Aartselaar

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AARTSELAAR

Province : Antwerpen

Official blazon

(1819) Van lazuur beladen met St. Leonard van goud en verzeld ter regter zijde van een schild van goud beladen met een kruis van lazuur en ter linker van een diergelijk schild beladen met drie palen mede van lazuur.
(1993) Twee schilden naast elkaar 1. in lazuur een ankerkruis van goud 2. in goud drie palen van keel. De twee schilden geplaatst voor een Sint-Leonardus van goud.

Origin/meaning

The arms were granted on October 6, 1819 and again on February 16, 1993.

Aartselaar got its own council in 1558. Soon after the council got its own seal, showing St. Leonard, the local patron saint, and the arms of the Berthout family, Lords of the Mechelen area, to which the village belonged. In 1644 the manor was acquired by the Van den Cruyce family, and they added their arms to the seal. Ever since the arms have shown the saint with the Berthout (pales) and Van der Cruyce (cross) arms.

In 1813 the mayor applied for the arms by describing the seal, but not providing colours. As usual in such cases, the Dutch Court of Nobility placed the supporter in the shield and used only the national colours. This was not corrected after the Belgian Independence in 1830, but only in 1993.