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Wijchen (The Netherlands)

Gelderland province

Shipmate Flagchart : http://www.shipmate.nl/flags.htm
adopted 19 Jan 1984

Wijchen municipality
Wijchen CoA
Batenburg former municipality flag and CoA
Bergharen former municipality

See also:

Wijchen municipality

In 1984 the former municipalities of Batenburg, Bergharen and Wijchen merged to form the new municipality of Wijchen. It consists of the sttlements Wijchen (seat), Balgoij, Niftrik, Batenburg, Hermen, Leur, and Bergharen. On 6 Sep 2004 the 40.000th inhabitant was born.
Wijchen is southwest and virtually a suburb of Nijmegen. Between 1609 and 1626 the castle of Wijchen was built by order of Emilia van Nassau and Emanuel de Bragança, a Portuguese prince. That is now the municipal house.
The flag, adopted 19 Jan 1984, is derived from the CoA, which was derived from the Lords of Batenburg (a municipality now included in Wijchen). De shears have been explained 'in order to curtail the Roman eagle' ('Pour ronger les ailes aux Romains.'.) It is more probable that it was derived from the arms of Gennep by proxy. <the Dutch term for the shear is 'droogscheerdersschaar' (dry shearing scissor)>
source: <http://www.bng.nl/ngw/w/wychen.htm>
Jarig Bakker, 21 Oct 1999

Wijchen CoA

by Jarig Bakker, 17 Apr 2005
Granted 28 Mar 1984

Batenburg former municipality

Shipmate Flagchart : http://www.shipmate.nl/flags.htm
adopted ?

The present municipality of Wychen was formed by the merger of the former municipalities of Batenburg, Bergharen and Wychen in 1984.
After the merger it was decided to adopt the flag and CoA of Batenburg, which were identical:
Flag: red with a yellow saltire, with arms of 1/5 flagheight, with in each quarter turned yellow cloth shearer's scissors.
Mr Marcel van Westerhoven wrote me that that was originally the flag of Batenburg.
Arms: gules a saltire with four reversed cloth shearer's scissors, all
or; the shield surmounted by a crown or of five leaves.
Granted by Royal Resolution 28 Mar 1984; originally granted to Batenburg 15 Jul 1818.
This is the old coat of arms of the Van Bronckhorst family, lord and master over life and death for a long time in Batenburg.

Why Batenburg? Wychen is an insignificant suburb of Nijmegen, gaining only some national fame when the "Vierdaagse" (four-day walk) is held and severly injured are treated and the healthy people are greeted with gladiolen for some weird reason...

Batenburg is an old town, with in its heighdays 650 inhabtants, and possibly the oldest settlement in Gelderland. Legend has it that its name is derived from prince Bato, of the Batavian tribe (or people), c.0 AD. There was a redoubtable castle defending the honor of Prince Bato's descendants, which, alas, has become derelict. Another reason (well, that is what I thought), was that Batenburg ain't that different from "Battenberg", or as the British know it: "Mountbatten". However there is no relation whatsoever, but Wycheners expect the British to be gullible :-)

Nickname: "Keieschijters" - people who s*** rocks - towns were privileged in getting far earlier hardened streets than village (like Wychen).
Source: Derkwillem Visser's "Gemeentevlaggen en Wapens Koninkrijk der Nederlanden", 2001.
Groot Schimpnamenboek van Nederland, by Dirk van der Heide, 1998.
Jarig Bakker, 17 Apr 2005

The municipal arms of Batenburg was not from the Lords of Bronkhorst, but from the oldest Lords of Batenburg. The Bronkhorsten had a white lion on red. When they acquired Batenburg they quartered their family arms with that of the lordship.
Marcel van Westerhoven, 24 Apr 2005

Batenburg CoA

by Jarig Bakker, 17 Apr 2005
Granted 15 Jul 1818

Bergharen former municipality

by Jarig Bakker, 19 Sep 2004
adopted 7 Feb 1974

Flagdescription: in blue a white hoist-triangle, reaching into flagcenter; on the triangle three black, broad-armed crosses, each of ¼ flagheight; two along the hoist and one in the apex. Adopted 7 Feb 1974 by municipal resolution.
Source: Derkwillem Visser: Gemeentevlaggen en wapens Koninkrijk der Nederlanden. 2001.
Bergharen was a municipality with 2000 inhabitants with the settlements Bergharen (seat), Hernen and Leur. In 1984 it became part of Wijchen.
Jarig Bakker, 19 Sep 2004