MAY 14, 2025 — On May 17, the town of Dieren in the Netherlands will unveil its new village flag, selected through a community-led design competition and public vote.
The unveiling coincides with the 100th anniversary of the Dierense Toren and will take place during the Mud & Fun Festival. The winning design, chosen by residents in an online poll, will then be submitted to the Rheden municipal council in June for formal recognition as the official village flag.
The initiative began in January and followed a four-step process: open design submissions, jury selection of finalists, public voting, and a final reveal. Entries were encouraged to reflect Dieren’s history, landscape, or cultural character while remaining simple and distinctive.
Three prominent finalist designs illustrate different interpretations of Dieren’s identity.
One (top) features interwoven green, white, and blue waves representing the Veluwe, the IJssel River, and the canal that divides the village, intended to symbolize natural flow and community diversity.
Another (left) highlights Dieren’s name origin, “a protruding bend of the highland”, and integrates imagery of animals, trees, water, and a wild boar.
A third (right) combines geographical references like the IJssel, Veluwe hills, and forests, with a deer and a shield representing pride and unity.
Voting closed in April after three finalists were shortlisted by a jury of local residents. The final selection will be revealed in a public ceremony, marking the culmination of a five-month effort to give Dieren an emblem designed by and for its people.
Image: devlagvandieren.nl
