Last modified: 2008-12-26 by ivan sache
Keywords: berendrecht-zandvliet-lillo | berendrecht | zandvliet | lillo | bezali |
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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
![[Flag of Berendrecht]](../images/b/be-vanbj.gif)
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
![[Flag of Zandvliet]](../images/b/be-vanza.gif)
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
![[Flag of Lillo]](../images/b/be-vanli.gif)
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