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Belgische Gemeentewapens - Armories communales de Belgique Belgian Civic Heraldry

LIMBURG

Origin/meaning:

The old arms are the arms of the old Duchy of Limburg.

The county Limburg is known since the 10^th century. Henry, count of Limburg was mentioned Duke of Limburg in 1101, but this title was taken from him in 1106 again. He and his successors nevertheless used the title Duke of Limburg ever since.

The first arms are known since Walram III in 1214. The arms were a red lion with golden crown on a white shield. The lion was the lion of Luxemburg, as he was married to Ermesinde of Luxemburg. When his father died he changed the arms by removing the crown and adding another tail to the lion, to symbolise his reign in Limburg and Luxemburg. The arms haven't changed since then, except that the lion became crowned again 14^th century.

After the Dutch independence in 1812 the old arms were reinstalled. After the independence of Belgium in 1830 the province was split between the two countries. See also the arms of Limburg in the Netherlands.

The new arms were granted on May 8, 1996.

The new arms still show the lion of Limburg, with an escutcheon with the arms of the former County of Loon, as the largest part of the province belonged to Loon in the Middle Ages. The supporters are the deer of Hasselt, and the swan of Tongeren. Hasselt is the capital of the province, Tongeren the seat of the oldest High Court of Limburg. The supporters stand on oak branches, derived from the unofficial provincial anthem (for both Dutch and Belgian Limburg), "In het bronsgroen eikenhout" (in the bronze-green oak forests). The crown is a ducal crown.

Literature : Vries, H. de : Wapens van de Nederlanden, Amsterdam, 1995; Information provided by the Provincial Library of Limburg.

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