Coat of arms of Württemberg
Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Württemberg | |
---|---|
Versions | |
Adopted | 1817 |
Shield | Per pale: on the dexter, the shield of Württemberg, on the sinister, the shield of Swabia |
Supporters | On the dexter, a black lion crowned; on the sinister, a gold deer |
Motto | Furchtlos und treu ("Fearless and loyal") |
Other elements | Surrounded by laurel and palm branches |
The coat of arms of the Kingdom of Württemberg shows an impalement of the three black
History
The coat of arms was formally adopted by King William I of Württemberg on 30 December 1817,[2] lasting between 1817 and 1922, and occasionally seen on state flags of this period.[2]
This version derived from the
By 26 December 1816, the kingdom had also settled on the colours red and black for its flag; gold and black being too similar to the ruling
From 1949 the insignia has formed part of the present-day coat of arms of Baden-Württemberg.
Ducal arms (1495−1803)
The antler motif had been used for centuries previously by the Counts of Württemberg. From 1495, the Duchy of Württemberg's coat of arms included the four quarters shown below.[3] Their symbolism is:
Quarters
- First: on a field of gold, three black stag's antlers of four branches - the County/Duchy of Württemberg castle on a hilltop near Stuttgart. It is based on the arms of their cousins, the Counts of Nellenburg (three blue antlers on a field of gold), which was in turn based on the arms of their cousins, the Counts of Veringen(three red antlers on a field of gold).
- Second: lozengy (a geometric field of lozenges - or wide diamond shapes) in bend (shown angled from the top right to lower left) of black and gold – the County of Teck, acquired in 1381. The later morganatic Dukes of Teck (1871−1918) differenced the arms as lozengy in bend sinister (shown angled from the top left to lower right).
- Third: on a blue field, a standard flying (a flag shown waving in the breeze) a black eagle on a field of gold – "Reichssturmfahne" given to the Swabian nobility for their merit in battle and proclaiming the right of first contact with the enemy, when campaigning with armies of the Holy Roman Empire.
- Fourth: on a red field, two gold fishes addorsed (depicted back-to-back), haurient ("breathing" − a fish shown palewise (vertical) and head upwards), and embowed (shown bent, flexed, or curved) – exclave property that passed by marriage to the Württemberg family in 1397; now modern-day Montbéliard, Franche-Comté, France.
-
Württemberg ducal coat of arms, dated 1495
-
Arms of Frederick I as a Knight of the Garter, 1604
-
The ducal arms in 1703
Crests
- The dexter (right-hand side) crest atop the ducal arms [a red hunting horn stringed (having a rope sling of a different color) gold, enguiché (a bugle with a mouth of a different color) black, and from the mouthpiece issuant (coming up from) three plumes (feathers): red, black, and yellow] represents Bad Urach, acquired in 1260. Bad Urach's arms were [a red hunting horn with a blue baldrick (leather strap) and enguiché (a bugle with a mouth of a different color) white, and from the mouthpiece issuant (coming up from) three plumes (feathers): red, white, and blue]
- The center crest [a demi-Maiden (a female bust) couped (shown cut off with a clean edge) at the waist or thighs, crined (having hair or mane of a different color) gold and crowned (wearing a crown on the head) habited in (wearing clothes) a red gown, with fish for arms shown naiant ("swimming" - a fish shown fesswise (horizontal) with the head facing the left-hand side) and reflexed (bent in an "s" shape) gold] represents Mömpelgard.
- The sinister (left-hand side) crest [a dog's head erased (shown cut off with a ragged edge with three flaps of skin hanging from the base) lozengy black and gold] represents Teck.
Other quarterings were added in the 18th century.
Arms used after 1918
After the abdication of the last king in 1918, the Free People's State of Württemberg in the Weimar Republic continued to use the three antlers motif and the former kingdom's flag on its coat of arms. Today, the larger version of the Coat of arms of Baden-Württemberg includes the three Swabian lions and a small shield on top with the three antlers of Württemberg. The arms can also be seen in the trademark of Porsche, a local car firm.
During the Nazi era, the state of Württemberg became virtually defunct due to the de facto transformation of Germany from a federal to a unitary state. Yet the new "Gau Württemberg-Hohenzollern" adopted a new coat of arms which was only a slightly modified version of the Republican arms.
After the defeat of Nazi Germany in
-
Weimar-era arms
-
1933 coat of arms
-
Württemberg-Baden
-
Württemberg-Hohenzollern
Gallery
-
Seal of Henry II of Swabia (dated 1216) with three leopards (three lions passant guardant)
-
Seal of Ulrich I with three antlers, 1259
-
Variant arms granted to the Dukes of Urach in 1867
-
Arms of the Dukes of Teck 1871−1917
-
1817 arms
See also
- History of Württemberg
- Origin of the coats of arms of German federal states
- Uradel
References
- ^ "Klaus Brecht's "Wappenkunde Württembergs" (2007); accessed 2007-10-11". Archived from the original on 2009-02-14. Retrieved 2009-04-23.
- ^ a b Flags of the World, Kingdom of Württemberg. Accessed 2009-04-12.
- ^ "Landeswappen WÜRTTEMBERG". Ngw.nl. Retrieved 2012-11-07.