Wemmel

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WEMMEL

Province : Vlaams-Brabant

Official blazon

(1873) D'or, à la croix pleine, de gueules, cantonnée au 1er d'une merlette de sable.
(1988) In goud een kruis van keel, vergezeld in het eerste kwartier van een kraai van sabel.

Origin/meaning

The arms were granted on May 21, 1873 and slightly changed on June 14, 1988.

The arms are based on the oldest seals of Wemmel. The oldest seal dates from 1388, and, as all later seals, show a cross with a small crow in the upper right corner. The blackbird later developed into a merle (below). The arms itself are derived from the arms of the Van Kraainem family, Lords of Wemmel in the 14^th century. The crow (Kraai) was a canting symbol. Since 1988 the municipality again uses a crow instead of the merle.