village church and several houses were burned down. The castle was rebuilt in the XVth century by Jan van Roubaix. At the end of the XVIth century, the owner of the castle, Pieter van Melun took the Protestant party; the castle was besieged by the Spaniards in 1579 and shot to pieces by the artillery. It then fell to ruin and only a tower and a few wall parts survived.
The castle of Herzele was purchased by the municipality in 1969, consolidated and restored.

Sources:

Ivan Sache, 21 September 2005

Municipal flag of Herzele

The municipal flag of Herzele is red with a yellow chevron.
According to Gemeentewapens in België - Vlaanderen en Brussel, the flag was adopted by the Municipal Council on 10 September 1984, confirmed by the Executive of Flanders on 14 June 1988 and published in the Belgian official gazette on 16 September 1988. It is a banner of the municipal arms.

The municipal flag can be seen on the tower of the castle of Herzele, along with the flags of the European Union, Belgium and Flanders (picture on the Castle of Herzele website mentioned above).

According to Servais, the municipal arms of Herzele were originally granted on 15 October 1912. They were the arms of the family Van Herzele at least since the XIVth century.

Arnaud Leroy, Pascal Vagnat & Ivan Sache, 21 September 2005