Last modified: 2002-02-01 by franc van diest
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![[Provincial flag of Zeeland]](../images/n/nl-ze.gif)
Mark Sensen, 4 May 1999
See also:
A rather technical discussion on the Zeeland flag (mainly on the CoA) can be
found on
<http://www.zeeland.nl/paginas/bestuurorganisatie/bestuur/divextra/luctoretemergoc.html>
Sierksma's 'Nederlands vlaggenboek', 1962, has this: 'Zeeland's flag was adopted
14 January 1949. It deviates from the Dutch vexillological practice of not
placing coats of arms on flags, but even historically this is justified. Old
flagbooks and -charts show very often a red-white-blue Zeeland flag (with
equally wide stripes, or with a wider white stripe, f.i. zna99, p. 19 and
<nl-ze17x.gif>) within the white stripe the complete coat of arms of
Zeeland, often with below it two crossed laurel branches. Quite often the shield
without crown and laurel branches can be found. Only two flag-sources, from 1667
(the Neapolitan manuscript) and a manuscript originating from Zeeland in the
second half of the 18th century, deleted the coat of arms. In those days Zeeland
used the RWB flag; only in one case orange-white-blue. In the designing of the
new flag it was considered that red-white-blue was not very specific for
Zeeland, so one looked into a different direction. A design of a member of the
Zeeland 'Gedeputeerde Staten', jhr. mr. T. A. J. W. Schorer was finally chosen.
Note that the motto on the coat of arms ('luctor et emergo' - I wrestle and
emerge - a motto, which was adopted after Zeeland fought itself free from Spain
with the help of the English, 1585), while the number of stripes is one more
than
on the coat of arms. This was done at the insistence of mr. Schorer on
esthetical grounds: 't is better visible with a dark stripe on top and at the
bottom! The flag gained immediate popularity in Zeeland and became nationally
known after the flood-catastrophe of February 1951.
<It crossed my mind that gifts from all over the world were sent the
alleviate the misery of the victims - and that Zeeland in gratitude sent flags,
which might account for a Zeeland flag in Tasmania>
Jarig Bakker 13 March 2000
.gif)
International Civic Arms : http://www.ngw.nl/
"Per fess wavy; I or, a demi lion, issuing from the dividing line gules, armed and langued azure; II barry wavy of six azure ans argent. The shield is crested by a coronet of four pearls between five leaves or. Supporters: two lions rampant gules, armed and langued azure. On a white ribbon the motto LUCTOR ET EMERGO in black lettering."
The arms of the province of Zeeland (or (Old) Zealand) are the lion of Holland struggling on a sea. The counts of Holland and the Vlaanderen (Flanders) jointly governed the group of islands between their homelands. The counts of Holland tried in the 12-13th century to get their stronghold in the area. They finally succeeded in 1299. They, however, did not adapt arms as Counts of Zeeland. The arms were developed in the 15-16th centuries.
Jarig Bakker, 26 January 2001
In 1938 Queen Wilhelmina had reigned the Netherlands for 40 years. On that occasion a lot of municipalities paraded in front of HM with their flags, which consisted of the provincial flag with the municipal CoA in the canton (or something...). Those municipal flags can only be considered as 'curiosities', while the status of the provincial flags is not quite clear.
Jarig Bakker, 26 January 2001
![[Historical flag of Zeeland]](../images/n/nl-ze17x.gif)
Mark Sensen, 30 March 1998
Red over white over blue. On the white stripe, a shield surmounted by a crown
and encircled by a garland of leaves - the shield extends into the other stripes
slightly. On the shield, a red demi-lion on a yellow background, rising out of a
blue base.
(Source: Dutch atlas made by Delisle in 1739)
James Dignan, 14 November 1996
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