![[Flag of Izegem]](../images/b/be-vwviz.gif)
Last modified: 2006-01-14 by ivan sache
Keywords: izegem | cross (black) | ducks: 12 (black) | martlets: 12 (black) |
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Municipal flag of Izegem - Image by Arnaud Leroy, 19 July 2005
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The municipality and town (Stad) of Izegem (26,500 inhabitants; 25.49 sq. km.) is located 10 km north of Kortrijk and 10 km south-west of Roeselare, some 15 km of the border with France. Izegem is located on the river Mandel, transformed into the canal of Roeselare to the Leie in 1867-1870, with European gauge of 1,350 tons. The municipality of Izegem includes the former municipalities of Emelgem and Kachtem, incorporated in 1964 and 1976, respectively.
The name of Izegem dates back to the Frankish period. The village was then the estate (heim) of the Isinga family. The oldest mention of Izegem dates back to 1066, when Count of Flanders Baudouin V ceded six farms in Isinchehem to the St. Peter's chapter in Lille. However, the valley of the Mandel was already settled in the Prehistoric times. Prehistoric, Roman and Frankish remains have been found mostly in the village of Emelgem. Izegem was evangelized by the Saxon monk St. Tillo around 650 and depended on the Bishopric of Tournai until 1794; it was then transfered to the Bishopric of Ghent until 1834, when it was eventually transfered to the Bishopric of Bruges.Izegem was a lordship until 1582, when King Philip II made of it a County. King Louis XIV made of Izegem a Principality in 1678 after its incorporation to France in 1668. The last prince of Izegem, Vilain XIV van Gent, was guillotined in Paris in 1792. Before the Vilain, Izegem was successively ruled by the lords of Izegem (1066-1257), Maldegem (1257-1297), Heule (1297-1414) and Stavele (1414-1555), who bore the title of lords of Izegem. After the Vilain, the, then virtual, title of Prince of Izegem, was transfered to the Brancas (1794-1812) and the Arenberg (1812-1828). The most important document of the feudal period kept in Izegem is the census made in 1502; at that time, the lord of Izegem, vassal of the Count of Flanders, had 61 vassals, 15 of them living in Izegem, and ruled 13 parished.
In the XVIth century, Izegem was the most important linen production center in the valley of Mandel. The blue linen known as Yseghemsche blaeukens or bocraen was the speciality of Izegem. A new market hall was built in 1577, the year the market of Izegem overgrew the market of Kortrijk.
The Protestant Iconoclasts (Beeldenstormers) trashed the St. Tillo's church of Izegem on 22-23 August 1566, and later the churches of Emelgem, Kachtem and Ingelmunster. Between 1578 and 1509, the economy declined since Izegem was a fortified city, often damaged during the Eighty Years' War. The Twelve Years' Truth, from 1609 to 1621 did not improve the situation of Izegem, which carried on declining all along the XVIIth century due to poor harvests, starvation, war and epidemics. In 1710, there were only 219 inhabitants and ten houses in the city. Flax cultivation and linen production resumed in 1715.
In 1798, Izegem was one of the centers of the Farmers' War (Boerenkrijg), a short-lived revolt against conscription imposed by the French occupants on 4 September 1798. The conscripts were called Brigands. On 25 October 1798, some 700-800 brigands came from the neighbouring village of Rumbeke and besieged Izegem. They cut down the tree of freedom on the market square and burned the public and conscription registry they had found in the city hall. They left Izegem the same day but unrest lasted a few more days. On Sunday 28 October 1978, known as Brigands' Sunday (Brigandszondag), the brigands met in the bordering city of Ingelmunster a company of French infantry on their way from Bruges to Kortrijk. Dozens of brigands were killed; 27 of them were buried in Izegem, six in Kachtem and four in Emelgem. The stele commemorating them can be seen in the gate of the St. Tillo's church in Izegem. Since then, Ingelmunster is known as the Brigands' municipality (Brigandsgemeente) and the Brigands' beer (Brigandsbier) is brewed there.
Izegem warmly supported the Belgian independence in 1830. When the Dutch garrison was expelled from Brussels in the night of 26-27 September, an inhabitant of Izegem hoisted the Belgian tricolor flag on the turret of the city hall. On the market square, the lion (symbolizing the Netherlands) was removed from the top of the gable of the house of the judge, who was an Orangist. Lions were removed from a few other places. Dutch cheese balls were taken from the cheese shop and threwn into the streets.
Linen industry declined in 1840, and was replaced in Izegem by shoe and brush production, still the two main industries in the city. In the XXth century Izegem grew to be the principal production centre of shoemaking in Belgium. Till the 1950s Izegem firms turned out over 50% of the total Belgian production. From then onwards there was a decline which continues till today. Izegem houses the National Footwear Museum, founded in 1966, and the National Brushmaking Museum.
Source: Municipal website
Ivan Sache, 19 July 2005
The municipal flag of Izegem is white, quartered by a black cross with
three black duck-like birds without beak and legs in each quarter.
According to Gemeentewapens in België - Vlaanderen en Brussel, the
flag was adopted by the Municipal Council on 1 October 1979, confirmed
by Royal Decree on 28 January 1980 and published in the Belgian
official gazette on 23 April 1980. This is a banner of the municipal
arms.
Een schild van zilver, beladen met een kruis en gecantonneerd van drie jonge eendjes zonder bek en poten, alle in zwart - het schild gedekt met een gouden kroon.
That is:
A silver shield, charged with a cross and cantoned with three young
ducklings without beak and legs [martlets], all in black - the shield
topped with a golden crown.
These arms were confirmed by King of the
Belgians Leopold I on 29 May 1838. The royal decree signed by King
Baudouin I on 28 January 1980 corrected a mistake on the placement of
the martlets. Servais shows the old placement of the martlets on the
arms as 2 + 1, centered, whereas the municipal website shows the
current placement of the martlets, 2 + 1 justified on the border of
the shield.
The municipality took the arms of the lords of Izegem (1066/1080-1257),
reused by their followers, the lords of Maldegem (1257-1297). Recent
research has shown that these arms are older than the marriage of
Elisabeth van Izegem with Zeger van Maldegem. The later rulers of
Izegem used different arms.
Neubecker [neu97a] claims that the martlet was designed from elements of larks, swallows and swifts. He says that martlets can be seen on seals from 1185 onwards, but were already described as the charges of the shield of Lancelot du Lac by Chrétien de Troyes in his tale of chivalry, written before 1172.
Arnaud Leroy, Pascal Vagnat & Ivan Sache, 19 July 2005
![[Former flag of Izegem]](../images/b/be-vwvi1.gif)
Former municipal flag of Izegem - Image by Filip van Laenen, 6 November 2001
A former flag of Izegem, adopted on 3 July 1978, was similar to the current flag, but square.
Source: Flags of the Low Countries, by Filip Van Laenen
Jarig Bakker, 6 November 2001