Last modified: 2009-03-21 by ivan sache
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The district of Wilrijk (38,319 inhabitants on 1 January 2007; 1,361 ha) was formed in 1983 when the former municipality of Wilrijk was merged into the municipality of Antwerp.
Wilrijk, although settled c. 600 BC, was mentioned for the first time in 1003, as "Uuilrika", a name probably derived from the Gallo-Roman toponym Villariacum. Until the midle of the 19th century, Wilrijk remained a rural village, producing milk, butter, vegetables and flowers sold to Antwerp. In 1859-1865, a series of forts was built around Antwerp by General Brialmont; forts 6 and 7, as well as the smaller forts 11 and 16 were built in Wilrijk. The building of the Antwerp-Rumst-Mechelen road (1901) and tramway line 5 (1912) allowed several villagers from Wilrijk to work in Antwerp. In the beginning of the 20th century, Wilrijk had 6,243 inhabitants, to be compared with 3,553 in 1875.
Wilrijk is nicknamed Geitedorp (The Goats' Village) and its inhabitants Geitekoppen (Goats' Heads). The house Les Peupliers (The Poplars), located close to the center of the town, is one of the few designed by Le Corbusier in Belgium. The Jain temple of Wilrijk, inaugurated in 2003, is the biggest out of India.
Source: District website
Ivan Sache, 3 October 2008
Antwerpen O Radio announced on 11 September 2008 that the district of Wilrijk has launched a competition for a flag. Proposals should be submitted before 31 October 2008.
Details on the competition are given on the district website (page no longer online).
The proposals can be submitted by individuals or teams. A jury will
select the best proposals, to be exhibited on 15, 16, 22 and 23
November in the Arts Center Berkenveld. Together with the district
administration, the jury will select the winning design before the end
of November. The winner shall win a 600 € prize, and there shall be a prize for the second and third runners-up, too (300 € and 100 €, respectively).
According to the competition rules, still available on the district website, everybody can contest. The two mandatory colours are Pantone Yellow c and Pantone Process Blue c, while colour gradations and writings are prohibited.
The technic specifications, still available on the district website, include the construction sheet for the
flag shape. As stated in the Decree prescribing district flags,
the flag should be swallow-tailed. Dimensions are given as 390 mm x
260 mm, the indentation being 130 mm in length (1/3 of the flag length).
Ivan Sache, 23 September 2008
Everyone has had his or her chance to compete, and the jury's selection was on view for a few days in the Arts Center Berkenveld. I went there last week and saw a number of very good, original, whacky, or awful designs some of which showed a clear reference to Wilrijk, of which a goat's head (folklore) and the initial "W" (self-evident) are the most representative.
I had the chance to talk to one of the jury members who presented and explained a number of designs; certain arguments will surely be cited in the final jury report.
The shortlisted designs, five of almost fifty shown, have been framed.
The Wilrijk District Council is expected to select the winner in December.
Jan Mertens, 18 November 2008
Gazet van Antwerpen announced the winner, Astrid Vrolix, on 21 December 2008. Abstract and quite modern-looking (and not accepted unanimously by the district council), the design incorporates the obligatory colours blue and yellow, adding white to represent the future augmentation of Wilrijk arms (a silver hand, recalling Antwerp).
The council intends to officially present the flag to the public at a
suitable occasion, perhaps on 11 July (Flemish feast day), implying its previous approbation by the Flemish Heraldic Council.
Jan Mertens, 4 January 2009
![[Flag of Wilrijk]](../images/b/be-vanwk.gif)
Flag of the former municipality of Wilrijk - Image by Ivan Sache, 3 October 2008
The former flag of Wilrijk, 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 Wilrijk are "Azure a St. Bavo or". St. Bavo (589-654) is the patron saint of the town, also the patron saint of Ghent and Haarlem, invoked against pertussis. On the arms, Bavo is represented as a knight with a falcon and sword, following the iconographical tradition.
Ivan Sache, 3 October 2008