Limburg (België)

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LIMBURG

Official blazon

ln zilver een dubbelstaartige leeuw van keel, gekroond, geklauwd en getongd van goud. Hartschild: gedwarsbalkt van tien stukken van goud en van keel. Het schild getopt met een hertogenmuts en gehouden rechts door een hert van natuurlijke kleur en links door een zwaan van hetzelfde met een kroon van goud om de hals. Het geheel geplaatst op twee onderaan gekruiste eikentakken van natuurlijke kleur.

Origin/meaning

The arms were officially granted on October 29, 1996.

Until 1996 the province used the arms of the old Duchy of Limburg (se ebelow), but these were never officially granted.

The county Limburg is known since the 10^th century. Henry, count of Limburg was mentioned Duke of Limburg in 1101, but this title was taken from him in 1106 again. He and his successors nevertheless used the title Duke of Limburg ever since.

The first arms are known since Walram III in 1214. The arms were a red lion with golden crown on a white shield. The lion was the lion of Luxembourg, as he was married to Ermesinde of Luxemburg. When his father died he changed the arms by removing the crown and adding another tail to the lion, to symbolise his reign in Limburg and Luxemburg. The arms haven't changed since then, except that the lion became crowned again 14^th century.

After the Dutch independence in 1812 the old arms were reinstalled. After the independence of Belgium in 1830 the province was split between the two countries. See also the arms of Limburg in the Netherlands.

The new arms still show the lion of Limburg, now with an escutcheon with the arms of the former County of Loon, as the largest part of the province belonged to Loon in the Middle Ages.

The supporters are the deer of Hasselt, and the swan of Tongeren. Hasselt is the capital of the province, Tongeren the seat of the oldest High Court of Limburg. The supporters stand on oak branches, derived from the unofficial provincial anthem (for both Dutch and Belgian Limburg), "In het bronsgroen eikenhout" (in the bronze-green oak forests). The crown is a ducal crown.