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Manhay (Municipality, Province of Luxembourg, Belgium)

by Ivan Sache

Presentation of the municipality
Description of the flag

See also:

Presentation of the municipality

Manhay is located in the north of the Province of Luxembourg, in the Upper-Ardenne.
The municipality was founded in 1976 by the merging of the former municipalities of Dochamps, Grandmenil, Harre, Malempré, Odeigne, Vaux-Chavanne and Bra (pro parte), and was named after the crossroad of Manhay, located in the middle of the new municipal territory.
On 1 January 2000, Manhay had 2,888 inhabitants. The area of the municipality is 11,900 ha, from which 60% are covered with forests. A 9-ha recreational forest park named Chlorophylle was recently opened. There is a cross-country ski resort in Odeigne (45 kms of tracks). The factory Mélotte, which produced creamers between 1852 and 1970, has been transformed into a Creamer Museum.

In the XVIIIth century, the area was divided between the Duchy of Luxembourg (most villages) and the Principality of Stavelot-Malmédy (Odeigne). Under the French regime, the villages were placed in the department of Sambre-et-Meuse (which later constituted the Province of Luxembourg) except Harre, which was placed in the department of Ourthe (which later constituted the Province of Liège). After the independence of Belgium (1830), the borders of the Provinces were stabilized only in 1839.

During the battle of the Ardennes around Christmas 1944, the villages constituting Manhay were severely damaged.

Source: Municipal website

Ivan Sache, 27 December 2002

Description of the flag

The flag and arms of Manhay were approved by Decree of the Government of the French Community on 28 March 1996.

The flag is horizontally divided white-blue-white-red-white-blue-white. It is derived from the municipal arms.

The municipal arms are:

D'argent à une tête et col de cerf de sable accostée et soutenue de trois losanges d'azur, au chef de gueules à trois feuilles de chêne d'or en pal et rangée

The arms had to be created de novo when Manhay was formed since none of the former municipalities had arms.
Louis de Stolberg (1505-1574), lord of Dochamps, bore Or, a deer passant sable, from which the main charge of the arms was designed.
The family Leuze-Neufforge, from Harre and Vaux-Chavanne, bore Argent, three lozenges azur, from which the field colour and the additional charges were designed.
In order to stress the belonging of the municipality to the Province of Luxembourg, a red chief was added, and the main local production, wood, was highlighted by placing oak leaves on the chief.

ource: Municipal website

Ivan Sache, 27 December 2002