Noord-Holland polderboards (The Netherlands)

Waterschappen

Last modified: 2004-05-22 by jarig bakker
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• Amstel en Gooi polderboard
• Amstelland polderboard
• Kennemerland en West-Friesland Polderboard
• Lange Rond polderboard
• 4 Noorderkoggen polderboard
• Noordhollands Noorderkwartier polderboard
• De Purmer polderboard
• De Schermer polderboard

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Amstel en Gooi polderboard

Official name: Zuiveringschap Amstel en Gooiland; Seat: Hilversum, Noord-Holland province.
Flag adopted Dec 1982; design: an ad-agency.
The flag is based on the logo of the polderboard and on the logo of the "Unie van Waterschappen", and aims to imagine its function: purification of water.
Source: Vexilla Nostra #165.
The board was founded in 1972, and dissolved in 1997, when it became part of the Hoogheemraadschap Amstel, Gooi en Vecht.
Jarig Bakker, 17 May 2004

Amstelland polderboard

Official name: Hoogheemraadschap Amstelland; seat: Amsterdam.
Flag: Five horizontal stripes of black, red, yellow, red, black, proportioned 1:1:6:1:1; on yellow at 1/4 flaglength a black two-headed eagle with red tongues, beaks, and claws, with an inecutcheon per pale red and blue, charged with a yellow emperor's crown, lined red.
Adopted 14 Jun 1984; design: Mr. G.A. Bontekoe.
The arms of this polderboard can be found in old armorials of the KOFFIE HAG series. It consisted of a double eagle with oval inesutcheon with the arms of Uithoorn, Ouder-Amstel, Diemen, Mijdrecht and Abcoude-Baambrugge. The oval shield surmounted by an emperor's crown. This shield was deemed to "busy" for a flag, so Mr. Bontekoe simplified it a bit.
The Amstelland polderboard was founded by Emperor Charles V, and therefore the double eagle and emperor's crown from his arms. The eagle in the Amstelland arms has only red tongues, but Mr. Bontekoe also colored the beak and legs red to get a better effect. The yellow background was not explained, but is probably connected to the German Imperial crown through the ages.
The red-blue division of the shield is motivated by the fact that three of the municipal arms mentioned have a red field and two a red field.
The black and red horizontal stripes symbolize AMSTELland: the red-black arms of Amsterdam, Ouder-Amstel and Nieuwer-Amstel/Amstelveen.
Source: Vexilla Nostra #147.
Jarig Bakker, 17 May 2004

Kennemerland en West-Friesland Polderboard

Official Dutch name: Hoogheemraadschap van de Uitwaterende Sluizen in Kennemerland en West-Friesland; seat: Edam, Noord-Holland province.
Flag: yellow, with at hoist-center the full achievement of the arms of 1/2 flagheight, and along top and bottom a black and red triangled border (red against yellow), of 1/5 flagheight.
Text: Kl. Sierksma; image: Hans van Heijningen.
Source Vexilla Nostra #122, Sep-Oct 1982.
Jarig Bakker, 2 Dec 2003

Lange Rond polderboard

Official name: Waterschap Het Lange Rond; seat: Alkmaar.
Flag adopted: 1960; design: the polderboad itself.
Description: Two horizontal stripes of green and blue, with a hoist-triangle reaching the flagcenter, charged with an emblem: a small letter Omega of green, bordered below by a parabole-like line; the leg to the right is lower than both other legs; between these legs trapezoid forms, both blue reaching just below the top of the legs, whereby the one to the right is placed lower than the one to the left..
Actually it was the logo of the Polderboard. Green and blue represent land and water.
Het Lange Rond is a large polderboard, North of the Noordzeekanaal, reaching beyong Alkmaar in the North.
Source: Vexilla Nostra #162-163, May/Aug 1989.
Text: Hans van Heijningen
Jarig Bakker, 17 May 2004

4 Noorderkoggen polderboard

Official Dutch name: Het Ambacht van Westfriesland, genaamd de Vier Noorder Koggen; seat Memdemblik.
Flag: quartered red - green - black - white, with over all an oval with 4/5 flagheight and a length of 6/5 flagheight, consisting of 12 yellow 4-pointed stars, and 4 equal stars in the center, placed in a square.
The old region of West-Friesland consisted of 4 divisions, each of which consisted of "koggen", an area whence the crew of one "kogge" (medieval cock-boat) could be levied.
Text: Kl. Sierksma; image: Hans van Heijningen.
Source: Vexilla Nostra #121, Jul-Aug 1982.
Jarig Bakker, 2 Dec 2003

Noordhollands Noorderkwartier polderboard

Dutch name: Hoogheemraadschap Noordhollands Noorderkwartier; seat Alkmaar.
Flag: eight equally wide horizontal stripes of blue and white, with a square yellow canton of 1/2 flagheight, charged with a red lion armed blue, with a white spade.
Source Vexilla Nostra #122, Sep-Oct 1982.
text: Kl. Sierksma; image: H. van Heijningen
Jarig Bakker, 2 Dec 2003

De Purmer polderboard

Dutch name: Waterschap De Purmer; seat: Edam.
Flag: horizontal stripes of green, yellow and green, proportioned 1:2:1, with on yellow at 1/3 flaglength the complete arms of 2/5 flagheight.

Other info:
Flag: stripes of breadths (?) 1:2:1 green-white-green, in the centre on white the complete achievement of arms, viz. 'Argent, a naked maiden standing in a landscape, and holding a plummet, all proper; supporters 2 milkmaids; crest: a bucket; the whole surrounded by reeds, all proper; and below the inscription PURMER in blue lettering within a blue cartouche.

The Purmer is a reclaimed lake, dating from the 17th century. The arms refer to an old legend, telling that once in the Purmer, when it was still a lake, a mermaid was caught, who was baptized and lived for many years ashore. The arms, however, show a normal girl and not a mermaid. The achievement is a typical and charming example of "farmers heraldry" of the 18th century. The flag dates probably from the 19th century and was discovered recently; it is not in use anymore.
Source Vexilla Nostra #122, Sep-Oct 1982. - Vexilla Nostra V:28 (1975).
text: Kl. Sierksma; image: H. van Heijningen.
I found no colored CoA, so we have to do with a B/W image for the time being.
Jarig Bakker, 2 Dec 2003

De Schermer polderboard

Official Dutch name: Waterschap De Schermer; seat: Schermerhorn in Noord-Holland province.
Flag: equally wide horizontal stripes of green - yellow - blue.
Adopted in 1957 after advice by Kl. Sierksma; de municipality of Hefshuizen (formerly Uithuizen and now Eemsmond) and the polderboard Noord-Limburg adopted identical flags.
Source Vexilla Nostra #122, Sep-Oct 1982.
text: Kl. Sierksma; image: H. van Heijningen.

Other info:
Flag: stripes blue-yellow-green.
The Schermer is a former lake, reclaimed in the 17th century . It is still the owner of a beutiful set of windmills and a fine collection of traditional insignia. The flag, in the colors of the arms, was used only once, during the celebration of the 300th anniversary in 1933.
Source: Mr. A.J. Beenhakker in Vexilla Nostra V:27 (1975).
Jarig Bakker, 2 Dec 2003