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Weidum (The Netherlands)

Littenseradiel municipality, Fryslân province

image by Jarig Bakker, 7 Sep 2003
adopted 1999; Design: J.C. Terluin and R.J. Broersma.

Weidum village
Weidum coat of arms

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Weidum village

Weidum, village in Littenseradiel municipality, Fryslân province. It used to be in the former municipality of Baarderadeel, with (1958): 552; (1974): 753 inhabitants. Until c. 1900 it was the municipal seat of Baarderadeel. Here was Dekemastate (fortified stately house), the home of Earl (jonker) E. D. van Beyma, demolished by a tornado in 1898, which ended a 700-year history of glorious and gory deeds. In 1919 Hanso Henricus Schotanus a` Steringa Idzerda invented radio-broadcasting in Weidum. Weidum is also known for the game of "keatsen", French: Jeu de Pelote, while the village is renowned for its brass band (fanfare), its "boerenkapel" (farmers' oom-papa orchestra) and its drum band.
Nickname: Weidumer roeken (religious fanatics)
Weidum coat of arms: divided stepwise: a. in blue a golden six-pointed star; b. in red two silver fleurs-de-lis; in base with a silver lozenge.
Flag: blue with a four-stepped red hoist-triangle, of which the fourth step forms the triangle-top at 7/15 flag length; the triangle charged with a yellow six-pointed star of 2/5 flag height; a yellow lengthened stepped chevron with a width of 4/15 flag length with the top at 11/15 flag length.
From the 18th till the 20th century the "grietenijhuis" (municipal council-house) of Baarderadeel was in Weidum. That's why the coat of arms has the colors blue and red. The star is from the municipal arms (and represents Weidum also as former municipal seat). The step-gables refer to the noble houses (states) of the Dekema's, the Hania's, the Papma's and the Wobbema's. The fleurs-de-lis are from the arms of Dekema and Hania. The lozenge is from the Walta-arms and symbolizes law-administration. In the 18th century the municipal courthouse was in Weidum.
In the flag the step-gables from the arms and the star are represented. The colors are derived from the arms.
Design: J.C. Terluin and R.J. Broersma.
Source: Genealogysk Jierboekje 2001.
Encyclopedie van Friesland, 1958.
Baerderadiel: in Geakunde, 1977.
Jarig Bakker, 7 Sep 2003

Weidum coat of arms

from Wapens en Flaggen fan Littenseradiel, booklet of the municipality.