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Olterterp (The Netherlands)

Opsterland municipality, Fryslân province

image by Jarig Bakker, 16 Sep 2003
adopted 1995; Design: J.C. Terluin.

Olterterp village
Olterterp coat of arms

See also:

Olterterp village

Olterterp is a village in Opsterland municipality, Fryslân province, with (1958) 163; (1974) 130; (2000) 94 inhabitants. Smallest village of the municipality. The village belonged to the "Algemene Friese Levensverzekeringsmaatschappij", a life-insurance company; it was a private domain of the van Boelens family, which opened it to the public in the 18th century. Here is the headquarters of the "Fryske Gea", an environment protection agency, and a very small church.
Olterterp coat of arms: Per fess 1. in red two oak branches of gold alongside each other, with two leaves and an acorn; 2. in gold a blue chalice-formed flax-flower, with visible three (of five) leaves and a green stem.
Flag: diagonally divided of red and blue, divided by a narrow yellow stripe from hoist-bottom to fly-top; on red a yellow oak branch.
Olterterp has always been a forest-village, dominated by impressive oaks. The oak branches represent that. The red color symbolizes the heather field (like the Boppefjild) around Olterterp. Gold/yellow is for the sandy soil, and old agricultural lands, on which rye was cultivated. The flax-flower symbolizes the Van Boelens family, which owned this village for two centuries. This family had extensive flax-fields.
The yellow diagonal stripe in the flag refers to the road Drachten-Beetsterzwaag, which runs through the village. The blue color symbolizes the "Ouddiep" (canal), and red the heatherfields.
Design: J.C. Terluin; coat of arms and flag adopted in 1995.
Source: Genealogysk Jierboekje 1995.
De Woudklank (local newspaper), 10 Sep 1998.
Encyclopedie van Friesland, 1958.
Jarig Bakker, 16 Sep 2003

Olterterp coat of arms

from De Woudklank (local newspaper), 10 Sep 1998.