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A flag for every student home�Identity and tradition in the Dutch university city of Leiden�

DAVIED VAN BERLO

Dutch Vexillological Society (NVvV)

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Leiden

The Netherlands

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Leiden University

Founded 1575

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Student societies

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Student �home �flags

About 60 flags

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http:// bit.ly / studenthomeflags

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  • List of student homes and photographs
  • Articles and interviews
  • ICV29 presentation and article

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Design

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Design

  1. Colouring
  2. Imaging
  3. Lettering

The design of student home flags is very particular to their function in:

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Design

Colouring

  • Two or three colours

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Rapenburg 110

Noordeinde 1-3

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Papengracht 8

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Colouring

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Design

Imaging

  • Logo
  • Facade or ornament

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Haarlemmerstraat 65

Nieuwe Rijn 80

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Imaging

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Design

Lettering

  • Name
  • Address

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Nieuwsteeg 33

Steenschuur 5

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Lettering

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Rapenburg 113

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Design

In their design most flags therefore show either

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    • the façade of the building
    • the location in its environment
    • the address (or abbreviation)
    • the name of the house.

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or a combination of these elements.

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The house is central to the symbolism that guides the design of the flag.

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Design

a. The building

  • facade
  • ornament

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Oude Vest 34m

Houtstraat 3

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Design

b. The location

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Kort Rapenburg 14

Utrechtseveer 7

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Design

c. The address

  • symbol
  • text

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Kolfmakersteeg 7a

Breestraat 87

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Design

The name

  • symbol
  • text

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Hooigracht 34a

Nieuwstraat

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Nieuwe Rijn 46

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Identity and tradition

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Whitney Smith

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  • “The sense of necessity to plant flags on buildings great and small seems to well from a profound human impulse.”

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Identity

  1. External communication
  2. Group identity
  3. Sovereignty

Based on my research I distinguish three areas where flags play a distinctive role in the identity of student homes:

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Identity

1. External communication

  • “Here we are!”
  • “We are here!”

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“Every flag is a communication from one human being or group of people which may be received and responded to by others.”

Whitney Smith

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Herengracht 43

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Identity

2. Group identity

  • Colours
  • Stories
  • Symbolism

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“As history teaches us, flags have always been used to denote the identity of the user.”

Preben Kannik

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Vliet 13

Rapenbrug 120

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Identity

2. Group identity

  • Colours
  • Stories
  • Symbolism

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Rapenburg 52

Morsweg 52d

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Identity

2. Group identity

  • Colours
  • Stories
  • Symbolism

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Pieterskerkhof 4c

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Identity

3. Sovereignty

  • Membership and regulation
  • Symbols of sovereignty

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“Flags are symbols of sovereignty.”

Klaes Sierksma

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Rapenburg 51

Vliet 15

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Tradition

  1. Flags from tradition
  2. Flags form tradition

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Student home flags are a product of the community but also foster the common identity of the students living there (and their predecessors):

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Tradition

Flags from tradition: they’re part of a larger “body of tradition” within the student house.

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Hogewoerd 140

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Tradition

Flags form tradition: new rules and roles originate from the existence and presence of the flag.

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Janvossensteeg 35

Rapenburg 12-14

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Conclusion

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Conclusion

  • Some student homes have a long history and traditions that span generations. Sometimes flags are part of this body of tradition.
  • The design of student home flags is often based on these traditions, using the colours, stories and symbolism of the community.
  • Flags are used to communicate the presence of the house, to foster the community’s identity, and as a sign of sovereignty.
  • The number of student home flags seems to be rising.

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1. Student home flags are part of the local student culture in Leiden.

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Oude Singel 66

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Conclusion

  • The house is the central and unifying element that holds the group together and affirms the link with earlier generations.
  • The house is so conditional to the identity of the community that nearly all flags in some way, either in text or in symbols, refer to it.
  • In their design most flags therefore show either
    1. the building
    2. the location
    3. the address or
    4. the name of the house.

or a combination of these elements.

  • Lettering is an accepted part of the design because buildings are usually referred to textually: name and address.

2. The house is the central and unifying element in most flags.

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Questions?

Contact me at davied@dds.nl or go to http://bit.ly/studenthomeflags

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