Municipal coat of arms (Switzerland)

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Municipal coats of arms represent a municipality through a coat of arms .

They have a long tradition in Switzerland - but not in every case: While individual coats of arms date back to the 12th century, others were not created until the 20th century.

The municipal coats of arms received a particular boost at the Swiss National Exhibition of 1939 in Zurich. During the planning phase, the "Höhenweg" (the "Fähnlistrasse") adorned with the Swiss municipal flags embarrassed some municipalities - at that time they did not yet have an official municipal coat of arms. Numerous coats of arms were created during this time. All Swiss municipal flags were also displayed on the "flag tower" at Expo 1964 in Lausanne. Switzerland has a rich treasure trove of coats of arms of its communities , almost always designed according to the heraldic rules.

In many cantons, the municipal coats of arms are now protected by cantonal laws.

The coats of arms become an issue as symbols of local identity, especially in the case of community mergers. The often very emotional discussion about the possible abandonment of a coat of arms in favor of a new one or that of the neighboring community is one of the so-called soft factors that can even cause a community merger to fail in certain cases.

Figures and directories

For links see under web links .

There are printed registers of municipal coats of arms for numerous cantons, and the municipal coats of arms can also be found increasingly on cantonal websites or, individually, on the website of the respective municipality.

  • AG
    • Galliker, Joseph Melchior, municipality coat of arms of the canton of Aargau: municipality and district coat of arms, coat of arms of the canton of Aargau. Buchs, Lehrmittelverlag des Kantons Aargau, 2004. 344 pp. Published for the anniversary "200 years of Canton Aargau" 1803-2003. ( ISBN 3-906738-07-8 )
    • Schibli, Max, The municipal coats of arms of the canton of Aargau: with coats of arms descriptions and information about the first written mention of the place, dialectic naming and old civil families, canton coats of arms, coats of arms of the historical regions. Buchs, Lehrmittelverlag des Kantons Aargau, 1995. 63 pp.
    • Information from the State Archives , especially registers of coats of arms with blazons
  • AR
    • Signer, Jakob, The coats of arms of the communities in the canton of Appenzell A.Rh .; with a coat of arms by R. Münger. - Zurich, 1916. SA from: Switzerland. Archives for Heraldry, 1916, No. 2 and 3
  • BE
    • Book of coat of arms of the canton of Bern: the Bern state coat of arms as well as the coats of arms of the administrative districts and municipalities / on behalf of the Bern government council ed. from the management of the municipalities; edit from the Bern State Archives with the assistance of Hans Jenni = Armorial du canton de Berne: les armoiries de l'Etat de Berne, des districts et des communes publié par la Direction des affaires communales sur mandat du Conseil-exécutif du canton de Berne; élaboré par les Archives de l'Etat de Berne avec la collaboration de Hans Jenni. - Bern: Staatlicher Lehrmittelverl., 1981. - 222 pp. Published on the anniversary of "150 years of the Bernese constitution of 1831". ( ISBN 3-292-16100-2 )
  • BL
    • Galliker, Joseph Melchior, The municipal arms of the canton of Basel-Landschaft. In: Swiss coat of arms and flags, No. 7, Zug / Luzern 2004, pp. 46–67.
    • The municipal coats of arms of the Canton of Baselland: on behalf of the Commission for the Preservation of Antiquities of the Canton of Baselland and in conjunction with several employees ed. by Paul Suter. Liestal, Cantonal School and Office Material Management, 1984. 179 pp. (Sources and research on the history and regional studies of the Canton of Baselland; Vol. 1) ISBN 3-85673-206
    • Borer-Hueber, Christina, The municipal coat of arms of the district of Laufen (Canton Basel-Landschaft). [Liestal], Verlag des Kantons Basel-Landschaft, 1999. 47 pp. ( ISBN 3-85673-259-4 )
    • Government council resolution regarding the coats of arms of the Basel landscape communities
  • BS
    • Galliker, Joseph Melchior, The municipal coat of arms of the canton of Basel-Stadt. In: Schweizer Wappen und Fahnen, Issue 7, Zug / Luzern 2004, pp. 44–45.
    • The communities of both Basel and their coats of arms. Chapelle-sur-Moudon: Ed. Ketty & Alexandre, cop. 1989. - 167 pp. ( ISBN 2-88114-009-2 )
  • FR
    • armorial illustré des communes fribourgeoises = illustrated book of coats of arms of the Freiburg municipalities / [Hrsg.:Freiburger Verkehrsverband]. Chapelle-sur-Moudon: Ketty et Alexandre, cop. 1981. - 184 pp.
  • GE
    • Les communes genevoises et leurs armoiries. Chapelle-sur-Moudon: Ed. Ketty & Alexandre, 1986. - 143 pp. ( ISBN 2-88114-005-X )
  • GL
    • Galliker, Joseph Melchior, The municipal coat of arms of the Canton of Glarus. In: Schweizer Wappen und Fahnen, No. 5, Zug / Luzern 1999, pp. 44–51.
  • GR
    • Book of arms of the canton of Graubünden for the 150th anniversary of Graubünden's accession to the Swiss Confederation. by the Graubünden Coat of Arms Commission on behalf of the Grand Council and the government. Chur: Graubünden registry office, 1982.
  • LU:
    • The municipal coats of arms can be found electronically on the corresponding pages of the Lucerne State Archives .
    • Galliker, Joseph Melchior, The municipal coat of arms of the Canton of Lucerne. In: Schweizer Wappen und Fahnen, No. 6, Zug / Luzern 2001, pp. 22–47.
  • NE
    • Les communes neuchâteloises et leurs armoiries, Ketty & Alexandre, Chapelle-sur-Moudon.
  • NW
    • Galliker, Joseph Melchior, The municipal coat of arms of the canton of Nidwalden. In: Schweizer Wappen und Fahnen, No. 5, Zug / Luzern 1999, pp. 36–39.
    • Original Switzerland and its coats of arms: the communities of Uri, Schwyz, Obwalden and Nidwalden. Chapelle-sur-Moudon: Ed. Ketty & Alexandre, cop. 1990. - 167 pp. ( ISBN 2-88114-011-4 )
  • OW
    • The coats of arms of the seven municipalities of Obwalden are officially published by the State Chancellery of the Canton of Obwalden at http://www.ow.ch/dl.php/de/20050713144909/Gemeindewappen.pdf .
    • Galliker, Joseph Melchior, The municipal coat of arms of the canton of Obwalden. In: Schweizer Wappen und Fahnen, No. 5, Zug / Luzern 1999, pp. 32–35.
    • Original Switzerland and its coats of arms: the communities of Uri, Schwyz, Obwalden and Nidwalden. Chapelle-sur-Moudon: Ed. Ketty & Alexandre, cop. 1990. - 167 pp. ( ISBN 2-88114-011-4 )
  • SG
    • St. Gallen Wappenbuch: the national coat of arms and the coats of arms of the political communities. Published by the Department of the Interior of the Canton of St. Gallen. St. Gallen, bookstore. am Rösslitor [in Komm.], 1991. - 127 pp.
  • SO
    • The coats of arms of the districts and communities of the canton of Solothurn
    • Galliker, Joseph Melchior, The municipal coat of arms of the canton of Solothurn. In: Schweizer Wappen und Fahnen, Issue 7, Zug / Luzern 2004, pp. 12–43.
  • SZ
    • There is a directory on the State Archives website
    • Galliker, Joseph Melchior, The municipal coat of arms of the canton Schwyz. In: Schweizer Wappen und Fahnen, Issue 5, Zug / Luzern 1999, pp. 22–31.
    • Original Switzerland and its coats of arms: the communities of Uri, Schwyz, Obwalden and Nidwalden. Chapelle-sur-Moudon: Publ. Ketty & Alexandre, 1990. - 167 pp. ( ISBN 2-88114-011-4 )
  • TG
    • Mühlemann, Louis, The Thurgau communities and their coats of arms. Chapelle-sur-Moudon: Ed. Ketty & Alexandre, cop. 1988. - 263 pages ( ISBN 2-88114-007-6 )
    • Hans Rüegg, The Heraldic Effects of Community Reorganization in the Canton of Thurgau. In: Swiss archive for heraldry. 2001/1 ( ISSN  1423-0534 )
  • TI
    • Cambin, Gastone, Armoriale dei comuni ticinesi. Lugano: Edizione Istituto Araldico e Genealogico; 1953.
  • UR
    • A directory can be found on the portal http://www.top-of-uri.ch/
    • Galliker, Joseph Melchior, The municipal coat of arms of the canton Uri. In: Schweizer Wappen und Fahnen, Issue 5, Zug / Luzern 1999, pp. 16–21.
    • Original Switzerland and its coats of arms: the communities of Uri, Schwyz, Obwalden and Nidwalden. Chapelle-sur-Moudon: Publ. Ketty & Alexandre, 1990. - 167 pp. ( ISBN 2-88114-011-4 )
  • VD
    • Les communes vaudoises et leurs armoiries. Chapelle-sur-Moudon: Ed. Ketty & Alexandre, 1991-1995. - 3 vol.
  • VS
    • The Valais municipalities and their coats of arms. Chapelle-sur-Moudon: Ed. Ketty & Alexandre, 1985. - 167 pp. ( ISBN 2-88114-004-1 )
  • ZG
    • Galliker, Joseph Melchior, The municipal coat of arms of the canton of Zug. In: Schweizer Wappen und Fahnen, No. 5, Zug / Luzern 1999, pp. 40–43.
    • Iten, Albert, Book of Arms of the Canton of Zug Heraldry and Family History. Zug: Kalt-Zehnder; 1974.
  • ZH (see Zurich municipal coat of arms )
    • z. B. in the community portraits of the Office for Statistics
    • Ziegler, Peter, The municipal coat of arms of the Canton of Zurich, Zurich 1977. Published by the Antiquarian Society in Zurich.

Images (commercial)

In various places, municipal coats of arms are also offered in better electronic quality (vectorised), but such offers are usually chargeable:

Web links

General literature