Flag and coat of arms of the canton and the city of Geneva

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Coat of arms of the canton and the city of Geneva
Flag of the canton and the city of Geneva
Geneva coat of arms with motto
Logo of the canton of Geneva with motto

The flag and the coat of arms of the Canton and the City of Geneva show in the left half on yellow background with half a black eagle in red, crown, beak, tongue and mouth, and in the right half of a yellow keys on red background.

A yellow, rising sun with rays appears above the shield , with the monogram IHΣ and a flat omega in the sun.

The motto is “ Post tenebras lux ” ( German for  light after darkness ). It is usually placed under the shield.

The flag and coat of arms of the city of Geneva are identical to those of the republic and canton of Geneva (until 1842 there was no political difference between these two units).

Blazon

The blazon of the coat of arms reads:

« Split, in front in gold a red crowned, tongued and armored black half eagle at the split; behind in red a golden key with quatrefoil and with a straight dew cross incision in the left-turned beard. »

On the shield there is half a golden sun with alternating straight and flamed rays and the letters "IH« " in gold on the face . About the shield a golden ribbon with the words in black capital letters , "POST TENEBRAS LUX" .

The official blazon in French is:

« Ecu: Parti, au 1 d'or, à la demi-aigle éployée de sable, mouvant du trait du parti, couronnée, becquée, languée, membrée et armée de gueules; au deuxième de gueules, à la clef d'or en pal, contournée. Cimier: soleil d'or, figuré naissant, portant en coeur le trigramme de sable ΙΗΣ. »

Meaning and history

Geneva authorities with state women in red and yellow colors
Geneva and Swiss flags on the Geneva Cathedral

The flag and the coat of arms combine the symbols of the Holy Roman Empire (the imperial eagle ) and the prince-bishop (the Peter key from the coat of arms of the cathedral chapter of St. Peter ). Geneva had been part of the Holy Roman Empire since the 11th century and was ruled as an imperial city by the Bishop of Geneva . This gradually granted the citizens of Geneva various freedoms.

The “eagle and key” motif dates from the 15th century. The sun with the monogram IHΣ was added to the coat of arms in the 16th century. At that time a round sun was shown. Only since the 19th century has the shield been crowned with half a sun.

In the 15th century there was already the motto “Post tenebras spero lucem” ( German,  after the darkness, I hope for the light ). This is a biblical quotation from the Vulgate ( Job 17:12  VUL ), which can mean "After the hardship I hope for better times". The current shorter motto - «Post tenebras lux»  - comes from the middle of the 16th century, shortly after the Reformation in Geneva in 1536. It is usually interpreted as: «after the darkness of Catholicism, the new knowledge (thanks to the Reformation)".

The old Geneva colors used for heralds and other decorations were gray and black. Then in the 17th century the colors were black and purple, and since the 18th century they have been yellow and red like the flag.

literature

  • Catherine Santschi: Histoire et évolution des armoiries de Genève. Victor Chevalier, Genève 1987.
  • Louis Mühlemann: coat of arms and flags of Switzerland. 3. Edition. Bühler-Verlag, Lengnau 1991, ISBN 3-9520071-1-0 .

Web links