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Zingem (Municipality, Province of East Flanders, Belgium)

Municipal flag of Zingem - Image by Ivan Sache, 23 October 2001

Presentation of Zingem and its villages
Municipal flag of Zingem

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Presentation of Zingem and its villages

The municipality of Zingem (6,822 inhabitants on 1 January 2007; 2,394 ha) is located 10 km north of Oudenaarde. The municipality of Zingem is made since 1976 of the former municipalities of Zingem, Huise (pro parte, the other parts being incorporated to Kruishoutem) and Ouwegem.

Zingem was mentioned for the first time in 885, as Siggingaheim, "Siggo's lineage's estate". The name of the village was subsequently written Sicquingahem (963), Siggengem (1019-1030) and Sinchem (1121). A Roman treasure dated 262 AD was found in the village in 1861, while a medieval treasure was found at the end of the XXth century, to be seen today in the Provincial Museum of Ename.
Zingem and Asper (incorporated into Gavere in 1976) formed a single domain, already mentioned in 1300 as depending on the Country of Oudenaarde; until 1626, the domain belonged directly to the Counts of Flanders. It was then transferred to the Roisin family and two years later to the van der Meeren family. The van Hoobrouck family was lord of Zingem and Asper from 1667 to 1789. The golden age of the two villages was the end of the XVIIIth century, when they produced the finest linen in the region.

Huise was mentioned for the first time in 877, as Uscias. The name of the village was subsequently written Usa (1080), Husse (1138) and, again, Uscias (1158). A Roman treasure with coins portraying Emperors Trajan and Vespasian was found in the village. Huise is traditionally considered as the birth village of St. Adelard (c. 752-826); Abbot of Corbie (Picardy, France), Adelard probably founded a Provosthip for the abbey in Huise around 780-781. Adelard was a grand-son of Charles Martel and a cousin of Charlemagne, who appointed him missus dominicus; he was involved in the famous ambush of Roncevaux and took the coat in the abbey of Corbie.
Willem, lord of Huise, took part to the Battle of the Gulden Spurs in 1302. The reformed religion was quite successful in the village, so that several villagers emigrated to the northern Low Countries at the end of the XVIth century. In 1670, J. B. della Faille became lord of Huise; in 1736, F. A. della Faille, lord of Huise and Ooike, was erected Baron of Huise. The della Faille played a significant political part in the region and were very often mayor of Huise until 1971.
Huise is the birth village of the musicologist and composer Frans-August Gevaert (1828-1908).

Ouwegem was mentioned for the first time in 830, as Aldingaheim, "Aldo's lineage's estate". The name of the village was subsequently written Aldengem (1019-1030) and Oudengem (1123). After the withdrawal of the the Northmen, the village of Ouwegem was ruled by the lords of Gavere, the lords of Pamele and the manager appointed by the Count of Flanders. In 1460, Ouwegem depended on Gavere; while Boudewijn of Maldegem was lord of Ouwegem in the beginning of the XVIth century. In 1521, Knight Nicolaas II Triest, from Ghent, purchased the village, which remained for half a century owned by the same family. Anton Triest, Bishop of Bruges in 1617, known as "a protector of arts and literature and the father of the poor", was born in the castle of Ouvwegem in 1586. The domain was erected a Barony in 1628.

Source: Municipal website

Ivan Sache, 4 January 2008

Municipal flag of Zingem

The municipal flag of Zingem is blue with a yellow saltire and a yellow disk in each quarter.
According to Gemeentewapens in België - Vlaanderen en Brussel, the flag was adopted by the Municipal Council on 19 September 1984, confirmed by the Executive of Flanders on 1 April 1985 and published in the Belgian official gazette on 8 July 1986.
The flag is a banner of the second and third quarters of the municipal arms.

According to Servais, the arms of Zingem, "Quarterly, 1 and 4 argent an eagle sable armed and beaked gules, 2 and 3 azure a saltire or cantonned by four bezants of the same", were granted by (Dutch) Royal Decree on 3 December 1817 and confirmed by (Belgian) Royal Decree on 13 April 1838. The arms were designed after the municipal seal from the XVIIIth century, which shows the arms of the van Hoobrouck family.

Pascal Vagnat & Ivan Sache, 4 January 2008