Haastrecht is a former municipality in Zuid-Holland province, since 1 Jan
1985 part of Vlist. It had 3.500 inhabitants, east of Gouda along the Hollandsche
IJssel. Settlements: Haastrecht (seat), Beneden-Haastrecht, Boven-Haastrecht,
Rozendaal, Stein, and Vliet. Famous citizens: Hein Vergeer, Leo Visser
and Desiderius Erasmus.
During the European Speedskating Championships in the Bislet Stadium
in Oslo, 25/26 Jan 1986, Mr. Anton Jansen observed on his TV an unusual
flag: two equally wide horizontal stripes red over yellowwith in
the canton on blue three yellow towers, the central one being a bit higher
than the other two. After a long search among the Dutch village-flags he
still didn't find it, so he concluded that it was probably one of the municipal
flags, used at the occasion of Queen Wilhelmina's 50 years reigning jubilee
in 1938, where the provincial colors of Zuid-Holland were red over yellow,
with in the canton the municipal arms. The arms were of the former municipality
of Haastrecht, from which two participants of the Championship originated
(Visser and Vergeer). Apparently Haastrecht had kept its parading flag,
while most other municipalities had exchanged it for another.
Source: "Vlaggen", no. 39 (1986) (magazine edited by Mr.
Anton Jansen.
<I don't think that there are many people in the Netherlands who
could have solved this puzzle>.
Jarig Bakker, 3 Nov 2003
![[Haastrecht flag]](../images/n/nl-zh_ht.gif)
by Jarig Bakker, 3 Nov 2003
![[Haastrecht Coat of Arms]](../images/n/nl-zh)ht.gif)
by Jarig Bakker, 3 Nov 2003
