![[Flag of Hoeselt]](../images/b/be-vliho.gif)
Last modified: 2007-12-02 by ivan sache
Keywords: hoeselt | moffarts |
Links: FOTW homepage |
search |
disclaimer and copyright |
write us |
mirrors
Municipal flag of Hoeselt - Image by Mark Sensen, 24 July 2004
See also:
The municipality of Hoeselt (9,343 inhabitants on 1 January 2007; 3,002 ha) is located in Vocht (Wet) Haspengouw, south-east of Hasselt and bordering Tongeren. The municipality of Hoeselt is made since 1976 of the former municipalities of Hoeselt (including Romershoven and Werm since 1971), Schalkhoven and Sint-Huibrechts-Hern.
Hoeselt was mentioned for the first time, as Housle, in 1066, the name of
the town being later Hurle (1155), Husle (1155), Hurlo (1280) and
Huselt (1293); this name is derived from "hus - lo", "a settlement near
a wood". Remains of Romain villae have been found, proving that Hoeselt
was then part of the big colony of Tongeren, or at least connected to
it. After the evangelization of the region in the Merovingian times,
Hoeselt became the mother parish of the seven churches of
Sint-Huibrechts-Hern, Vliermaal, Beverst, Romershoven, Schalkhoven,
Werm and Althoeselt. In 1066, the parish was transferred by
Prince-Bishop of Liège Theoduin to the Notre-Dame chapter of Huy while the Notre-Dame chapter of Tongeren received some parts of Hoeselt, too.
Vliermaal and Sint-Huibrechts-Hern were granted limited autonomy around
1250. The woods alluded to in the name of the town were cleared in the
XII-XIIIth century and transformed into arable lands. In 1619,
Prince-Bishop Ferdinand of Bayern transferred Hoeselt to the Knights
Templars of Alden Biesen; further lords of Hoeselt were Edmond Huyn van
Amstenraedt, Godfried Huyn van Amstenraedt van Geelen and Edmond
Godfried von Bocholtz. The domain of Hoeselt was transferred back to
the St. Lambert chapter of Liège in 1683 and eventually sold in 1706 to
Willem-Gerard Moffarts, whose descenders kept it until the French
Revolution.
Located along the brook Winterbeek, Romershoven was mentioned for the
first time in 1147, as Romercurt. In the XIIth century, the
Prince-Bishop of Liège transferred the village to the St. John the
Evangelist Chapter. The oldest known manager (voogd) representing the
chapter is Henricus of Rumershoven (1220), while its last manager was
Baron Louis Gerard de Moffarts, also the last lord of Hoeselt.
Also located along a brook, Werm was mentioned for the first time in
1146, as Werme, later changed to Waremme (1333) and Waremia (1367), lit.
"waternaam", that is, "located not far from a brook". In the XIVth
century, Hendrik and Godfried of Werm ruled the domain, which was
transferred in 1341 to Louis Marteal, also manager of the neighbouring
domain of Hardelingen. The domain was later transferred to the Bernar,
van den Bosch and Duras family.
Schalkhoven, mentioned for the first time, as Scalckoven, in 1256, later Scauchoven (1280), Sclacoven (1282) and Schachoven (1364), is the smallest component of Hoeselt. Excavations made by Knight Camille of Borman in 1865 around the castle of Schalkhoven yielded remains of a Roman villa and cemetary. Together with Sint-Huibrechts-Hern, Schalkhoven formed a single domain transferred in 1256 to the lords of Diepenbeek and later to the Counts of Hamal.
Sint-Huibrechts-Hern was mentioned for the first time in 1256 as Herne, "herne" being most probably a Middle Dutch form of "nerder", "a shepherd". In 1256, the church of Hern, thanks to its dedication to St. Hubert, was given the status of "median church", including the right to give the last sacraments of the Church. The ritual involving St. Hubert's key to cure men and animals suffering from rabies was still practiced there in the XXth century. Together with Schalkhoven, Sint-Huibrechts-Hern formed a domain allocated to the Counts of Hamal. Frescoes from the late XIIIth century found in the village church are the oldest known representation of St. Hubert's legend; they were probably ordered by Jan of Eldern, lord of Hern, who later took the coat and became Prior of the Saint-Hubert abbey.
Source: Municipal website
Ivan Sache, 21 July 2007
Hoeselt is located in the arrondissement of Tongeren.
The municipal flag of Hoeselt is horizontally divided
yellow-white-yellow, the white stripe being fimbriated and fretty in
black.
According to Gemeentewapens in België - Vlaanderen en Brussel, the flag was adopted by the Municipal Council on 13 April 1989, confirmed by the Exectuive of Flanders on 21
November 1989 and published in the Belgian official gazette on 8
December 1990.
The flag is a banner of the municipal arms.
The arms of Hoeselt are the former arms of the Moffarts family, as shown on the de Moffarts Foundation website. Located in the Hamel castle (Lummen), the Foundation was set up in 1997 after the death of Baroness Marie-Louise de Moffarts. Her brother, Baron André de Moffarts (d. 2004), lord of Hamel also bequeathed his fortune to the Foundation. Among its activities, the Foundation funds the International Heraldry Award "Baron André de Moffarts", to be granted every three years. The Moffarts family is of remote Westfalian origin.
Pascal Vagnat & Ivan Sache, 21 July 2007
