Last modified: 2007-05-05 by ivan sache
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Belgium is divided into municipalities called Gemeenten
(Dutch) or Communes (French).
Some municipalities present themselves officially as towns, that is Stad
(Dutch) or Ville de (French), for instance Stad Aalst and Ville de
Charleroi. According to Tom Doesselaere, from the Flemish Government website, this privilege is still based on medieval city rights and freedom charters.
The list of the towns is given on the website of the Union of the Belgian Towns and Municipalities (Vereniging van Belgische Steden en Gemeenten - Union des Villes et Communes belges), as follows (page no longer online):
- Flanders:
Aalst, Aarschot, Antwerp, Beringen, Bilzen, Blankenberge, Borgloon,
Bree, Bruges, Damme, Deinze, Dendermonde, Diest, Dixsmuide,
Dilsen-Stokkem, Eeklo, Geel, Ghent, Geraardsbergen, Gistel, Halen,
Halle, Hamont-Achel, Harelbeke, Hasselt, Herentals, Herk-de-Stad,
Hoogstraten, Ieper, Izegem, Kortrijk, Landen, Leuven, Lier, Lo-Reninge, Lokeren, Lommel, Maaseik, Mechlin, Menen, Nieuwpoort, Ninove, Ostende, Oudenaarde, Oudenburg, Peer, Poperinge, Roeselare, Ronse,
Scherpenheuvel-Zichem, Sint-Niklaas, Sint-Truiden, Tienen, Tongeren,
Torhout, Turnhout, Veurne, Vilvoorde, Wervik, Zottegem and Zoutleeuw.
- Brussels-Capitale:
Brussels.
- Wallonia:
Arlon, Ath, Bastogne, Beaumont, Beauraing, Binche, Bouillon,
Braine-le-Comte, Charleroi, Châtelet, Chiny, Comines-Warneton, Couvin,
Dinant, Durbuy, Enghien, Eupen, Fleurus, Fontaine-l'Evêque,
Fosses-la-Ville, Gembloux, Genappe, Hannut, Herve, Houffalize, Huy,
Jodoigne, La Louvière, La Roche-en-Ardenne, Le Roeulx, Lessines, Liège,
Limbourg, Malmédy, Marche-en-Famenne, Mons, Mouscron, Namur,
Neufchâteau, Nivelles, Péruwelz, Philippeville, Rochefort,
Saint-Ghislain, Saint-Hubert, Sankt Vith, Soignies, Stavelot, Thuin,
Tournai, Verviers, Virton, Visé, Walcourt, Waremme and Wavre.
Gerard van der Vaart, Jan Mertens & Ivan Sache, 23 April 2005
The oldest Belgian municipal flag used at sea is the horizontally divided red-yellow flag of Ostende. Several other big cities have used a flag based on their arms for years, e.g. Antwerp, Brussels, Bruges, Ghent, Arlon, Namur, Hasselt, Mons and Liège.
The number of Belgian municipalities was reduced from 2,359 to 596 in 1977, and finally to 589 in 1983. According to the new Belgian Constitution adopted in 1994, the Communities are in charge of the adoption of the municipal flags.
On 28 January 1977, the Flemish Cultural Council prescribed by
Decree the adoption rules for municipal flags and arms. The newly
formed municipalities must use the arms and flags which they have
been granted (Belgian official gazette, 7 April 1977). The Provincial
Councils transfered their competency on that matter to the
Flemish Government (Belgian official gazette, 4 April 1995). The arms and flags granted before the
application of the Decree shall not be modified except if new facts
are presented by the Municipal Councils. The Flemish Government shall
approve the Municipal proposal, following the advice of the Flemish
Heraldic Council, not later than three months after the proposal.
According to the Decree of 21 December 1994, each municipality shall
have a coat of arms of its own. The municipal coats of arms are in the
public domain. Nobody is allowed to use the coat of arms on a pure
individual basis. The use of municipal arms for advertisment,
trademarking and politic is not allowed.
Only the municipality can use its arms. The Municipal Council has the
property right of the municipal arms. Third parties wishing to use the
arms must first ask for permission from the Municipal Council,
otherwise they run the risk of prosecution.
Since 6 July 1985, the Heraldry and Vexillology Council of the French Community in Belgium is in charge of the adoption rules for municipal flags, seals and arms (Belgian official gazette, 17 October 1985). Every municipality is allowed to adopt arms, a seal and a flag, but adoption is not mandatory as it is in Flanders. Article 4 of the regulation allows the use of the arms or the colours of the arms on the flag. The use of the same flag by different municipalities is forbidden. The procedure of approval of municipal flags was precised in a Decree on 8 August 1988 (Belgian official gazette, 1 November 1988). The municipalities that adopted their flag after the administrative reorganization reducing the number of municipalities are allowed to keep it. On 26 February 1991, the Government of the French Community appointed the Heraldry and Vexillology Council as consultative organism (Belgian official gazette, 7 September 1991). The Heraldry and Nobility Council kept competency only on the 19 municipalities of the Region of Brussel-Capital and the 9 municipalities of the German-speaking Community.
Ivan Sache, 30 January 2006