Coat Of Arms Of Baden-Württemberg

The coat of arms of the German state of Baden-Württemberg features a greater and a lesser version.

History

The coat of arms of Baden-Württemberg was determined after the merging of the former German states Baden, Württemberg-Baden and Württemberg-Hohenzollern, that were divided due to different occupying forces after World War II, in 1952. The creation of the state was not without controversies and thus only the state colours black and gold were determined in 1952, but not yet the arms. The latter were only regulated in the ''Gesetz über das Wappen des Landes Baden-Württemberg'' (Law on the Coat of Arms of Baden-Württemberg) of 3 May 1954. Its use is moreover regulated by an order dated 2 August 1954. It was designed by Fritz Reinhardt.

The shield shows three black lions with red tongues on a golden background. The arms refer to the coat of arms of the Duke of Swabia whose House of Hohenstaufen had used these arms. The name of Suabia had long been discussed for use with the newly created state but it failed to be adopted due to resistance from parts of Baden.
File:Armoiries de Frédéric II de Palatinat.svg, Electoral Palatinate
File:Wappen Kurpfalz.gif, Electoral Palatinate 1703
File:Wuerttemberg Arms.svg, County of Württemberg 1083–1495
File:Armoiries duché de Wurtemberg 1733.svg, Duchy of Württemberg 1495–1803
File:Coat of arms of the Electorate of Württemberg.svg, Electorate of Württemberg 1803–1806
File:Wappen Baden, Markgrafschaft.svg, Margraviate of Baden 1112–1806
File:Coat of Arms of the Principality of Hohenzollern-Hechingen.svg, Hohenzollern-Hechingen 1576–1850
File:Coat of Arms of the Principality of Leyen.svg, Principality of Leyen 1806–1814
File:Coat of Arms of the Grand Duchy of Baden 1877-1918.svg, Grand Duchy of Baden 1877-1918
File:Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Württemberg 1817-1921.svg, Kingdom of Württemberg 1805–1918
File:Coat of Arms of Hohenzollern Province.svg, Province of Hohenzollern 1850–1946
File:Wappen Volksstaat Württemberg (Farbe).svg, Free People's State of Württemberg 1918–1945
File:Coat of arms of the Republic of Baden from 1918.png, Republic of Baden 1918–1945
File:Baden Großes Landeswappen 1947-1952.svg, South Baden 1947-1952
File:Wappen Wuerttemberg-Hohenzollern.svg, Württemberg-Hohenzollern 1945–1952
File:Wappen Wuerttemberg-Baden.svg, Württemberg-Baden 1945–1952

Greater coat of arms

The six small coat of arms at the top stand for the origins of parts of Baden-Württemberg. They are from left to right:

* Coat of arms of Franconia for former Franconian regions in the northeast:
::It shows the coat of arms of Franconia, called the (Franconian rake). This field represents Tauber Franconia, the region around the river Tauber in the northeastern part of Baden-Württemberg. It was part of the Duchy of Franconia. While the main part of Franconia became part of Bavaria, this area became separated and part of Baden-Württemberg. The coat of arms features a field divided ''per fess dancetty gules and argent'', i.e. it is divided into an upper red band and a lower white band by a three-pointed zig-zag line. This was the coat of arms of the prince-bishops of Würzburg, who were also dukes of Franconia.
* Coat of arms of the House of Hohenzollern for the Province of Hohenzollern:
::The second shield shows the coat of arms of the House of Hohenzollern (''party per cross argent and sable''). It represents a region north of lake Constance around Hohenzollern Castle, the ancestral seat of the House of Hohenzollern. The coat of arms of Hohenzollern is parted per cross; the first and third field are argent (white/silver), the second and fourth shield are sable (black).
* Coat of arms of Baden for Baden:
::The third shield shows the coat of arms of Baden, a red diagonal band on a golden shield ('' or, a bend gules''). This represents the former Margraviate and Grand Duchy of Baden, the western and south-western part of Baden-Württemberg. As one of the two biggest predecessors of Baden-Württemberg, also part of the state's name, this shield is about 10 percent bigger than the others.
* Coat of arms of Württemberg for Württemberg:
::The fourth shield shows the coat of arms of Württemberg. On a golden shield, there are three superposed deer antlers. This shield represents the Region of Württemberg, the other main part of the state, which lies in the central and eastern part. For the same reasons, it is the same size as the coat of arms of Baden.
* Coat of arms of the Electorate of the Palatinate for the region around Mannheim and Heidelberg:
::The fifth shield shows the coat of arms of the Elector Palatine. This field represents those parts of former Electorate of the Palatinate, on the right side of river Rhine. The black field is charged with a yellow lion rampant with red claws, tongue and crown (''sable, a lion rampant or armed langued and crowned gules'').
* Coat of arms of Austria for Further Austria in the south:
::The sixth shield shows the coat of arms of Further Austria: a white horizontal band on a red field (''gules, a fess argent''). This shield represents the former possessions of the house of Habsburg, the family of the former Austrian Emperors.

Thereby the arms of Baden and Württemberg are slightly elevated. The supporters are a stag to the left representing Württemberg and a griffin to the right representing Baden. The supporters are those used in the arms of the pre-war states of Baden and Württemberg. They are positioned on a pedestal of black and gold which is not further mentioned in the law about the arms.

The great coat of arms is only used by higher authorities, i.e. the state premier, the government, the ministries, the state's representation to the Federation and to the EU, the Supreme State Court and higher courts, the audit court and the Administrative Districts.

Lesser arms

The lesser coat of arms features the shield topped with crown styled like leaves that symbolises the people's sovereignty after the abolishment of monarchy in Germany. The lesser arms are used by all state authorities that do not employ the great coat of arms, as well as by those notaries that are civil servants.

References

Landesverfassung, Namen und Wappen des neuen Bundeslandes
' Landeszentrale für politische Bildung''
*''Baden-württembergische Befindlichkeiten. Das Land und seine Symbolik''. ed. Petra Schön, Hauptstaatsarchiv Stuttgart, 2002.

Akten zur Entstehung des Landeswappens
Item EA 99/002 at Baden-Württemberg State Archives; digital images of the original draft can be found here.

See also

*Origin of the coats of arms of German federal states.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coat of arms of Baden-Wurttemberg
Culture of Baden-Württemberg
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Baden-Wurttemberg
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