Origin Of The Coats Of Arms Of German Federal States
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coats of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic ac ...
of
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
.


German Federal States Federalism in Germany is made of the states of Germany and the federal government. The central government, the states, and the German municipalities have different tasks and partially competing regions of responsibilities ruled by a complex syste ...

File:Greater coat of arms of Baden-Württemberg.svg, Coat of arms of
Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg ( ; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a states of Germany, German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million i ...
File:Coat of arms of Bavaria.svg, Coat of arms of
Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...
File:DEU Berlin COA.svg, Coat of arms of
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
File:Brandenburg Wappen.svg, Coat of arms of
Brandenburg Brandenburg, officially the State of Brandenburg, is a States of Germany, state in northeastern Germany. Brandenburg borders Poland and the states of Berlin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony. It is the List of Ger ...
File:Bremen greater coat of arms.svg, Coat of arms of
Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (, ), is the capital of the States of Germany, German state of the Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (), a two-city-state consisting of the c ...
File:DEU Hamburg COA.svg, Coat of arms of
Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...
File:Coat of arms of Hesse.svg, Coat of arms of
Hesse Hesse or Hessen ( ), officially the State of Hesse (), is a States of Germany, state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt, which is also the country's principal financial centre. Two other major hist ...
File:Coat of arms of Lower Saxony.svg, Coat of arms of
Lower Saxony Lower Saxony is a States of Germany, German state (') in Northern Germany, northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ' of the Germany, Federal Re ...
File:Coat of arms of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (great).svg, Coat of arms of
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV; ; ), also known by its Anglicisation, anglicized name Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania, is a Federated state, state in the north-east of Germany. Of the country's States of Germany, sixteen states, Mecklenburg-Vorpom ...
File:Coat of arms of North Rhine-Westfalia.svg, Coat of arms of
North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia or North-Rhine/Westphalia, commonly shortened to NRW, is a States of Germany, state () in Old states of Germany, Western Germany. With more than 18 million inhabitants, it is the List of German states by population, most ...
File:Coat of arms of Rhineland-Palatinate.svg, Coat of arms of
Rhineland-Palatinate Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; ; ; ) is a western state of Germany. It covers and has about 4.05 million residents. It is the ninth largest and sixth most populous of the sixteen states. Mainz is the capital and largest city. Other cities are ...
File:Wappen des Saarlands.svg, Coat of arms of
Saarland Saarland (, ; ) is a state of Germany in the southwest of the country. With an area of and population of 990,509 in 2018, it is the smallest German state in area apart from the city-states of Berlin, Bremen, and Hamburg, and the smallest in ...
File:Coat of arms of Saxony.svg, Coat of arms of
Saxony Saxony, officially the Free State of Saxony, is a landlocked state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Bavaria, as well as the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. Its capital is Dresden, and ...
File:Wappen Sachsen-Anhalt.svg, Coat of arms of
Saxony-Anhalt Saxony-Anhalt ( ; ) is a States of Germany, state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia and Lower Saxony. It covers an area of and has a population of 2.17 million inhabitants, making it the List of German states ...
File:DEU Schleswig-Holstein COA.svg, Coat of arms of
Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein (; ; ; ; ; occasionally in English ''Sleswick-Holsatia'') is the Northern Germany, northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical Duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of S ...
File:Coat of arms of Thuringia.svg, Coat of arms of
Thuringia Thuringia (; officially the Free State of Thuringia, ) is one of Germany, Germany's 16 States of Germany, states. With 2.1 million people, it is 12th-largest by population, and with 16,171 square kilometers, it is 11th-largest in area. Er ...
 The origins of the
coats of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic ac ...
of German federal states covers the historical context for the current arms of the
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
länder (singular ) or (singular ) is the name for (federal) states in two German-speaking countries. It may more specifically refer to: * States of Austria, the nine federal subdivisions of Austria * States of Germany The Federal Republic of Ge ...
. After the end of the
Third Reich Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a totalitarian dictat ...
, Germany had lost significant parts of its territory and was divided into four occupation zones. Several former states were split between two or more of these zones. The historical state of
Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...
, which spread over more than half the territory of Germany, was officially abolished by the Allies; and several new states were formed from its former lands while other parts were annexed by Poland or the USSR. Some of these states were direct successors of former states, although the former borders changed; others were new constructions. In some cases parts of former states were declared states; in other cases, parts of different states formed a new state. Only the historic city-states of Hamburg and Bremen survived the end of the Third Reich without significant changes of their territory. The Federal Republic was joined by the Saarland in 1957 and by five states of the former
German Democratic Republic East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...
in 1990. Each of these states adopted new arms upon joining the federation, by combining the centuries-old coats of the former states (or ruling houses) from whose territories they were formed.


Overview and historical versions of state arms


Coat of arms of Baden-Württemberg

*
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 Wü ...
** Coat of arms of Hohenstaufen ** Coat of arms of the Elector Palatine, one shield used in full arms ** Coat of arms of Wurzburg, one shield used in full arms **
Coat of arms of Baden The coat of arms of Baden comes from the personal arms of the Margraves and Grand Dukes of Baden, the traditional rulers of the region. Following the revolution and abolition of the Grand Duchy in 1918, the arms and griffin supporters were usu ...
, predecessor state of the Weimar Period and before; one shield used in full arms *** Coat of arms of Württemberg-Baden, predecessor state of the Weimar Period *** Coat of arms of Württemberg-Hohenzollern, predecessor state of the Weimar Period **** Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Württemberg, historical state ** Coat of arms of Hohenzollern, one shield used in full arms ***Preceding states ( Zollern,
Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen () was a principality in southwestern Germany. Its rulers belonged to the junior House of Hohenzollern#Swabian branch, Swabian branch of the House of Hohenzollern. The Swabian Hohenzollerns were elevated to princes in 162 ...
,
Hohenzollern-Hechingen Hohenzollern-Hechingen () was a small principality in southwestern Germany. Its rulers belonged to the House of Hohenzollern#Swabian branch, Swabian branch of the House of Hohenzollern, Hohenzollern dynasty. History The County of Hohenzollern- ...
and the
Province of Hohenzollern The Province of Hohenzollern (, ''Hohenzollern Lands'') was a district of Prussia from 1850 to 1946. It was located in Swabia, the region of southern Germany that was the ancestral home of the House of Hohenzollern, to which the kings of Prussia ...
) until Württemberg-Hohenzollern used these arms; rulers chose variations and additions thereupon. ** Coat of arms of the Electorate of the Palatinate, one shield used in full arms ** Coat of arms of Austria (lesser), one shield used in full arms


Coat of arms of Bavaria

*
Coat of arms of Bavaria The coat of arms of Bavaria has greater and lesser versions. It was introduced by law fully by 5 June 1950: Meaning The modern coat of arms was designed by Eduard Ege, following heraldic traditions, in 1946. * First Quarter (The Golden Lion) ...
** Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Bavaria and preceding Wittelsbach dynasty ** Coat of arms of Kraiburg **
Franconian rake The Franconian Rake () is the name given to the coat of arms of the region of Franconia in Germany. It is described heraldically as '' per fess dancetty of three points gules and argent''. The points represent a stylised heraldic rake. Design ...
, one charge used in full arms ** Coat of arms of the Elector Palatine, one charge used in full arms


Coat of arms of Berlin

*
Coat of arms of Berlin The coat of arms of Berlin is used by the German city state as well as the city itself. Introduced in 1954 for West Berlin, it shows a black bear on a white shield. On top of the shield is a special crown, created by the amalgamation of the mur ...
** Historical arms


Coat of arms of Brandenburg

*
Coat of arms of Brandenburg The German state of Brandenburg has a coat of arms depicting a red eagle. History According to tradition, the ''Märkischer Adler'' ('Marcher eagle'), or red eagle of the March of Brandenburg, was adopted by Margrave Gero in the 10th centu ...
** Historical arms, including the
Province of Brandenburg The Province of Brandenburg () was a province of Prussia from 1815 to 1947. Brandenburg was established in 1815 from the Kingdom of Prussia's core territory, comprised the bulk of the historic Margraviate of Brandenburg (excluding Altmark) and ...


Coat of arms of Bremen

*
Coat of arms of Bremen The Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen is a state, and Bremen is a city, in Germany. Description The coat of arms of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen shows a Argent, silver key on a Gules, red shield. The key is the attribute of Saint ...
** Historical arms


Coat of arms of Hamburg

*
Coat of arms of Hamburg The coat of arms of Hamburg, along with the flag of Hamburg, is regulated by the constitution of Hamburg and law. The colors of Hamburg are white and red. One of the oldest versions of the castle is found on a seal in 1241. Description All coat o ...
** Historical arms


Coat of arms of Hesse

*
Coat of arms of Hesse A coat is typically an outer garment for the upper body, worn by any gender for warmth or fashion. Coats typically have long sleeves and are open down the front, and closing by means of buttons, zippers, hook-and-loop fasteners (AKA velcro), to ...
** Historical arms


Coat of arms of Lower Saxony

*
Coat of arms of Lower Saxony The coat of arms of Lower Saxony shows a white Saxon Steed () on a red background. It appears on the flag of Lower Saxony. History According to German folklore the banner of Widukind, the last pagan King of the Old Saxons, was a jumping black ...
**
Saxon Steed The Saxon Steed (, , , ; , , ; ) is a heraldic motif associated with the German provinces of Lower Saxony and Westphalia, and the Dutch region of Twente. Origin and past uses The horse as a heraldic charge associated with Saxony first appears ...
, principal charge and motif *** Coat of arms of the Free State of Brunswick (1918–1946), predecessor state *** Coat of arms of the Duchy of Brunswick (1815–1918) (full and lesser), predecessor state *** Coat of arms of the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1235–1708) predecessor state *** Coat of arms of the Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Hanover), predecessor state *** Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Hanover (1814–1866), predecessor state *** Coat of arms of the Prussian Province of Hanover (1868–1946), predecessor state *** Coat of arms of the Free State of Oldenburg (1918–1946), predecessor state *** Coat of arms of Oldenburg (1180–1918), predecessor state *** Coat of arms of the Free State of Schaumburg-Lippe (1918–1946), predecessor state *** Coat of arms of Schaumburg-Lippe (1643–1918), predecessor state *** Coat of arms of Schaumburg (1110–1640), predecessor state


Coat of arms of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

* Coat of arms of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern **For history, see
Mecklenburg-Schwerin The Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin () was a duchy in northern Germany created in 1701, when Frederick William, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Frederick William and Adolphus Frederick II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Adolphus Frederick II divided ...
,
Mecklenburg-Strelitz The Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was a duchy in Northern Germany consisting of the eastern fifth of the historic Mecklenburg region, roughly corresponding with the present-day Mecklenburg-Strelitz district (the former Lordship of Stargard) ...
and
Duchy of Pomerania The Duchy of Pomerania (; ; Latin: ''Ducatus Pomeraniae'') was a duchy in Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, ruled by dukes of the House of Pomerania (''Griffins''). The country existed in the Middle Ages between years 1121–11 ...
, predecessor states.


Coat of arms of North Rhine-Westphalia

*
Coat of arms of North Rhine-Westphalia The coat of arms of North Rhine-Westphalia is the official coat of arms of the Germany, German States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Overview After World War II on August 23, 1946 the Allied-occupied Germany#British Zone of Occupa ...
**For history, see also
Rhine Province The Rhine Province (), also known as Rhenish Prussia () or synonymous with the Rhineland (), was the westernmost Provinces of Prussia, province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia, within the German Reich, from 1822 to 1946. ...
,
Province of Westphalia The Province of Westphalia () was a Provinces of Prussia, province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1815 to 1946. In turn, Prussia was the largest component state of the German Empire from 1871 to 1918, of the Weimar ...
and
Principality of Lippe Lippe (later Lippe-Detmold and then again Lippe) was a state in Germany, ruled by the House of Lippe. It was located between the Weser river and the southeast part of the Teutoburg Forest. It originated as a state during the Holy Roman Empire, an ...
, predecessor states.


Coat of arms of Rhineland-Palatinate

*
Coat of arms of Rhineland-Palatinate The coat of arms of Rhineland-Palatinate was, along with the flag of Rhineland-Palatinate, designed in 1947 after the new ' of ' was formed by the authority of the French High Commissioner to Germany. The flag symbolizes the dedication of Rhinelan ...
**
Wheel of Mainz The Wheel of Mainz or , in German language, German, was the coat of arms of the Archbishopric of Mainz and thus also of the Electorate of Mainz (Kurmainz), in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It consists of a silver wheel with six spokes on a red ...
, principal charge ** Coat of arms of the Elector Palatine, principal charge ** Coat of arms of the Archbishop of Mainz (historical)


Coat of arms of Saarland

*
Coat of arms of Saarland This article is about the coat of arms of the German state of the Saarland. Description The coat of arms of the Saarland is parted per cross: *The first quarter shows the coat of arms of the prince of Nassau-Saarbrücken, a silver lion with go ...
** Coat of arms of Nassau-Saarbrücken, predecessor state and one of the quarters of the arms ** Coat of arms of the Duchy of Lorraine, predecessor state, predecessor state and one of the quarters of the arms ** Coat of arms of the Archbishop of Trier, predecessor state, predecessor state and one of the quarters of the arms ** Coat of arms of the Elector Palatine, predecessor state, predecessor state and one of the quarters of the arms *** Coat of arms of the Saar under French protectorate (1947–1956) *** Coat of arms of the Saar under League of Nations mandate (1920–1935)


Coat of arms of Saxony

*
Coat of arms of Saxony The coat of arms of the present-day German free state of Saxony shows a tenfold horizontally-partitioned ('' Barry of ten'') field of black (''sable'') and gold/yellow ('' or'') stripes,
** Historical arms


Coat of arms of Saxony-Anhalt

*
Coat of arms of Saxony-Anhalt The coat of arms of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt represents its historical origins. The land area was formed out of the former Prussian Province of Saxony and the German Free State of Anhalt. The upper part of the coat of arms represents th ...
** Historical arms, including the Prussian
province of Saxony The Province of Saxony (), also known as Prussian Saxony (), was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and later the Free State of Prussia from 1816 until 1944. Its capital was Magdeburg. It was formed by the merger of various territories ceded ...
** Coat of arms of Anhalt, predecessor Princedom


Coat of arms of Schleswig-Holstein

*
Coat of arms of Schleswig-Holstein The coat of arms of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein is vertically divided: in the heraldically right field, i.e. left as seen by the viewer, two blue lions are depicted on a golden background, facing the other half. The lions of Schleswi ...
** Coat of arms of the Dukes of Holstein-Gottorp, predecessor dukedom


Coat of arms of Thuringia

*
Coat of arms of Thuringia The coat of arms of the German state of Thuringia was introduced in 1990. Like the 1949 coat of arms of Hesse it is based on the Ludovingian ''lion barry'', also known as the "lion of Hesse", with the addition of eight mullets. Description ...


Historical coats of arms

File:Virgil Solis HWG Wappen des HRR mit Putti.jpg, The Arms of the
Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...
File:Wappen Deutscher Bund.svg, The Arms of the
German Confederation The German Confederation ( ) was an association of 39 predominantly German-speaking sovereign states in Central Europe. It was created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 as a replacement of the former Holy Roman Empire, which had been dissolved ...
, 1815–1866 File:Wappenschild des Deutschen Kaiserreiches (1889-1918).svg, Small Arms of the
German Empire The German Empire (),; ; World Book, Inc. ''The World Book dictionary, Volume 1''. World Book, Inc., 2003. p. 572. States that Deutsches Reich translates as "German Realm" and was a former official name of Germany. also referred to as Imperia ...
, 1871–1918 File:Greater Coat of Arms of the German Empire.svg, The Greater Arms of the
German Empire The German Empire (),; ; World Book, Inc. ''The World Book dictionary, Volume 1''. World Book, Inc., 2003. p. 572. States that Deutsches Reich translates as "German Realm" and was a former official name of Germany. also referred to as Imperia ...
, 1871–1918 File:Wappen Deutsches Reich - Reichsadler 1889.svg, The Lesser Arms of the German Empire, 1871–1918 File:Wappen Deutsches Reich (Weimarer Republik).svg, Arms of the
Weimar Republic The Weimar Republic, officially known as the German Reich, was the German Reich, German state from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional republic for the first time in history; hence it is also referred to, and unofficially proclai ...
, 1919–1928 File:Coat of arms of Germany.svg, Arms of the Weimar Republic, 1928–1935 File:Reichsadler.svg, National insignia (''Hoheitszeichen'') of
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
, 1935–1945 File:Coat of Arms of East Germany (1950–1953).svg,
Coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...
of the
German Democratic Republic East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...
, 1950–1953 File:Coat of arms of East Germany (1953–1955).svg, Coat of arms of the German Democratic Republic, 1953–1955 File:Coat of arms of East Germany (1955–1990).svg, Coat of arms of the German Democratic Republic, 1955–1990 File:Coat of arms of Germany.svg, Coat of arms of the
Federal Republic of Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen constituent states have a total population of over 84 ...
, 1950–present


Colonies

Coats of arms of German colonies were prepared but never formally granted.The Emperor's new coat of arms
(Spiegel Online, 26 February 2009, in German). In 1914, the diplomat
Wilhelm Solf Wilhelm Heinrich Solf (5 October 1862 – 6 February 1936) was a German scholar, diplomat, jurist and statesman. Early life Solf was born into a wealthy and liberal family in Berlin. He attended secondary schools in Anklam, western Pomerania, a ...
proposed that Germany's colonies be assigned flags and arms, like the
flags A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular) with distinctive colours and design. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design employed, and flags have ...
and
arms Arms or ARMS may refer to: *Arm or arms, the upper limbs of the body Arm, Arms, or ARMS may also refer to: People * Ida A. T. Arms (1856–1931), American missionary-educator, temperance leader Coat of arms or weapons *Armaments or weapons **Fi ...
used by the
British colonies A Crown colony or royal colony was a colony governed by England, and then Great Britain or the United Kingdom within the English and later British Empire. There was usually a governor to represent the Crown, appointed by the British monarch on ...
. Solf believed that these would serve to advertise Germany's power, and would encourage German pride amongst the colonials.
Kaiser Wilhelm Kaiser Wilhelm is a common reference to two German emperors: * Wilhelm I, German Emperor (1797–1888) * Wilhelm II, German Emperor (1859–1941) Kaiser Wilhelm may also refer to: * Kaiser Wilhelm (baseball) (1874–1936), early 20th century baseba ...
was enthusiastic about the idea, and drafts were prepared for his inspection by Solf in conjunction with the Heraldry Office and the
Duke of Mecklenburg This list of dukes and grand dukes of Mecklenburg dates from the origins of the Germany, German princely state of Mecklenburg's royal house in the High Middle Ages to the monarchy's abolition at the end of World War I. Strictly speaking, Mecklen ...
. However,
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
broke out before the project was finalised, and the arms were never actually taken into use. This was in part because giving the colonies their own insignia in times of war could have let them have symbols to rally around in rebellion.Schurdel, H.D. Battenberg (1995). ''Flaggen & Wappen Deutschland - Heraldik, Hymnen, BRD & DDR Flaggen und Wappen, Deutsche Ostgebiete, ehem. deutsche Kolonien u.v.m.'' Following the defeat in the war, Germany lost all its colonies and the prepared arms were therefore never granted. The arms all followed a similar style. In chief was placed the
Imperial Eagle The eagle is used in heraldry as a charge, as a supporter, and as a crest. Heraldic eagles can be found throughout world history like in the Achaemenid Empire or in the present Republic of Indonesia. The European post-classical symbolism of ...
, bearing a shield with the arms of the
House of Hohenzollern The House of Hohenzollern (, ; , ; ) is a formerly royal (and from 1871 to 1918, imperial) German dynasty whose members were variously princes, Prince-elector, electors, kings and emperors of Hohenzollern Castle, Hohenzollern, Margraviate of Bran ...
. In the main part of the shield was a colony specific symbol, such as an
elephant Elephants are the largest living land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant ('' Loxodonta africana''), the African forest elephant (''L. cyclotis''), and the Asian elephant ('' Elephas maximus ...
for the colony of Kamerun. Above the shield was placed the
German State Crown In 1871 a design and a model for a new state crown () were created to reflect the new German Empire. The model was based upon the Crown of the Holy Roman Empire and was kept in the Hohenzollern museum at Schloss Monbijou in Berlin, until it di ...
(which was merely symbolic, and did not physically exist). Early drafts included a scroll displaying the name of the colony or protectorate in German, but given the unheraldic nature of such a name scroll, it is unlikely this would have been part of the final blazon.


See also

*
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...


References


External links


Kolonialflaggen

Flag use in German colonies


{{Europe topic, Armorial of