Coat of arms of Bremen
Encyclopedia
This article is about the coat of arms
of the German
state
and city of Bremen
.
Officially, the coat of arms was confirmed by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1811. This is the only coat of arms featuring the historical colours of Bremen, and the three bees, symbols of the Napoleonic Empire as part of the tradition of the Franks. Representations of bees were 1653 in the grave of Erich I. They are meant to act as a symbol of France's oldest and stand for immortality and rebirth. It was therefore a great honor when Napoleon gave the bees to the city, in the red and gold colours of his family.
Before and after the Napoleonic era, the red and white colours of the Hanseatic
cities were more important, starting in the 16th century. At this time, the shield was supported by angels, but from 1568, however, they were replaced by lions. In 1617 a helmet was added, but it was never officially part of the coat of arms. The crown on the coat of arms dates from the late 16th century.
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
of the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
state
Bremen (state)
The Free Hanseatic City of Bremen is the smallest of Germany's 16 states. A more informal name, but used in some official contexts, is Land Bremen .-Geography:...
and city of Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
.
Description
From the Bremen Official Website:- The Coat-of-Arms of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen shows a silverArgentIn heraldry, argent is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures, called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it...
key on a redGulesIn heraldry, gules is the tincture with the colour red, and belongs to the class of dark tinctures called "colours". In engraving, it is sometimes depicted as a region of vertical lines or else marked with gu. as an abbreviation....
shield. The key is the attribute of Simon PetrusSaint PeterSaint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
, patron saint of the Bremen CathedralBremen CathedralBremen Cathedral , dedicated to St. Peter, is a church situated in the market square in the center of Bremen, in northern Germany. The cathedral belongs to the Bremian Evangelical Church, a member of the Protestant umbrella organisation named Evangelical Church in Germany...
, and it was first represented in the seal of the City of Bremen in 1366, after its liberation from the occupation by Prince-Archbishop Albert IIAlbert of Brunswick and Lunenburg-WolfenbüttelDuke Albert of Brunswick and Lunenburg, Wolfenbüttel line was as Albert II Prince-Archbishop of Bremen in the years 1361–1395.-Before ascending to the See of Bremen:...
, and later became the main element of the city's coat-of-arms.
History
Before and after the Napoleonic era, the red and white colours of the Hanseatic
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...
cities were more important, starting in the 16th century. At this time, the shield was supported by angels, but from 1568, however, they were replaced by lions. In 1617 a helmet was added, but it was never officially part of the coat of arms. The crown on the coat of arms dates from the late 16th century.
See also
- Flag of BremenFlag of BremenThe flag of Bremen consists of at least eight equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white, and checked at the hoist. It is colloquially known as Speckflagge...
- Coat of arms of GermanyCoat of arms of GermanyThe coat of arms of Germany displays a black eagle on a yellow shield ....
- Origin of the coats of arms of German federal states.