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Region of Brussels-Capital (Belgium)

Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale

Last modified: 2000-01-18 by ivan sache
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[Flag of the Capital Region of Brussels]

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Origin and meaning of the flag

The valley of the river Senne has been housing Brussel for more than1,000 years. With time, the lower town has progressively spread through the marshy bottoms. In the Dukes of Brabant's times, the marshy plains covered with golden irises encircled the town walls.
According to a legend, this simple plant gave a great strategic victory to the Duke's soldiers. Those knew that iris can grow immersed only in a few centimeters of water. They broke into a gallop through the flooded plains but carefully let their horses stamping iris hills. Their opponents, less knowledgeable in botanics and encouraged by the apparently careless gallop of the Duke's soldiers, got definitively bogged into the marshes.

Iris pseudacorus is the scientific name of the golden iris, the symbol of the region of Brussel-Capital, which is widely used (tramways, subway, taxis etc...) but ill-known.

The choice of this marsh iris as the symbol of Brussel occurred not for the creation of the region of Brussel-Capital (18 June 1989), as often believed.
In 1924, R. Cornette wrote that "this flower was chosen because it grows in the marshes, recalling that the capital was funded on the marshy banks of the Senne river and its tributaries (Maalbeek, Roodkloosterbeek, Geleytsbeek, Vuylbeek, Kerkebeek, Leybeek,...).
Nowadays, in spite of the ultra-rapid urbanisation, the iris can still be found in its naturel habit in the vale of Vuylbeek, in the forest of Soignes.

On 5 March 1991, the regional Council of Brussel-Capital decided to chose an iris as emblem for the region. A public contest was organized to define its design. After several adventures, the proposal of Jacques Richez was granted by the authorities."

Translated from the EuroBru site, with kind permission of F. Henrion, general Secretary of EuroBru.

Ivan Sache, 28 November 1999

Law concerning the flag

Law of the 16th of May 1991. The emblem of the region is the iris flower. The flag is blue with a yellow iris flower bordered white. Proportions 2:3.

The law gives the possible different versions of the flag and emblem:(b=blue,y=yellow, g=gold, n=black, w=white, Pantone system)

  • for the flag:

    field

    iris

    border

    1

    b 280

    y 116

    w 

    2

    b 280

    g 874

    w

    3

    n

    n*

    w

    *with 50% screen effect.

  • for the emblem:

    1

    y 116

    b 280

    2

    g 874

    b 280

    3

    w

    n 

     

Pascal Vagnat, 17 May 1996

City of Brussels vs. Region of Brussels-Capital

In Louda's European Civic Arms [lou66], the arms of the city of Brussels have Saint Michel trampling the devil, gold on red.
The region of Brussels-Capital is composed by19 municipalities having a bilingual status, the city of Brussels being one of them.

Filip Van Laenen, 7 September 1995