Wheel of Mainz
Encyclopedia
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, was the coat of arms of the Archbishopric of Mainz
Archbishopric of Mainz
The Archbishopric of Mainz or Electorate of Mainz was an influential ecclesiastic and secular prince-bishopric in the Holy Roman Empire between 780–82 and 1802. In the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy, the Archbishop of Mainz was the primas Germaniae, the substitute of the Pope north of the Alps...
and thus also of the Electorate of Mainz
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
(Kurmainz), in Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has an area of and about four million inhabitants. The capital is Mainz. English speakers also commonly refer to the state by its German name, Rheinland-Pfalz ....
, Germany
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...
. It consists of a silver wheel with six spokes on a red background. The wheel can also be found in stonemasons' carvings (e.g. landmark
Landmark
This is a list of landmarks around the world.Landmarks may be split into two categories - natural phenomena and man-made features, like buildings, bridges, statues, public squares and so forth...
s) and similar objects. Currently, the City of Mainz
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
uses a double wheel connected by a silver cross.
Origin
Willigis
Saint Willigis was Archbishop of Mainz from 975 until his death as well as a statesman of the Holy Roman Empire.-Life:...
, who was elected Archbishop of Mainz in 975. According to a tale delivered by the Brothers Grimm
Brothers Grimm
The Brothers Grimm , Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm , were German academics, linguists, cultural researchers, and authors who collected folklore and published several collections of it as Grimm's Fairy Tales, which became very popular...
, his ancestors had been wheelwright
Wheelwright
A wheelwright is a person who builds or repairs wheels. The word is the combination of "wheel" and the archaic word "wright", which comes from the Old English word "wryhta", meaning a worker or maker...
s and his adversaries sneered at him for his mean birth. They drew wheels on the walls and doors of his residence, Willigis though made it his personal ensign with the motto "Willigis, remember where you came from". However, this is not proven, and in any case coats of arms
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...
only appeared in the 12th century. Most of the archbishops of Mainz used the wheel for the first and third field of their personal coat of arms, using their family's coat of arms for the second and forth fields.
It is more likely that the wheel refers to Saint Martin
Martin of Tours
Martin of Tours was a Bishop of Tours whose shrine became a famous stopping-point for pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela. Around his name much legendary material accrued, and he has become one of the most familiar and recognizable Christian saints...
, the patron of both the city itself and of Mainz Cathedral
Mainz Cathedral
Mainz Cathedral or St. Martin's Cathedral is located near the historical center and pedestrianized market square of the city of Mainz, Germany...
. Insignia dating from 1300 depict the saint with both wheels. Moreover, the Archbishops of Mainz were sometimes referred to as the currum dei aurigantes ("Drivers of God's Chariot") and the currum ecclesiae Moguntinae aurigantes ("Charioteers of the Church of Mainz"), to which the wheels may well also be a reference.
Other theories see the wheel as either:
- a symbol of ChristChristogramA Christogram is a monogram or combination of letters that forms an abbreviation for the name of Jesus Christ, traditionally used as a Christian symbol. Different types of Christograms are associated with the various traditions of Christianity, e.g...
, i.e., XP (Chi, Ro), enclosed in a nimbusNimbus-General meanings:* Nimbus cloud, a cloud that produces precipitation* Halo , light or mist from an object* Halo , the disk or ring around the head of a sacred figure-Specific meanings:* Nimbus , A video game...
; - the insigniaInsigniaInsignia or insigne pl -nia or -nias : a symbol or token of personal power, status or office, or of an official body of government or jurisdiction...
of Emperor Constantine; - the sign of MogonsMogonsMogons or Moguns was a god worshipped in Roman Britain and in Gaul. The main evidence is from altars dedicated to the god by Roman soldiers, but the deity is not a native Italic one. It appears to be Celtic. Inscriptional spellings include Mogetios, Mogounos, Mogti, Mounti, Mogont, Mogunt. Not all...
, a Celtic sun-god; or - the sign of Mithras, a Roman god.
Dissemination
Erfurt
Erfurt is the capital city of Thuringia and the main city nearest to the geographical centre of Germany, located 100 km SW of Leipzig, 150 km N of Nuremberg and 180 km SE of Hannover. Erfurt Airport can be reached by plane via Munich. It lies in the southern part of the Thuringian...
, which belonged to the archbishopric for centuries. In addition, it is seen in the following coats of arms: Mainz-Hechtsheim, Mainz-Laubenheim, Mainz-Lerchenberg, Mainz-Weisenau, as well as Alzenau
Alzenau
Alzenau is a town in the north of the Aschaffenburg district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany. The epithet “in Unterfranken” , now dropped, was to distinguish it from another Alzenau since 1945 no longer in Germany...
, Arenshausen
Arenshausen
Arenshausen is a village in the Eichsfeld district of Thuringia, Germany....
, Bad Hersfeld
Bad Hersfeld
The festival and spa town of Bad Hersfeld is the district seat of Hersfeld-Rotenburg district in northeastern Hesse, Germany, roughly 50 km southeast of Kassel....
, Bad Sobernheim
Bad Sobernheim
Bad Sobernheim is a municipality in the district of Bad Kreuznach, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the river Nahe, approx. 20 km south-west of Bad Kreuznach....
, Bennhausen
Bennhausen
Bennhausen is a municipality in the Donnersbergkreis district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Bennhausen has an area of 1.49 km² and a population of 148 ....
, Berlingerode
Berlingerode
Berlingerode is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld....
, Biebergemünd
Biebergemünd
Biebergemünd is a municipality in the Main-Kinzig district, in Hesse, Germany....
, Birkungen in Leinefelde-Worbis
Leinefelde-Worbis
“”Leinefelde-Worbis is a town in the district of Eichsfeld, in northwestern Thuringia, Germany. The town was formed on March 16, 2004, from the former independent towns Leinefelde and Worbis along with the municipalities of Breitenbach and Wintzingerode...
, Blankenbach
Blankenbach
Blankenbach is a community in the Aschaffenburg district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany, and a member of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft of Schöllkrippen.-Location:...
, Bönnigheim
Bönnigheim
Bönnigheim is a town in the German administrative district of Ludwigsburg which lies at the edge of the areas known as Stromberg and Zabergäu. The nearest large towns are Ludwigsburg and Heilbronn.- Geography :Districts of the town...
, Brehme
Brehme
People with the last name Brehme include:*Andreas Brehme*Hans Brehme, composer There is one municipality in Eichsfeld, Thuringia, Germany:*Brehme, Germany...
, Breitenworbis
Breitenworbis
Breitenworbis is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany....
, Bürgstadt
Bürgstadt
Bürgstadt is a market community in the Miltenberg district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany and the seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft of Erftal.- Location :...
, Büttstedt
Büttstedt
Büttstedt is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.-References:...
, Cleebronn
Cleebronn
Cleebronn is a municipality in the district of Heilbronn in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany.- Geography :Cleebronn is situated in the Zabergäu in the south of the district of Heilbronn, directly in the north of the Stromberg mountain with an elevation of 220-260m. The landscape is...
, Collenberg
Collenberg
Collenberg is a community in the Miltenberg district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany.- Location :Collenberg lies on the Main, 13 km away from Miltenberg and 18 km from Wertheim...
, Deuna
Deuna
Deuna is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany....
, Dorfprozelten
Dorfprozelten
Dorfprozelten is a community in the Miltenberg district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany and one of the oldest settlements on the Lower Main.- Location :...
, Dünwald
Dünwald
Dünwald is a municipality in the Unstrut-Hainich district of Thuringia, Germany....
, Effelder
Effelder
Effelder may refer to the following places in Germany:*Effelder, Eichsfeld, a municipality in the Eichsfeld district, Thuringia*Effelder-Rauenstein, a municipality in the Sonneberg district, Thuringia...
, Eichenbühl
Eichenbühl
Eichenbühl is a community in the Miltenberg district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany.- Constituent communities :...
, Eichsfeld
Eichsfeld
The Eichsfeld is a historical region in the southeast of Lower Saxony and northwest of Thuringia in the south of the Harz mountains...
, Elsenfeld
Elsenfeld
Elsenfeld is a market community in the Miltenberg district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany.-Location:Elsenfeld lies in the Bavarian Lower Main Region on the Main’s right bank...
, Eltville
Eltville
Eltville am Rhein is a town in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany. It is located on the German Half-Timbered House Road ....
(ehemalige Residenz), Ortsteil Ershausen der Gemeinde Schimberg
Schimberg
Schimberg is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.-References:...
, Faulbach
Faulbach
Faulbach is a community in the Miltenberg district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany.- Location :Faulbach lies in the Bavarian Lower Main Region....
, Frammersbach
Frammersbach
Frammersbach is a market community in the Main-Spessart district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany.- Location :...
, Frankfurt-Griesheim, Frankfurt-Höchst, Frankfurt-Nied, Freienhagen (Eichsfeld)
Freienhagen (Eichsfeld)
Freienhagen is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld, in the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft Hanstein-Rusteberg in Germany....
, Fritzlar
Fritzlar
Fritzlar is a small German town in the Schwalm-Eder district in northern Hesse, north of Frankfurt, with a storied history. It can reasonably be argued that the town is the site where the Christianization of northern Germany began and the birthplace of the German empire as a political entity.The...
, site of an important cathedral chapter, Gau-Algesheim
Gau-Algesheim
Gau-Algesheim is a town in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde of Gau-Algesheim, a kind of collective municipality.- Location :...
, Geisenheim
Geisenheim
Geisenheim is a town in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hessen, Germany, and is known as Weinstadt , Schulstadt , Domstadt and Lindenstadt ....
, Samtgemeinde Gieboldehausen, Gieboldehausen
Gieboldehausen
Gieboldehausen is a municipality in the district of Göttingen, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Rhume, approx. 25 km northeast of Göttingen, and 15 km south of Osterode am Harz. It is part of the Eichsfeld....
, Goldbach (Unterfranken), Großbartloff
Großbartloff
Großbartloff is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany....
, Großheubach
Großheubach
Großheubach is a market community in the Miltenberg district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany.- Location :...
, Großvargula
Großvargula
Großvargula is a municipality in the Unstrut-Hainich district of Thuringia, Germany....
, Gumbsheim
Gumbsheim
Gumbsheim is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
, Haibach (Unterfranken), Hanau-Steinheim, Hausen (bei Aschaffenburg), Heilbad Heiligenstadt
Heilbad Heiligenstadt
Heilbad Heiligenstadt is a spa town in Thuringia, Germany. It is the capital of the Eichsfeld district.-Geography:Heiligenstadt is approximately 14 km east of the tripoint where the states of Thuringia, Hesse and Lower Saxony meet...
, Heppenheim (Bergstraße), Hergenfeld
Hergenfeld
Hergenfeld is a municipality in the district of Bad Kreuznach in Rhineland-Palatinate, in western Germany....
, Heyerode
Heyerode
Heyerode is a municipality in the Unstrut-Hainich district of Thuringia, Germany....
, Hofgeismar
Hofgeismar
Hofgeismar is a town in the district of Kassel, in northern Hesse, Germany. It is located 25 km north of Kassel on the German Framework Road.-External links:*...
, Hofheim am Taunus, Holungen
Holungen
Holungen is a Thuringian municipality in the Eichsfeld in Germany. It lies approximately from the university town of Göttingen. With a population of around 1,000, it is one of the medium-sized municipalities in the district.-Coat of arms:...
(Landkreis Eichsfeld), Hundeshagen
Hundeshagen
Hundeshagen is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.-External links:*...
, Johannesberg (Bayern), Jützenbach
Jützenbach
Jützenbach is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany....
, Kahl am Main
Kahl am Main
Kahl am Main is a community in the Aschaffenburg district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany.- Location :...
, Kelkheim (Taunus), Kelkheim-Münster, Kella
Kella
Kella is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany....
, Kirchgandern
Kirchgandern
Kirchgandern is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany, in the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft Haustein-Rusteberg.Kirchgandern was first mentioned in documentary in 1118....
, Kirchheim (Thüringen), Kirchzell
Kirchzell
Kirchzell is a market community in the Miltenberg district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany.- Location :...
(Landkreis Miltenberg), Kleinostheim
Kleinostheim
Kleinostheim is a community in the Aschaffenburg district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany.-Location:...
, Kleinwallstadt
Kleinwallstadt
- History :Kleinwallstadt was already settled quite early on. Archaeological finds from Hallstatt times bear witness to the prehistoric settlers. At a find in 1980, not only were some female skeletal remains unearthed, but also some lovely grave goods from Alamannic times .In Kleinwallstadt, then...
, Klingenberg am Main
Klingenberg am Main
Klingenberg am Main is a town in the Miltenberg district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany.- Location :...
, Krautheim (Landkreis Hohenlohe), Kreuzebra
Kreuzebra
Kreuzebra is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany....
, Langenthal (Hunsrück), Leidersbach
Leidersbach
Leidersbach is a community in the Miltenberg district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany.- Neighbouring communities :* Hausen* Heimbuchenthal* Sulzbach am Main- Constituent communities :...
, Verwaltungsgemeinschaft Lindenberg/Eichsfeld, Lorch (Rheingau)
Lorch (Rheingau)
Lorch am Rhein is a small town in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany. It belongs to the Rhine Gorge World Heritage Site.- Location :The town is characterized by winegrowing and tourism....
, Mainaschaff
Mainaschaff
Mainaschaff is a community in the Aschaffenburg district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany.-Location:...
, Marth
Marth
Marth is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany, in the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft Haustein-Rusteberg. People live here.-External links:**...
, Miltenberg
Miltenberg
Miltenberg is the seat of the like-named district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany.- Location :...
, Mömbris
Mömbris
Mömbris is a community – since 31 January 1964 a market community – in the Aschaffenburg district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany. Mömbris is the district’s fifth biggest community and comprises all together 18 centres in an area of 35.92 km². The greater share ...
, Mönchberg
Mönchberg
Mönchberg is a market community in the Miltenberg district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany, the of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft of Mönchberg and a state-recognized open-air resort .- Location :Mönchberg lies in the Bavarian part of the Spessart , 13 km from the...
, Monzingen
Monzingen
Monzingen is a municipality in the district of Bad Kreuznach in Rhineland-Palatinate, in western Germany.Founded over 1200 years ago the village contains a number of historic buildings .-References:...
, Mühlberg (Thüringen), Naumburg/Hessen, Neudenau
Neudenau
Neudenau is a town in the district of Heilbronn, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated on the river Jagst, 17 km north of Heilbronn....
(with eight spokes), the former Gemeinde Herbolzheim, since 1973 Herbolzheim, part of the city of Neudenau
Neudenau
Neudenau is a town in the district of Heilbronn, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated on the river Jagst, 17 km north of Heilbronn....
, Neunkirchen (Unterfranken), Neustadt (Eichsfeld)
Neustadt (Eichsfeld)
Neustadt is a village and a former municipality in the Eichsfeld district, in Thuringia, Germany. Since 1 December 2010, it is part of the municipality Am Ohmberg....
, Niedernberg
Niedernberg
Niedernberg is a municipality in the Miltenberg district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany.- Location :...
(Landkreis Miltenberg), Niederwalluf, Nöda
Nöda
Nöda is a municipality in the Sömmerda district of Thuringia, Germany....
, Obergriesheim, Oberlahnstein
Oberlahnstein
Oberlahnstein is a part of the city of Lahnstein in Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany. It lies on the right bank of the Rhine, at the confluence of the Lahn 4 m. above Koblenz, on the Right Rhine railway from Cologne to Frankfurt-on-Main...
, Ober-Mörlen
Ober-Mörlen
Ober-Mörlen is a municipality in the Wetteraukreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is located approx. 29 kilometers north of Frankfurt am Main.- References :...
, Oberursel
Oberursel
Oberursel is a town in Germany. It is located to the north west of Frankfurt, and is the second largest town in the county of Hochtaunuskreis and the 14th largest town in Hessen.-Extent of municipal area:...
, Pleitersheim
Pleitersheim
Pleitersheim is a municipality in the district of Bad Kreuznach in Rhineland-Palatinate, in western Germany....
, Rauenthal, Ravenstein
Ravenstein
-Places:*Ravenstein, Germany in the district Neckar-Odenwald, Baden-Württemberg*Ravenstein, Netherlands in Oss, North Brabant-People:*Johann von Ravenstein a Lieutenant in World War I and Lieutenant general in the Wehrmacht during World War II...
, Reinholterode
Reinholterode
Reinholterode is a municipality in the district of Eichsfeld, Thuringia, Germany....
, Rieneck
Rieneck
Rieneck is a town in the Main-Spessart district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany.- Location :...
, Rodgau
Rodgau
Rodgau is a town in the Offenbach district in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hessen, Germany. It lies southeast of Frankfurt am Main in the Frankfurt Rhine Main Region and has the greatest population of any municipality in the Offenbach district...
, Rohrberg (Eichsfeld)
Rohrberg (Eichsfeld)
Rohrberg is a municipality in the Eichsfeld, in the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft Hanstein-Rusteberg, in Thuringia, Germany.The first known mention of the community was in 1055. However, it was deserted in the fifteenth century, only to be re-established starting around 1500. Since 1990, it has...
, Röllbach
Röllbach
Röllbach is a municipality in the Miltenberg district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany and a member of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft of Mönchberg.- Location :...
, Rothenbuch
Rothenbuch
Rothenbuch is a community in the Aschaffenburg district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany.-Location:...
, Sailauf
Sailauf
Sailauf is a community in the Aschaffenburg district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany.-Location:...
, Schloßböckelheim
Schloßböckelheim
Schloßböckelheim is a municipality in the district of Bad Kreuznach in Rhineland-Palatinate, in western Germany....
, Schöllkrippen
Schöllkrippen
Schöllkrippen is a market community in the Aschaffenburg district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany and seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft of Schöllkrippen.-Location:...
, Schöneberg (Hunsrück), Seesbach
Seesbach
Seesbach is a municipality in the district of Bad Kreuznach in Rhineland-Palatinate, in western Germany....
, Seligenstadt
Seligenstadt
Seligenstadt is a town in the Offenbach district in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany. Seligenstadt is one of Germany’s oldest towns and was already of great importance in Carolingian times.-Location:...
, Sömmerda
Sömmerda
Sömmerda is a town near Erfurt in Thuringia, Germany, on the Unstrut river. It is the capital of the district of Sömmerda.-History:Archeological digs in the area that is now Sömmerda, formerly Leubingen, have uncovered prominently buried human remains dating to around 2000 BCE...
, Sulzbach am Main
Sulzbach am Main
Sulzbach am Main is a market municipality in the Miltenberg district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany.- Location :...
(Landkreis Miltenberg), Treffurt
Treffurt
Treffurt is a town in the Wartburgkreis district, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated on the river Werra, 19 km northwest of Eisenach, and 18 km southwest of Mühlhausen in the Naturpark Eichsfeld-Hainich-Werratal nature park. Treffurt is well known for its old beautiful villas and...
, Uder
Uder
Uder is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany....
, Viernheim
Viernheim
Viernheim is a midsize industrial town on Mannheim’s outskirts and is found in the Rhine Neckar agglomeration and economic area. It is the second biggest town in Bergstraße district in Hesse, Germany...
, Waldaschaff
Waldaschaff
Waldaschaff is a community in the Aschaffenburg district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany.-Location:...
, Walldürn
Walldürn
Walldürn is a town in the Neckar-Odenwald district, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated 23 km southwest of Wertheim.Walldürn Basilica:...
, Weibersbrunn
Weibersbrunn
Weibersbrunn is a community in the Aschaffenburg district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany.-Location:The community lies in the Bavarian Lower Main ....
, Weilbach (Bayern), Weißenborn-Lüderode
Weißenborn-Lüderode
Weißenborn-Lüderode is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany....
, Wiesen (Unterfranken), Wittighausen
Wittighausen
Wittighausen is a municipality in the district of Main-Tauber in northeast Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The municipality has population of 1,731...
, Worbis in Leinefelde-Worbis
Leinefelde-Worbis
“”Leinefelde-Worbis is a town in the district of Eichsfeld, in northwestern Thuringia, Germany. The town was formed on March 16, 2004, from the former independent towns Leinefelde and Worbis along with the municipalities of Breitenbach and Wintzingerode...
, and Wüstheuterode
Wüstheuterode
Wüstheuterode is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany....
.
It also occurs in the coats of arms of the following Kreise (districts)
- Hohenlohekreis
- Landkreis Aschaffenburg
- the former Landkreis Buchen (merged with Neckar-Odenwald-Kreis in 1973)
- Landkreis Darmstadt-Dieburg
- Landkreis Eichsfeld
- Landkreis Göttingen
- the former Landkreis Künzelsau (merged with Hohenlohekreis in 1973)
- Landkreis Lohr
- Landkreis Main-Spessart
- Landkreis Mainz-Bingen
- Landkreis Miltenberg
- the former Landkreis Mosbach (merged with Neckar-Odenwald-Kreis in 1973)
- Landkreis Offenbach
- Landkreis Sömmerda
- the former Landkreis Tauberbischofsheim (merged with Main-Tauber-Kreis in 1973)
- Landkreis Weimarer Land
- Main-Tauber-Kreis
- Main-Taunus-KreisMain-Taunus-KreisMain-Taunus is a Kreis in the middle of Hesse, Germany and is part of the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region as well as the Frankfurt urban area...
- Neckar-Odenwald-KreisNeckar-Odenwald-KreisNeckar-Odenwald-Kreis is a district in the north of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Neighboring districts are Main-Tauber-Kreis, Hohenlohe, Heilbronn, Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, Odenwaldkreis Hesse and Landkreis Miltenberg Bavaria...
- Rheingau-Taunus-KreisRheingau-Taunus-KreisRheingau-Taunus is a Kreis in the west of Hesse, Germany. Neighboring districts are Limburg-Weilburg, Hochtaunuskreis, Main-Taunus, district-free Wiesbaden, Mainz-Bingen, Rhein-Lahn.-Geography:...
- Unstrut-Hainich-Kreis
It also features in the arms of Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has an area of and about four million inhabitants. The capital is Mainz. English speakers also commonly refer to the state by its German name, Rheinland-Pfalz ....
itself.
German municipal arms with wheels which have no connection to Mainz
- DonnersbergkreisDonnersbergkreisThe Donnersbergkreis is a district in the middle of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Neighboring districts are Bad Kreuznach, Alzey-Worms, Bad Dürkheim, Kaiserslautern, Kusel.-History:...
: The two wheels come from the earlier arms of KirchheimbolandenKirchheimbolandenKirchheimbolanden, the capital of Donnersbergkreis, is a town in Rhineland-Palatinate, south-western Germany. It is situated approx. 25 km west of Worms, and 30 km north-east of Kaiserslautern. The first part of the name, Kirchheim, dates back to 774. It became a town in 1368, and the...
and RockenhausenRockenhausenRockenhausen is a municipality in the Donnersbergkreis, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the river Alsenz, approx. 30 km north of Kaiserslautern....
. The red wheel represented the line of BolandenBolandenBolanden is a municipality in the Donnersbergkreis district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany....
, the blue represented the line of HohenfelsHohenfelsHohenfels is a municipality in the district of Konstanz in Baden-Württemberg in Germany....
. - OsnabrückOsnabrückOsnabrück is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, some 80 km NNE of Dortmund, 45 km NE of Münster, and some 100 km due west of Hanover. It lies in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest...
: this city's arms have a black, or sometimes red, wheel of six spokes on a silver field. The flag is white with black border stripes. A wheel is known as a device on coins of the Archdiocese of Osnabrück and appears in seals of as early as the 13th century, although during the course of time it was altered many times, the originally red wheel having become black by 1496. Later the red colour was re-adopted, but the black tincture has won out. In the 13th century Saint Peter was portrayed next to the wheel, as patron of the cathedral. - The coat of arms of Störmede includes two red five-spoked cartwheels and two red five-petalled roses in the quarters of the black cross of the Archbishops and Electors of CologneCologneCologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
(Kurköln). The rose represents the noble family which had its ancestral home in Störmede since 1233 (compare the coat of arms of the von Lippe family). After Albert von Störmede bequeathed his fief to his son-in-law Friedrich von Hörde, the cartwheel of the von Hördes was added to the roses. - GesekeGesekeGeseke is a town in the district of Soest, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:It is situated approx. 12 km south-east of Lippstadt and 20 km south-west of Paderborn.- Neighbouring municipalities:* Büren* Erwitte* Lippstadt...
: the current coat of arms was adopted on 17 August 1977, replacing the silver cross which had been adopted on 16 November 1902. The silver cross had appeared on seals as early as the late Middle Ages, the earliest example dating from 1237. It is related to the arms of the Archbishopric of Cologne, a black cross on silver. The cross was first used as a coat of arms officially around 1700. The wheel of Störmede was added to the coat of arms after a reform of districts united Störmede with Geseke.
External links
- Entwicklung des Erfurter Wappens, Abschnitt über das Mainzer Rad (Arms of Erfurt, with a section on the Wheel of Mainz)
- Die Gebrüder Grimm: Das Rad im Mainzer Wappen (The Brothers Grimm: the wheel in the arms of Mainz)
- The various explanations concerning the origins of the Wheel of Mainz are available as a PDF from the Rhineland-Palatinate Landeszentrale für politische Bildung at here
- Mainz aus heraldischer Sicht - Wappen in Mainz (by Dr. B. Peter) (Mainz seen heraldically: arms in Mainz)