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Bronckhorst (The Netherlands)

Gelderland province

Last modified: 2007-12-22 by jarig bakker
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Bronckhorst municipality

On 1 January 2004 the new municipality of Bronckhorst (Gelderland) was formed out of the merger of Hengelo (Gld), Hummelo en Keppel, Steenderen, Vorden and Zelhem. One of the first resolutions of the council of the new municipality was not to adopt a new coat of arms. A logo would be representative enough.
However the Hoge Raad van Adel insisted on adoption of a CoA by all municipalities, so reluctantly the Bronckhorst councillers accepted in March 2006 a coat of arms: Gules a lion argent, tongues, armed and crowned or, the shield surmounted by a crown or of three leaves and two pearls.

The lion is derived from the arms of the old van Bronckhorst family.
Source: the Bronckhorst website, and reports by Stefan Lambrechts on the Benevex-list in 2005.

The city of Bronkhorst (c. 220 inh.) was incorporated in 1811 in the municipality of Steenderen. Its claim to fame was that it was the smallest city in the Netherlands - other claimants are Staverden (Gld, municipality Ermelo), just a manorhouse (and a lot of peacocks) and Sint Anna ter Muiden (Zeeland) with c. 200 inh.
Bronkhorst was the seat of the notorious van Bronkhorst family (1100-1553), who were "bannerheren", feuding with the van Heeckerens since 1350. In 1482 Bronkhorst received city rights. The van Hekerens had its powerbase in Emmerich (now Germany), but originated in the village of Almen, the Ehze-manor, in the municipality of Gorssel, Gld.

A "bannerheer" was a knight who had to field 50 knights and 200 archers at his own expense under his own banner ("banier"). There were 4 "bannerheren" in Gelderland in the Middle Ages entitled to carry "banieren", instead of just "vaandels" (standards). There was a rhyme in 1400:
Boer de oudste (Boer the oldest)
Wisch de stoutste (Wisch the boldest)
Bergh de rixte (Bergh the richest)
Bronkhorst de adellyxte (Bronkhorst the noblest)

Source: Prisma-toeristengids Overijssel-Gelderland-Utrecht, by P.G. Bins, 1966.
Jarig Bakker, 16 Dec 2006

Bronckhorst CoA

[Bronckhorst CoA] image by .Jarig Bakker, 16 Dec 2006.