Last modified: 2021-11-13 by rob raeside
Keywords: aalburg | wheel |
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image located by Valentin Poposki, 21 October 2021
Aalburg, Werkendam, and
Woudrichem were merged into a new municipality,
Altena, on 01.01.2019.
Valentin Poposki, 21 October 2021
The coat of arms was granted by Royal Resolution of 25 July 1973. Description:
"In sable three wheels or, a chief or with a lion passant gules. The shield
is covered by a crown or with three leaves and two pearls".
The Coat of Arms is a combination of the arms of (Veen - the lion, see Ralf
Hartemink's site), with the wheels from the arms of Eethen and Wijk
en Aalburg. Originally the wheels came from the arms of Heusden,
since 1260. The following story explains the presence of the wheel:
Boudewijn, second Lord of Heusden, served King Edmond of England, and
abducted between 875 and 890 the King's daughter Sophia. A reconciliation
could only be realized if Boudewijn would replace his old arms with arms
with a wheel. (the story doesn't mention why...). Another chronicle tells
that Edmond's envoys found Sophia spinning yarn on a round spinning-wheel.
The only truth in this story is the fact that the Lords of Heusden
used a Coat of Arms with a wheel in very ancient times; however the use of Coats
of Arms in the Netherlands started only in the beginning of the 12th century.
King Edmond might have been Edmund, king of East Anglia (854-869).
Info from Ralf Hartemink's site.
Jarig Bakker, 6 May 2003