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Bertogne (Municipality, Province of Luxembourg, Belgium)

Municipal flag of Bertogne - Image by Arnaud Leroy, 5 February 2006

Presentation of Bertogne and its villages
Municipal flag of Bertogne

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Presentation of Bertogne and its villages

The municipality of Bertogne (3,002 inhabitants on 1 July 2007; 9,167 ha) is located in the north of the Province of Luxembourg, at equal distance of Houffalize, Bastogne and La Roche-en-Ardenne. The municipality of Bertogne is made since 1976 of the former municipalities of Bertogne (including the villages of Bertogne, Compogne and Bethomon), Flamierge (incl. the villages of Berhain, La Boissine, Flamierge, Frenet, Gives, Givroulle, Givry, Grand-Vivier, Gréay, Nanciry, Pont-des-Gattes, Roumont, Salle, Stoquet, Troismont, Tronle, Trouhéroul and Wigny) and Longchamps (incl. the villages of Champs, Fays, Flamisoul, Longchamps, Mande-Saint-Étienne, Monaville, Rolley, Rouette, Sery and Withimo).
Bertogne is located at a relatively high elevation (350-500 m) on the plateau of Ardennes; forests, mostly private, cover 34% of the municipal territory. Settlement is very scattered in the municipality, which has no real center.

Bertogne, from ber, "a height", and onia, "a settlement", was already inhabited in the Gallo-Roman times, as evidenced by the remains of a Roman cemetary. In the Frankish times, Bertogne was a local administrative center in the Kingdom of Austrasia. Bishop of Liège Notger ceded the domain and the church of Bertogne to the Sainte-Croix church in Liège, which was confirmed by Emperor Henri II on 5 April 1005. From the XIIth century onwards, the domain of Bertogne included the villages of Bertogne, Bethomont and Rahimont; it belonged to the Ban of Ortho. Compogne, from comb, "a valley", and onia, "a settlement", depended on the Municipality of Engreux and later on the Provostship of La Roche. Compogne was incorporated into the municipality of Bertogne in 1823. Bertogne was less hit than other villages of the municipality during the Battle of the Bulge, but several villagers were injured or killed in 1945-1955 by abandoned ammunitions.

Flamierge, from flas, "a pond", and meer, "a marsh", was densely settled in the Roman times. The area was crossed by the so-called "Old paved way" that linked Arlon and Tongeren. Knight Nichole of Flamierge is mentioned in 1282. In the Middle Ages, the three main parishes were Flamierge, Givroulle and Roumont. In Givry, there was a High Court of Justice and a Land Court. Flamierge was suppressed by the black plague in the XVIIth century. In 1770, a post house was built by the Austrian administration in Roumont, on the new post road Namur-Luxembourg, called Maria-Theresia road. The Casaquy inn welcomed famous people, such as Emperor Joseph II, Count of Artois (later King of France as Charles X), Metternich and Châtaubriand. The villages of Flamierge were severely damaged during the Battle of the Bulge; in Givrey, four men were slaughtered along the road and their bodies were found only on 16 March 1945.

Longchamps was also already settled in the Roman times. The village of Mande-Saint-Étienne was the crossroads of the Bavay-Trier and Arlon-Tongeren ways. In 919, King of France Charles II the Simple released a chart in Longchamps. In the Middle Ages, most of Longchamps belonged to the family of Rollé, succeeded by the Boulland and eventually, in 1752, by the Mathelin. The village of Flamisoul belonged in 1310 to Henri of Rodemacher. The village was located on the aforementioned Maria-Theresia road; it had a post office and other administrative offices, ruled from 1739 to 1783 by the Machuray family. Champs was the place of a big battle on Christmas Night in 1944, which prevented the Germans to march against Bastogne. Some 100 Germans were killed and another hundred captured; the were also 30 casualties among the civil population.

Source: Municipal website

Ivan Sache, 5 February 2006

Municipal flag of Bertogne

The municipal flag of Bertogne is blue, quartered by a yellow cross and with five yellow crosses crosslet placed in saltire in each quarter.
According to Armoiries communales en Belgique. Communes wallonnes, bruxelloises et germanophones, the flag was adopted by the Municipal Council on 17 December 2002 and confirmed by the Executive of the French Community on 17 June 2003, with the following description:
Bleu chargé d'une croix jaune accompagnée de 20 croisettes recroisettées au pied fiché, également jaunes, rangées 5 par 5 en sautoir dans chaque canton.
The flag is a banner of the arms of the Boulant family.

Arnaud Leroy, Pascal Vagnat & Ivan Sache, 5 February 2006