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The Coat of Arms of Rijnwoude consists of elements from the arms of the former
municipalities Benthuizen, Hazerswoude and Koudekerk aan den Rijn.
The golden star on the shield has been taken from the arms of Hazerswoude. The silver eagle is from Koudekerke, and three green peat-blocks are from the arms of Benthuizen.
The High Council of Nobility granted the Coat of Arms on 13 Oct 1992 to the municipality of Rijnwoude. It has been designed by Willem Vis.
Jarig Bakker, 21 May 2003
Flag adopted 23 Jul 1962 by municipal resolution
Flag adopted 5 Jan 1961 by municipal resolution
Koudekerk is a former municipality, now part of Rijnwoude in Zuid-Holland,
southeast of Leiden. Traces of early settlements have been found dating
from the beginning of our era, including souvenirs of Romans. Later the
Norsemen were unwelcome tourists taking souvenirs for free. From 1326 till
1705 the Van Poelgeest family owned the place and had a redoubtable castle
there - Groot Poelgeest. Aleid van Poelgeest was born in Koudekerk in 1370;
her family had chosen the side of the
"Kabeljauwen" in the "Hoekse en Kabeljauwse Twisten", a complicated pattern of civil wars all over the Netherlands. The "Hoeken" represented the interests of the nobility, while the "Kabeljauwen" were eager to grant more rights to the cities and ordinary citizens. Aleid became the mistress of Count Albrecht van Beieren, who had become Count of Holland in 1389 after the demise of his mad brother, Willem V. Aleid had a strong influence on Albrecht, who chose the side of the "Kabeljauwen".
Some nobles met Aleid in an alley in 's Gravenhage, and murdered her in 1392. Two years of enthusiastic fighting followed and then Albrecht saw the light: "Let's invade Friesland"! The expedition was not met with great success.
Groot Poelgeest was destroyed in 1746 and only hardly traceable remnants remain. The Rijn, which provided Koudekerk acces to the North Sea, became a small brook, the "Oude Rijn", and Koudekerk became a quiet little village. But the arms of the Van Poelgeest family (azure a fess or between three eagles argent) have been taken over by Koudekerk municipality (see Ralf Hartemink's site.
And the Van Poelgeest eagle is on the flag of Koudekerk: Horizontal
blue over white with a white eagle in the canton (description from Derkwillem
Visser's "Gemeentewapens en vlaggen Koninkrijk der Nederlanden",
Flag adopted on 6 Dec 1962 by municipal resolution.
Image after DW Visser, with the eagle from Ralf Hartemink's site. (and
eviva Aleid van Poelgeest!) BTW - Rembrandt van Rijn was born here. (actually
in Hazerswoude, on the other side of the Oude Rijn, but
that is now in Rijnwoude municipality too)
Jarig Bakker, 22 May 2003