Roeselare

The arms from 1819 The arms from 1841 The arms from 1981	ROESELARE Country : Belgium Province : West-Vlaanderen Additions : 1977 Beveren 1977 Oekene 1977 Rumbeke Loading map... {"minzoom":false,"maxzoom":false,"mappingservice":"leaflet","width":"250px","height":"250px","centre":false,"title":"","label":"","icon":"","lines":[],"polygons":[],"circles":[],"rectangles":[],"copycoords":false,"static":false,"zoom":7,"defzoom":14,"layers":["OpenStreetMap"],"image layers":[],"overlays":[],"resizable":false,"fullscreen":false,"scrollwheelzoom":true,"cluster":false,"clustermaxzoom":20,"clusterzoomonclick":true,"clustermaxradius":80,"clusterspiderfy":true,"geojson":"","clicktarget":"","imageLayers":[],"locations":[{"text":"","title":"","link":"","lat":50.943500000000000227373675443232059478759765625,"lon":3.124499999999999833022457096376456320285797119140625,"icon":""}],"imageoverlays":null}

Official blazon
Dutch	(1819) Van zilver met een patriarchaal zwart kruis, het schild gedekt met een gouden kroon en van achteren vastgehouden door een engel. Tot schildhouders twee leeuwen in hunne natuurlijke kleur met de ruggen tegen het schild geplaatst. (1841) Een wit veld, met een zwart paffiarchael kruys, den schild gedekt met eene gulden kroon en vastgehouden door eenen engel naer het leven, rustende op twee leeuwen naer het leven met den rug tegen den schild gekeerd en den helm bekykende. (1981) In zilver een patriarchaal kruis van sabel. Het schild getopt met een stedekroon met vijf torens van goud en geplaatst voor een engel in natuurlijke kleur. Schildhouders: twee afgewende omziende leeuwen van natuurlijke kleur.
English	blazon wanted

Origin/meaning

The arms were officially granted on November 10, 1819 and confirmed on December 18, 1841 and again, with a new crown, on November 16, 1981.

Roeselare became a city in the middle of the 13th century. The oldest known seal dates from 1309 and shows St. Michael, the patron saint of the city, with two patriarchal crosses. On seals from the 16th century onwards, the cross appears on a shield, with an angel (St. Michael ?) and two lions as supporters. In 1819 the arms were granted based on this seal. In 1841 the arms were confirmed, but with the lions facing backwards, as on the historical seals. In 1981 the crown was changed to a mural crown, indicating the long city character of Roeselare.

The meaning of the cross is not known. It may be derived from the arms of Ieper, as in the middle of the 13th century Roeselare belonged to the Ieper district of Vlaanderen, so when Roeselare received city rights, they may have taken the cross of Ieper.

The seal from 1309
The arms on a medal from 1903
The arms in the Koffie Hag/Café Hag albums +/- 1930
The arms on the city hall
The arms on a Dutch Willem II cigar band
The arms on a police badge (source)
Postal cancellation, 1961
The arms on a Végé match label
The arms on a Melior cigar band

Literature: Servais, 1955

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