Boelenslaan / Boelensloane has 1186 inhabitants and apparenrly owes a lot
to its founder, Mr. Boelens, after whom it was named. "Laan" - avenue;
the road through the village used to be a sandy road and is still bearing
the name Boelenslaan.
The village was founded in the 19th century. The houses used to belong
to Surhuisterveen, on the "Feanster heide".
Boelenslaan owed its foundation to peat-digging; the payment was poor and
the citizens were known to be "red" - socialist. The poor people lived
in "plaggenhutten", later in "wâldhûskes" (small
cottages both). A model of a cottage (the golden triangle) is to be found
on the village arms. The labour in the peat-fields is symbolized in implements
used in the digging: a "klynmes" - to cut the peat out - and an
"oplizzer" - to put peat-blocks on rows. Red symbolizes the heather
and the courage of the villagers. Yellow is for the sandy soil.
The village is in the "Friese Wouden" the Frisian forests, indicated
by the green shield-base. The house is anchored to the forest-soil. Green
is the color of the trees and present-day meadows. The silver rose in the
shield-base is derived from the Boelens family arms, which delivered several
"grietmannen" - mayors - to the municipality of Achtkarspelen.
The flag has the same colors as the Coat of Arms. The house from the Coat of Arms is
here red towards the hoist, not a cottage but a red brick-house. The yellow
chevron suggests a plough-iron, which transformed the poor heather-soil
into fertile agricultural land.The white rose reminds of the Boelens-family.
The yellow chevron points at the prosperous future.
Source: Wapens en vlaggen in de gemeente Achtkarspelen, Buitenpost,
1999.
![[Boelenslaan village flag]](../images/n/nl-fr_bl.gif)
Shipmate Flagchart : http://www.flagchart.net
![[Boelenslaan Coat of Arms]](../images/n/nl-fr)bl.jpg)
from the Achtkarspelen municipal
website.
