Last modified: 2015-07-28 by ivan sache
Keywords: oudenburg | roksem |
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The municipality of Oudenburg (8,947 inhabitants on 1 January 2007; 3,538 ha) is located between Ostend and Bruges. The municipality of Oudenburg is made since 1976 of the former municipalities of Oudenburg (4,627 inh.; 1,473 ha), Ettelgem (1,123 inh.; 703 ha), Roksem (1,486 inh.; 556 ha) and Westkerke (1,605 inh; 806 ha).
Oudenburg is a very ancient town. The Romans built there in the IVth century a castellum (castle) to protect the country from the Saxon pirates. Oudenburg was then located on the moving coast line. In the Middle Ages, the town was still a significant place in the County of Flanders, especially after the building of the St. Peter abbey in 1084. Oudenburg was also renamed for its weavers.
Ivan Sache, 16 September 2007
The municipal flag of Oudenburg is yellow with in the middle a red
castle with white windows and a portcullis over an escutcheon "Barry
of eight pieces argent and gules a lion azure overall".
According to Gemeentewapens in België - Vlaanderen en Brussel, the flag was adopted by the Municipal
Council on 29 October 1987, confirmed by the Executive of Flanders on 1
March 1988 and published in the Belgian official gazette on 16
September 1988.
The flag is a quasi-banner of the municipal arms; on these arms, the
escutcheon is "Chequy of 20 pieces (5x4) argent and azure", replaced on
the flag by the former arms of Roksem.
According to Servais, the arms of Oudenburg were granted by Royal Decree on 2 February 1843. The castle was already shown on the oldest known municipal seal, dated 1226. The design of the castle significantly varied on subsequent seals. The escutcheon, showing the arms of the lords of Oudenburg, appeared on the seal in the XVIth century.
Pascal Vagnat & Ivan Sache, 16 September 2007
