Coat of arms of Zaanstad
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/49/Coat_of_arms_of_Zaanstad.svg/300px-Coat_of_arms_of_Zaanstad.svg.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4d/Zaanstad_wapen_1974_VNG.svg/300px-Zaanstad_wapen_1974_VNG.svg.png)
The coat of arms of Zaanstad has been formally acknowledged since 27 February 1974. The coat of arms was previously that of the jurisdictional area of Westsane en Crommenie, which now form the municipality of Zaanstad. These two areas were on the same areas as the municipalities who fused in 1974 to become the municipality of Zaanstad. The municipality of Assendelft alone used a coat of arms who didn't look like those of the other municipalities. The other municipalities and places (Koog aan de Zaan, Krommenie, Westzaan, Wormerveer, Zaandam en Zaandijk) used a coat of arms with four lions in it.
History
In the 17th and 18th century the region surrounding the
The municipality has used 3 versions of the coat of arms, between 1974 and 2009 they have uses a stylized version of the official coat of arms. The arabesque was blue, just like the whales. The
Blazon
The blazon of the coat of arms of Zaanstad, as written down by the High Council of Nobility, is as follows:
Gevierendeeld: I in keel een omgewende leeuw van zilver, II in zilver een leeuw van keel, III in zilver een omgewende leeuw van keel, IV in keel een leeuw van zilver. Schildhouders: twee walvissen van natuurlijke kleur, de staarten omhoog. Het geheel geplaatst op een arabesk van sinopel.
In English:
Quartered: I gules a sinister lion of silver, II in silver a lion of gules, III in silver a sinister lion of gules, IV in gules a lion of silver. Supporters: two whales of natural color, the tails up. All placed on an arabesque of vert.
Meaning, the shield is divided in four parts. In the first (for the viewer, upper left) is standing lion of silver in a red field, the second (upper right) has a standing red lion in a field of silver, the third is the same as the first, but mirrored. As is the fourth towards the second. All lions on the same levels face on another.
The whales are the supporters and hold the shield with their tails. The arabesque is green.[3]
References
- ISBN 90 322 2560 X, p.181
- ^ (in Dutch) Hoge Raad van Adel: Wapen Gemeente Zaanstad[permanent dead link]
- ^ (in Dutch) Heraldrywiki: Zaanstad