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Terneuzen (The Netherlands)

Zeeland province

Last modified: 2003-08-16 by jarig bakker
Keywords: terneuzen |
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Terneuzen municipality Shipmate Flagchart : http://www.shipmate.nl/flags.htm

Other Terneuzen pages: See also:

Terneuzen municipality

Number of inhabitants (1 Jan 2003): 55.518; area: 268,24 km². Settlements: Terneuzen (seat), Axel, Biervliet, Hoek, Koewacht, Overslag, Philippine, Sas van Gent, Sluiskil, Spui, Westdorpe, Zaamslag, Zandstraat, Zuiddorpe.
In 1970 part of Biervliet (see Oostburg), part of Westdorpe (see Axel) and part of Zaamslag (see Axel), merged with Terneuzen to form the new municipality of Terneuzen, the flag remained the same. Terneuzen consisted after the 1970 merger of Biervliet, Hoek, Sluiskil, Terneuzen, Zaamslag and part of Spui, and 35.000 inhabitants. On 1 Jan 2003 Terneuzen merged with Axel and Sas van Gent to form the new municipality of Terneuzen.
Franc van Diest, 9 Mar 2003

Terneuzen is in Zeeuws Vlaanderen, the southernmost part of Zeeland province; the merger took place 2 Jan 2003.
On 27 July 2002 the new CoA of the merged municipality (that is: Terneuzen, Axel and Sas van Gent) was presented in the cityhall of Terneuzen, together with the new municipal flag. Design: Dingeman de Koning from Axel.

In the CoA elements from the arms of the former municipalities were joined. In the new CoA the base and the lion from the Terneuzen arms have been used. Those elements were already in the Terneuzen arms in 1584, when Willem van Oranje (William the Silent) granted the city rights. The lock-doors are from the arms of Sas van Gent (which literally means: lock of Gent), where they were already present in 1564.

Axel, the oldest town in the Channelzone, delivered the key, which was already displayed in 1244. That the key is in the right paw has a special meaning: in the time of the "geuzen" (since 1572) it designated that it was a town of Zeeland, not of Vlaanderen. The crown was added to the arms to signify that Central Zeeuws-Vlaanderen used to be under the authority of the Counts of Vlaanderen.

For the flag elements flags of the former municipalities were also used. In the canton are seven stripes, alternating red and white, derived from Sas van Gent, which symbolizes the three channel arms (white), which pass through the town. The key refers to Axel, and the lion and wavy stripes to Terneuzen.
Source: Terneuzen municipality website.
Jarig Bakker, 3 May 2003


Terneuzen CoA

[Terneuzen CoA] image from the this website.

Old Terneuzen flag

Terneuzen municipality Shipmate Flagchart : http://www.shipmate.nl/flags.htm.

Old Terneuzen CoA

[Old Terneuzen CoA] image from the Axel municipal website.