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Lokeren (Municipality, Province of East Flanders, Belgium)

Last modified: 2002-10-19 by ivan sache
Keywords: lokeren | beet | turnip | waasland |
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[Flag of Lokeren]by Filip van Laenen


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Description of the flag

Lokeren (35,000 inhabitants) is located in the arrondissement of Sint-Niklaas.

The flag is: Quartered per saltire, Argent and Sable, in II a turnip Argent and Vert. Proportions are 2:3.

The beetroot is the old symbol for the Waasland area, of which Lokeren is one of the largest towns. The history of the beet is the following :
Emperor Charles V once visited the city of Sint Niklaas and obviously a crowd gathered to see the Emperor. Among these was a small farmer holding a huge beet, which he wanted to hand to the Emperor. The guards, however, prevented the farmer to reach the Emperor. The Emperor, however, noticed that something was happening and asked the farmer what he had in his hands. The farmer answered that he had a giant fruit and that he wanted to give it to the Emperor. The Emperor was intrigued and let the farmer pass the guards. The Emperor accepted the beet and awarded the farmer with a large purse. Seeing the reward for a simple beet, a local horsebreeder imagined the award he would fetch if he gave the Emperor a good horse. So he offered the Emperor a beautiful horse. The Emperor responded, saying that for a beautiful horse, he would donate one of his precious possessions, and handed the breeder the beet. Embarrassed the breeder had to accept the beet, which ever since has been the symbol of the Waasland and its fertile soil.

The flag was adopted on 11 March 1986.

Source: Flags of the Low Countries

Jarig Bakker, 18 October 2001