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Herent (Municipality, Province of Flemish Brabant, Belgium)

Last modified: 2021-07-01 by ivan sache
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Presentation of Herent

The municipality of Herent (19,395 inhabitants on 1 January 2007; 3,273 ha; municipal website) is located east of Brussels, close to Leuven. The municipality of Herent was established in 1976 as the merger of the former municipalities of Herent (10,519 inh.), Veltem-Beisem (4,371 inh.) and Winksele (4,236 inh.). At the same time, the village of Wijgmaal was transferred from Herent to Leuven while the village of Kelfs was transferred to Haacht.

Herent has been known as a parish since the 9th century and as a municipality with magistrates and a seal since the 13th century. The Mayor of Herent had jurisprudence over the neighbouring municipalities of Veltem, Winksele, Tildonk, Korbeek-Dijle and Neerijse. The magistrates met in an inn and the archives were kept into two coffers. Herent belonged to the Duchy of Brabant; in 1658, King Philip IV made of the domain a Barony granted to Rene of Mol, who was succeeded by the Barons of Spangen. In 1687, King Charles II allowed them to change the name of the domain for Herent van Spangen. This use was suppressed after the French Revolution.
Located close to Leuven, Herent was often the gathering place of the troops besieging Leuven, the convent of Bethlehem being used for housing the staff. Herent was occupied by Maarten van Rossum (1543), William the Silent (1572), the Duke of Alençon (1582), Richelieu and the Prince of Orange (1635) and the French troops (1694).

Ivan Sache, 17 July 2007


Flag of Herent

The flag of Herent is quartered, 1, on a blue field, the Blessed Virgin holding Baby Jesus in her left hand an a fleur-de-lis in her right hand, all in yellow; 2, on a black field, a yellow lion with red tongue and claws, facing the flag fly, and a yellow "W" placed in the lower left corner; 3, like 2, but without the "W"; 4, a white field with a serrated blue chief charged with three yellow fleurs-de-lis.
The flag, adopted on 25 February 1986 by the Municipal Council, is prescribed by a Decree issued on 1 July 1986 by the Executive of Flanders and published on 3 December 1987 in the Belgian official gazette.
The flag is a banner of the municipal arms.
[Gemeentewapens in België - Vlaanderen en Brussel [w2v02]]

The four quarters of the arms of Herent show the former arms of the four components of the new municipality, Herent, Winksele, Veltem and Beisem, respectively.
The arms of Herent were granted by Royal Decree on 9 July 1861, after a municipal seal already used in 1391 and also found in 1452, 1539 and 1590. The arms of Winksele, with the Brabantian lion and a "W" for the village name, were granted by Royal Decree on 24 April 1912, after a municipal seal already used in 1309 and also found in 1424 and 1539.
[Wapenboek van de Provinciën en Gemeenten van België [svm55a]]

Pascal Vagnat & Ivan Sache, 17 July 2007