The Frisian name of this village in NW Dantumadiel is Rinsumageast or De
Geast. It used to be the capital of the municipality till 1881. From
1165-1580 there was the monastery Klaarkamp, a Cistercians abbey,
which was founded by monks from Clairvaux and Riddagshausen. Monks from
Klaarkamp founded many other abbeys in Friesland and Oostfriesland. It
was the birthplace of the historian Worp van Thabor (?-1538). The
village flag has a curious background (see the village
website:
After the restoration of the church, dating from the 11th century,
a new weather-vane had to be placed on the tower. The "Fryske Rie foar
Heraldyk" (Frisian Council for Heraldry) was asked to design a new one.
This it did, and for good measure it designed a new village Coat of Arms and
flag. The castle on the flag is split in four parts, which stand for the
four 'states' (castles) Juwsmastate, Melkemestate, Eysingastate and
Tjaardastate. Yellow is for the sandy soil (geest = sandy clay); red for
the important houses built here from Frisian bricks (big ones).
Jarig Bakker, 10 january 2001
The flag of the mighty Voetbal (Soccer) Club Rinsumageest can be seen
on this webpage. The
flag is horizontally divided orange-black-orange with V.C.R., with square
dots, in orange in the black stripe.
Ivan Sache, 30 Jul 2005
Shipmate Flagchart : http://www.flagchart.net
![[Ringsumageast Coat of Arms]](../images/n/nl-fr)rg.gif)
International
Civic Arms : http://www.ngw.nl/
![[Voetbal Club Rinsumageest]](../images/n/nl@vcrrg.gif)
by Ivan Sache, 30 Jul 2005.
