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Ship's Carpenters flag (The Netherlands)

Vlag scheepstimmerlieden (Nederland)

Last modified: 2017-11-11 by andrew weeks
Keywords: ships carpenters |
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[Ship's Carpenters flag] image from this site.


See also:

Vlag van de scheepstimmerlieden (ship's carpenters flag)


Translated from the Marine Museum of Amsterdam:

Flag of the ship's carpenters.
At the end of the 18th century times were very unruly politically. In 1787 Prince Willem V, the 'stadhouder', was deposed. Political arguments in Amsterdam were decided by fists. The Kattenburgerplein was the heart of the battle. Especially the 'bijltjes' (little axes), the ship's carpenters of the marine-wharf of Amsterdam, were very fervent supporters of the Prince.
So when Willem V, assisted by the Prussians, was reinstated as 'stadhouder', there was a big party of the 'bijltjes' on the Kattenburgerplein. The picture of Schultz shows the parade of the ship's carpenters. In front two 'bijltjes', who carry the flag, which is still being exposed in the 'Scheepvaartmuseum'.
For me this is new. After World War II and Netherland had been liberated there was a popular movement for 'bijltjesdag', to punish everybody who had collaborated with the Germans.

The caption on the flag: 'Scheepstimmerlieden voor Oranje en Vrijheid' (Ship's carpenters for the House of Orange and Freedom).

Jarig Bakker, 4 April 1999