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's-Hertogenbosch (The Netherlands)

Capital of Noord-Brabant Province)

Last modified: 2005-05-13 by jarig bakker
Keywords: den bosch | hertogenbosch |
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Den Bosch Shipmate Flagchart : http://www.shipmate.nl/flags.htm
adopted 23 Sep 1999

Other 's-Hertogenbosch pages: See also:

's-Hertogenbosch municipality

Population (1 Jan 2003): 132.493; area: 91,27 km². Settlements: 's-Hertogenbosch (seat), Bokhoven, Empel, Engelen, Hintham, Kruisstraat, Meerwijk, Orthen, Rosmalen.
When the present municipality of  's-Hertogenbosch was formed on 1 Jan 1996 by the merger of the former municipalities of Rosmalen, and 's-Hertogenbosch it was decided to adopt a new flag. On 23 Sep 1999 the new flag was adopted by municipal resolution. Description: five equally wide horizontal stripes of red and white. In the canton a yellow "Bosboom" (bush-tree) on black.
The five stripes symbolize the five former municipalities (Bokhoven (1922 part of Engelen), Engelen (1971 part of 's-Hertogenbosch) Empel en Meerwijk (idem, 1971), 's-Hertogenbosch, and Rosmalen (part of Den Bosch 1999); the number of branches of the tree do as well. The colors red and white were the colors of the arms of the former quarterly division of Maasland, to which Empel en Meerwijk, and Rosmalen belonged. The tree relates to the CoA of Den Bosch and symbolizes ancient values like authority, freedom, growth, and law (place where law is administered).
Source: the 's-Hertogenbosch municipal website.

Note that the official name is 's-Hertogenbosch. Den Bosch is the popular name. The name in French is Bois-le-Duc.
Mark Sensen, 20 Jul 2003

Why the hell do you use such a complicated name whereas the French equivalent Bois-le-Duc would be so simple and elegant? Tour de France 1994 started in Den Bosch. Several French reporters definitively puzzled by the weird 's called the city "Saint.
Hertogenbosch", which might therefore be elected patron saint of the illiterate reporters :-).
The coloured ribbon used to tie giftwrapped parcels is called in French "bolduc", from Bois-le-Duc, where this product was manufactured in the past.
The Guide Vert Michelin Hollande says that Den Bosch was granted city rights by Hendrik I of Brabant in 1185. In 1561, Philip II of Spain, then ruling the Low Countries, made of Den Bosch a bishopric depending on the archbishopric of Mechelen. In 1579, the city took the Spanish party and surrendered to Frederik-Hen