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Berendrecht-Zandvliet-Lillo (District, Municipality of Antwerp, Belgium)

Bezali

Last modified: 2008-12-26 by ivan sache
Keywords: berendrecht-zandvliet-lillo | berendrecht | zandvliet | lillo | bezali |
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Presentation of the district of Berendrecht-Zandvliet-Lillo

The district of Berendrecht-Zandvliet-Lillo (locally known as Bezali; 9,583 inhabitants on 1 January 2007; 5,266 ha) was formed in 1983 with three former municipalities merged into the municipality of Antwerp in 1958 when the port of Antwerp was increased. The district forms a single borough called the Polder.

Ivan Sache, 3 October 2008


Former municipality of Berendrecht

[Flag of Berendrecht]

Flag of the former municipality of Berendrecht - Image by Ivan Sache, 3 October 2008

Berendrecht, "the bear's dam" according to the local tradition, should rather be read "Bera's dam" or "a passage through the marshes". The parish of Berendrecht was already known in 1184 and 1212 as belonging to Godfried van Schoten, lord of Breda. The history of the village is a permanent struggle against water. The village was quite often flooded and destroyed in the 13-18th centuries. The last flood dates back to February 1953.
Located on the road between the Northern Netherlands and the Spanish Netherlands, Berendrecht was often damaged by the parties in war flooding the fort of Lillo, the disappeared fort De Frederik and the fortifications of Zandvliet.

Source: District website

The former flag of Berendrecht, still hoisted on the town hall of Antwerp, is vertically divided blue-yellow. The colours of the flag are taken from the municipal arms.

According to Servais [svm55], the arms of Berendrecht, granted by (Dutch) Royal Decree on 6 October 1819 and confirmed by (Belgian) Royal Decree on 23 December 1840, shows on a blue field two canting golden bears standing on a golden terrace and holding a golden escutcheon charged with a blue cross. The arms were granted in the Duch national colours, that were not changed after the independence of Belgium.

Ivan Sache, 3 October 2008


Former municipality of Zandvliet

[Flag of Zandvliet]

Flag of the former municipality of Zandvliet - Image by Ivan Sache, 3 October 2008

Zandvliet, mentioned as Santfliet in 1119 and Santflit in 1135, means "a navigable waterway (fliet) through the sand (zand)". The church of Zandvliet, often destroyed during the Spanish wars, was rebuilt from scratch in 1648 by the St. Michael abbey of Antwerp, that was granted Zandvliet and Berendrecht in 1674 by Emperor Charles II. In 1622, the Spanish General Ambrosius Spinola built a fortification with seven bastions around Zandvliet, to protect Antwerp against the Northern Netherlands. It took six years to achieve the fortifications, which transformed the village into a fortified town. In the middle of the 18th century, the French eventually expelled the Spaniards from Zandvliet and the fortifications were suppressed, leaving only remains in the street plan of the town.
After the increase of the port of Antwerp, Zandvliet became famous for its lock, one of the biggest in the world.

Source: District website

The former flag of Zandvliet, still hoisted on the town hall of Antwerp, is vertically divided red-white. The colours of the flag are taken from the municipal arms.

According to Servais [svm55], the arms of Zandvliet, granted by Royal Decree on 17 March 1950 and based on the oldest known seal of the village, dated 1692, shows St. Gertrudis, the village patron saint, behind two shields. The left shield, "Argent a fess wavy azure", represents the Scheldt, while the right shield, "Gules a cross argent two staffs ending in a fleur-de- lis of the same crossed per saltire", represents the arms of the St. Michael abbey in Antwerp.

Ivan Sache, 3 October 2008


Former municipality of Lillo

[Flag of Lillo]

Flag of the former municipality of Lillo - Image by Ivan Sache, 3 October 2008

Lillo, known as Linlo in 1210, subsequently Lindlo, was named after the first settlement built on a height, called Lindelo ter hoeve. In Germanic, lindo means "a linden" and lauha "a small wood on a sandy place".
Lillo-Fort was once a strategic place, already fortified by the Northmen in the 9th century. The fort was built in 1573 under the Spanish rule as a bastion protecting Antwerp and the Scheldt. Increased in 1584 by William the Silent, the fort surrendered to the Duke of Parma's troops besiegeing Antwerp, who destroyed the dams of the Scheldt and flooded Lillo for the next 60 years.
Lillo was eventually incorporated into Belgium in 1839, nine years after the independence of the country. In 1958, the villages of Lillo- Kruisweg and Oud-Lillo were suppressed to increase the port of Antwerp, only Lillo-Fort remained.

Source: District website

The former flag of Lillo, still hoisted on the town hall of Antwerp, is vertically divided blue-yellow. The colours of the flag are taken from the municipal arms.

According to Servais [svm55], the arms of Lillo, granted by Royal Decree on 4 December 1928, are "Per pale, 1. Argent a heart vert, 2a. Or a antique hero proper, 3a. Azure three mullets argent 2 + 1." There is a red cross with the arms ending as a fleur-de-lis behind the shield, with a tree and two birds standing on the top fleur-de-lis. The two parts of the arms are derived from the arms of Massieu and Van Dale, respectively.
The former arms of Lillo, granted by (Dutch) Royal Decree on 6 October 1819 in the Dutch national colours, were of similar design, "Per pale, 1. Azure a heart or, 2a. Or a antique hero azure, 3a. Azure three mullets or 2 + 1."

Ivan Sache, 3 October 2008