Koekelare

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KOEKELARE

Province : West-Vlaanderen
Additions : 1970 Bovekerke, Zande

Official blazon

(1818) Van lazuur beladen met drie gouden bazans en in de regter bovenhoek verzeld van de letter C.
(1840) Een blaeuw veld met dry gulden Bezantyns, het eerste perk voerende de letter C, ook van goud.
(1987) In lazuur drie penningen van zilver.

Origin/meaning

The arms were granted on November 10, 1819 and confirmed on May 11, 1840 and July 7, 1987.

The arms are based on the arms of the medieval Lords of Koekelare, mentioned already in the roll of arms of Gelre from the early 14^th century. The letter C is the town's initial (in 1955 shown as a K, see below). The historical colours were silver on blue, probably taken from the colours of the Brugse Vrije, as the Walter IV Heer van Koekelare, was aldeman of the Buugse Vrije in 1247-1279, and the family arms also became the arms of the Koekelare region within the Brugse Vrije.

The colours from 1819/1840 are the Dutch national colours, as the municipality did not mention the colours in the original application. After the Belgian independence the arms were confirmed, but the colours were not changed. Only in 1987 the historical colours were restored and the small C removed.