Last modified: 2019-07-30 by ivan sache
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Municipal flag of Zomergem - Image by Filip van Laenen, 23 October 2001
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The municipality of Zomergem (8,003 inhabitants on 1 January 2007; 3,878 ha) is located in the region of Meetjesland, west of Ghent. The municipality of Zomergem is made since 1976 of the former municipalities of Zomergem (6,760 inh.; 2,792 ha), Oostwinkel (678 inh.; 836 ha) and Ronsele (606 inh.; 251 ha).
Zomergem was mentioned for the first time in 814 when Wulfrid
transferred part of his goods located in Sumaringahem to the St. Peter
abbey in Ghent. According to Gysselinck, the village was most probably
founded around 500 by a Merovingian lord called Sumar and its name
"reads" "Sumar's lineage's estate". Ledeganck claims that Zomergem
means "summer (in Dutch, zomer) residence", while De Potter and
Broeckaert believe that zomer is indeed a Celtic root meaning "an
assembly". Carnoy writes that Zomergem was a summer pasture.
In summer 1994, archeologists from the University of Ghent found
remains of a Roman settlement (IInd-IIIrd century AD) in Zomergem, with
a typical water conveyance system and remains of a tilery.
After the evangelization of the region by St. Amandus in the VIIth
century, a small chapel was probably built on the hill of Upper
Zomergem, on the site of the current parish church. From the early
settlement that developed around the hill, there were roads to Bruges (via Nekke), Ghent (via Lovendegem) and Eeklo (via Ronsele).
Source: Municipal website
Ivan Sache, 5 January 2008
The municipal flag of Zotergem is vertically divided white-red, seven stripes, therefore virtually identical to the flag of Keerbergen
."Argent three pales gules" appears as the chief of the dexter part of the municipal arms of Zomergem, "Per pale, azure a chief argent three pales gules, or a bend chequy argent and sable."
Pascal Vagnat, Jan Mertens & Ivan Sache, 6 January 2008