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Molkwar (The Netherlands)

Nijefurd municipality, Fryslân province

image by Jarig Bakker, 14 Sep 2003
adopted 1995; design: Fryske Rie foar Heraldyk

Molkwar (Molkwerum) village
Molkwar blue flag
Molkwar 1708 flag
Molkwar Coat of Arms

See also:

Molkwar (Molkwerum) village

In it Genealogysk Jierboekje 1995 is the official flag:
Flag: in black a swimming white swan with raised wings and yellow beak. The swan is high 2/3 flagheight, placed towards the hoist.
The Fryske Rie foar Heraldyk decided to end all confusion about the Molkwar flag by registering the version with the description above.
Jarig Bakker, 14 Sep 2003

Molkwar blue flag

image by Gerard van der Vaart, 29 Apr 2002

On a flagchart of the "Genealogysk wurkforbân fan de Fryske Akademy", (genealogical research foundation of the Frisian Academy), an attachment to "De Fryske Flagge", It Beaken, 1956, are quite a few old village- and municipal flags; all of them have been reprinted in Crampton's "The World of Flags", p. 148.
Molkwar (Dutch: Molkwerum) is a village in the municipality of Nijefurd; it used to be in Hemelumer Oldeferd on the road from Staveren to Koudum with (c. 1950) 444 inhabitants - 1973: 329. In the 17th and 18th century Molkwarder ships traded on the Baltic Sea and the village was renowned for its labyrintic structure, as well as the "Molkwarder tsjûnsters", (witches). It used to have its own vernacular.
Its Coat of Arms was Black over Green with a White swan in the center. Its flag is blue with a white .. uuuh swan or goose.
In "Nederlands vlaggenboek", 1962, Sierksma wrote: "Molkwerum - Molkwar: Black, in the center a swimming swan, emerging from a wavy, shortened fess.
This flag of Frisian village (vlek) is documented in a Frisian source (Flaggeboek Hesman, 1708) and a Napolitan flagchart (1667). There are several paintings with this flag, one with a ship passing through the Tower Bridge in London."
Jarig Bakker, 28 Mar 2002

Molkwar 1708 flag

image by Jarig Bakker, 3 Sep 2006

The Molkwar village flag was already documented in the 17th/18th century. This is the flag as drawn by Hesman, a citizen of Dokkum, in 1708. His manuscript of flags and arms is in Leeuwarden, and is digitalized by Mr. Rudolf Broersma, made available on the internet at this address. (-> Zoek -> Hesman). This image is based on a drawing sent privately by Mr. Broersma.
Jarig Bakker, 3 Sep 2006

Molkwar Coat of Arms

image by Jarig Bakker, 3 Sep 2006
adopted 1995; design: Fryske Rie foar Heraldyk

In it Genealogysk Jierboekje 1995 is the official village arms:
Molkwar Coat of Arms: in black a silver swan passant with raised wings, with yellow beak and feet, standing on a green base. The shield is covered by a golden townletcrown (vlekkekroon), lined red, with in the headribbon three red lozengy stones, between two oval green stones and on top three leaves and two pearls.
Jarig Bakker, 3 Sep 2006