Carnival, Jazz Festival, King’s Day or a NAC competition. If it is up to initiator Jean-Paul Kuijpers, from now on it should be visible from a great distance via a flag what is happening in Breda. He therefore wants to place the highest flagpole in the Netherlands near the A58 motorway. An idea that is supported by the municipality: “We are definitely up for that.”
“The flagpole will be so thick that I won’t be able to get around it with my arms,” beams Jean-Paul Kuijpers. “The pole will have a diameter of at least one and a half meters and will be 33 meters high with a flag of at least 9 x 6 meters. We don’t go for half work!”
“You have to be able to see what there is to do in Breda from miles away.”
A few years ago, Kuijpers got a wild idea together with his mates from the Samen voor NAC foundation. Breda had to get a huge flagpole with the flag of their favorite football club at the top. But as time went on, the idea became broader and more ambitious.
“This is no longer just about NAC,” says Jean-Paul Kuijpers. “The idea is to go back a thousand years in time to the system where a city was informed by a flag. For every event there was a flag so you could see what was happening miles away.”
Kuijpers now wants to restore this old signal function to promote the city. “On match days we want to hang the NAC flag, for special city events that of Breda and at carnival of course the carnival flag. But you can also think of the veterans flag or the rainbow flag. Every event or event has a flag.”
“If you have no ideas, you will never realize dreams. The city council is eager for it.”
The highest flagpole in the Netherlands is still standing in The Hague and measures 32 meters. Breda’s politicians are excited to break that record. “It’s a fantastic idea,” says alderman Daan Quaars. “We are certainly up for that, because the city council always looks at what can be done. It is really imaginable that we are doing this. In fact, when I close my eyes I can already see the mainmast and flag in front of me. ”
Quaars is positive, but keeps the well-known political battle around the arm. “Research is needed, because you can’t just put up such a large flagpole. It has to comply with building safety regulations and the zoning plan has to be adjusted. But yes, if you don’t have ideas, you will never realize dreams. So do it from that perspective. I’d like to join you.”
“Along the A58 would be the best, because then you can see the flag from both sides.”
“Having the mast made costs ten to fifteen thousand euros,” says Jean-Paul Kuijpers. “Because we have a Spanish supplier, moving such a thing to the Netherlands will probably also be quite expensive. And then we have the foundation that costs money. All in all, we hope to have the mast with a budget of less than 30,000 euros. to place.”
The municipality is willing to contribute ideas for the time being, but not (yet) to contribute. “It is of course partly about funding,” explains Jean-Paul Kuijpers. “But for Breda City Marketing this is of course a pittance. Normally they cannot run half a campaign with that amount.”
But more is needed. “We also need volunteers who will hang the flag before dawn and in all weathers.”
That will be in a place on the outskirts of the city. “In an open space or on a building that you can see well from the highway. Along the A58 would be the best, because then you can see the flag from both sides. And also from Belgium.”