DRENTHE

The coat of arms of Drenthe is Or, the Virgin Mary, seated on a golden throne, dressed in a red robe and a blue cloak, crowned with a golden crown, with a golden lily scepter in her right hand and with  little Jesus, dressed in white, on her  right knee.

The Landscape Stamps.

The first mention of a regional seal of Drenthe dates from 1262. Unfortunately, the seal in question has been lost. It must, however, have been the same as the preserved fragment of a seal to a charter from 1285 and the seal preserved in its entirety from a charter from 1294. [1]

The representation on the seal consists of seated Holy Virgin with the Christ Child on her left knee within the inside of an abstracted building, probably a monastery,. Four angel heads can be seen around thisdepiction. The legend reads is: SIGILLVM VNIVERSITATIS TERRE THRENTHIE. [2]

The fact that Mary was portrayed is undoubtedly connected with the veneration of St Mary widespread in the northern areas. The figure can also be found on monastery seals and on the seal of the Verbond van de Upstalboom (League of the Holy Tree), dating from the fourteenth century.

At the end of the fourteenth century a new seal was cut that was in use from 1395 to 1795. In the cenral field the architectural motif was changed and the angels headswere removed. The legend remained the same.

After Drenthe had joined the Nadere Unie (Closer Union) in April 1580, the region made repeated attempts to sit in the States General but it did not succeed until the end of the Republic. [3] The crown and the lions, which were added to the throning Mary in 1715, must be seen in this context. Although on this stamp the central representation has not yet been placed on a coat of arms, the whole is already reminiscent of an achievement. Not long after that there is also a real landscape coat of arms. It appears on the title page of the Church Order of 1730 and on ordinances and placards from that time. [4]

The Provincial Coat of Arms.

With the state regulation of 1798, Drenthe was merged with Overijssel into the "Departement van den Ouden IJssel" which was later renamed "Departement Overijsel". By decree of 19 June 1805 the parts were separated again and Drenthe became a separate administrative unit again. Although official documents waresealed with the national coat of arms, there was a coat of arms for the region in use. It is on a link of the Royal Order of the Union from 1807. It is possible that the seal of the States of Drenthe was cut then that remained in use until 1893, with an interruption in the period 1811-'13. On it is thecrowned coat of arms with the Virgin supported by two lions and and a ribbon with the letters C (ommunitas) T (errae) D (renthiae) the legend reading: STATEN VAN DRENTHE.

In 1829 the Hoge Raad van Adel asked the Gouvernorr van Drenthe for information about the arms. This resulted in a letter of August 19, 1830. In which the old representation was taken over and officially placed on a golden field. The crown was erroneously called a ducal crown but has the shape of the (princely-) crown of the Republic that was already on the arms of Drenthe.

The lions, who had been in use since 1715, were officially added for saupporters to these arms by Royal Decree August 1972. At the same time, the tinctures of the charge were officially determined.[5]

Seal of Aduard Monastery

Throned Virgin Mary and Child between the capitals AA.

Legend: SIGILLVM CONVENTVS AD SANCTVOS BERNARDVOS

Seal of Assen monastery

Throned Virgin Mary and Child

Legend: SIGILLVM SCIMONIALVM ASZEN

Seal of Drenthe, 1291

Virgin Mary and child between two angel heads

Legend: SIGILLVM UNIVERSITATIS TERRE THRENTIE

Seal of Drenthe,1395

Crowned Virgin Mary and child between trees

Legend: SIGILLVM UNIVERSITATIS TERRE THRENTIE

Seal of Oostergo, 1493

Virgin Mary and child between two warriors

Legend: X S BEATE MARIE VNIVERSITATIS TERRE ASTRINGIE.

1600-1799

Virgin Mary and child between two vases with lilies

Legend: CD

Arms of Drenthe, princely crowned, by demeter and justitio. supported demeter and justitia.; in base horses and a pile of blocks of peat 

1750

Virgin Mary and child within a gate supported by lions

1796

Seal of the Batavian Republic adapted for the department

1805

Seal  of the States of Drenthe

From the beginning of the 19th century, in use until 1893

Crowned atms of the provinc supported by two lions and the letters CTD on a ribbon below

Ams of Drenthe1820

By A.F. Zurchew, Hoge Raad van Adel, Den Haag

Confirmation of the High Council of Nobility, 10.08.1830

Bevestiging van de Hoge Raad van Adel dd. 19 augustus 1830.

Vanwege de Koning.

"De Hooge Raad van Adel gebruik makende van de macht aan denzelve verleend bij besluit van 20 Febr. 1816, bevestigd bij dezen aan de provincie Drenthe ingevolge het door den gouverneur gedaan verzoek, het bezit van het navolgend wapen.

"Een schild van goud, beladen met een Mariabeeld, houdende het kind Jezus op de linkerknie en gekroond van goud, zittende in een gotischen tempel, mede van goud. Het schild gedekt met een hertogelijken kroon.

Gedaan te 's Gravenhage, den 19en Augustus 1830.

(geteekend) A.C. Baron Snouckaert van Schauburg.

Presideerende ter ordonnantie van den Raad.

(get.) C. Chais, Secretaris.

Arms of Drenthe at the (former) Provinciehuis, Assen, 1885

Achievement of Drenthe by T. Van der Laars, 1913

K.B. van 19 augustus 1972 N°  19

Wij Juliana, bij de gratie Gods, Koningin der Nederlanden, Prinses van Oranje-Nassau, enz., enz., enz.

Op de voordracht van Onze Minister van Binnelandse Zaken a.i. van 10 augustus 1972, nr. B72/2224, Directie Binnenlands Bestuur, Afdeling Wetgeving en Bestuurszaken;

Gezien het verzoek van Gedeputeerde Staten van Drenthe van 18 juli 1972, nr. 30/11.2332, afdeling 4, tot wijziging van het wapen van die provincie;

Gelet op het besluit van de Soevereine Vorst van 24 december 1814, nr. 32 en het Koninklijk besluit van 23 april 1919, Stb. nr. 181;

de Hoge Raad van Adel gehoord;

HEBBEN GOEDGEVONDEN EN VERSTAAN;

a. het besluit van de Hoge Raad van Adel van 19 augustus 1830, waarbij het wapen der provincie Drenthe bevestigd werd, in te trekken;

b. aan de provincie Drenthe een wapen te verlenen, waarvan de be­schrijving luidt als volgt:

"In goud, zittende op een gouden troon, Maria van natuurlijke kleur met een gouden kroon van drie lelies en gekleed in een gewaad van keel waaroverheen een mantel van azuur, houdende in de rechterhand een gouden scepter, uitlopend in een lelie en houdende op de linkerknie het zittende Kind Jezus van natuurlijke kleur, gekleed van zilver.

Het schild gedekt met een van keel gevoerde kroon van vijf bladeren, vier parels en drie diademen en gehouden door twee leeuwen van goud, getongd en genageld van keel."

Onze Minister van Binnenlandse Zaken is belast met de uitvoering van dit besluit.

Porto Ercole, 19 augustus 1972

(get.) JULIANA

de minister van binnenlandse zaken

(get.) W.J. GEERTSEMA

Æ See Illustration in the head of this article