Nijlen

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NIJLEN

Province : Antwerpen
Additions : 1977 Bevel, Kessel

Official blazon

(1819) Gevierendeeld, het 1 en 4 van lazuur, beladen met een klimmenden leeuw van goud, het 2 en 3 van goud, beladen met een klimmenden leeuw van lazuur.
(1838) Vier vakken van hemelsblaeuw en geel koleur met vier leeuwen den eenen in den anderen. De leeuwen van hemelsblaeuw koleur met eenen gaffelsteert.
(1952) Gevierendeeld: 1 en 4 van sabel, met leeuw van goud, genageld en getongd van keel; 2 en 3 van zilver met leeuw van keel de staart gespleten, geknobbeld en kruisgewijze opgesteld, genageld, getongd en gekroond van goud.
(1985) Gevierendeeld 1. en 4. in sabel een leeuw van goud, geklauwd en getongd van keel 2. en 3. in zilver een leeuw van keel, de staart gespleten en schuingekruist, geklauwd, getongd en gekroond van goud.

Origin/meaning

The first arms were granted on October 8, 1819 and again on May 25, 1838. The arms were granted in new colours on January 7, 1952 and again on September 2, 1985.

The arms are a combination of the lions of the Dukes of Brabant (see also the Belgian National arms, the arms of the provinces of Vlaams-Brabant and Noord-Brabant) and Limburg). The area belonged at the late 13th and 14th century to Brabant and the local seal from 1296 showed the quartered arms with the four lions.

This seal was send to the Dutch College of Arms in the early 19th century, but no colours were mentioned. The arms were thus granted in the Dutch national colours. These were confirmed after the Belgian independence. Only in 1952 the historical colours were restored, and the lion of Limburg was corrected as the lion should be double-tailed. These arms were confirmed after the merger in 1977 as all three former municipalities belonged to the same court in 1298 and the seal, on which the arms were based, thus covered the whole area.