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Diest (Municipality, Province of Flemish Brabant, Belgium)

by Filip van Laenen

Description of the flag

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Description of the flag

Diest (22,000 inhabitants) is located in the arrondissement of Leuven.

The flag is horizontally divided white-black-white-black-white. Proportions are 2:3.

The flag was adopted on 11 March 1986.

Source: Flags of the Low Countries

The flag is a banner of the municipal arms, described as follows:

"The arms were granted in 1820 and confirmed on February 26, 1846. The complete arms are crowned and show two griffins as supporters. The arms are derived from the oldest Lords of Diest, known since the 13th century. The original arms were two black bars in a golden field, but in the 16th century the colour of the shield was changed into silver. The oldest seal of Diest is known from 1249 and shows a tower flanked by two smaller towers. The next seal, probably dating from the early 14th century, shows the same composition, but now with the addition of a small shield with the arms of the Lords of Diest. The smaller contra-seal only shows the shield with the bars. Ever since the city has used the two bars as its arms."

Jarig Bakker, 26 October 2001