Coat of arms of North Rhine-Westphalia

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Coat of arms of North Rhine-Westphalia
Coat of arms of North Rhine-Westfalia.svg
Details
Authorized to use the coat of arms North Rhine-Westphalia :
State government, state parliament, state authorities and institutions of the state as well as the courts, universities and public schools, expert committees for property values, notaries, registrars, arbitrators, publicly appointed surveyors.
Introduced February 5, 1948, incorporated into law on March
10, 1953
Heraldic shield in a split shield in front in a green field a left slanting silver wave bar , behind in the red field a jumping silver steed and below in a curved silver tip a red rose with golden clusters and golden sepals

The coat of arms of North Rhine-Westphalia is the state and national coat of arms and, together with the flag, one of the national emblems of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia . Designed by the heraldist Wolfgang Pagenstecher in 1947 , it symbolizes the three parts of the state that made up North Rhine-Westphalia after the Second World War: the ( northern ) Rhineland , Westphalia and Lippe .

Description of coat of arms

The official description of the coat of arms reads:

"The state coat of arms shows a split shield in front in a green field with a left-slanting silver wave bar , behind in the red field a jumping silver horse and below in a curved silver tip a red rose with golden lugs and golden sepals."

Alternatively, the coat of arms can be described with:

"Split by green and red, in front a left-slanting silver wavy bar, behind an upright silver steed, in the base of the shield a curled silver tip, inside a red rose with golden lugs and golden sepals."

Meaning and history

The wavy bar on the heraldic right- hand side symbolizes the Rhine , the course was rotated against the cartographic course for aesthetic reasons. The Rhine stands for the Rhineland region . The province of North Rhine , which emerged from the Rhine province in 1945, used a green shield with a silver wave bar as its national emblem and dispensed with the Prussian eagle , which was placed as the head of the shield in the provincial coat of arms in March 1926 according to a design by the heraldist Wolfgang Pagenstecher of the provincial parliament of the Rhine province . Before 1926, the Rhine province was represented by the Prussian eagle with a green heart shield , on which the Rhine was symbolized by a silver wave bar running from right to left. This coat of arms goes to the 1817 of Friedrich Wilhelm III. the province of the Grand Duchy of Lower Rhine was given back the coat of arms, which was transferred to the Rhine province in 1822.

The heraldic animal on the left-hand side is the Sachsenross or the Westfalenross (with a raised tail). In the state coat of arms it stands for the part of Westphalia . Through stories and testimonies of folk art , it is reminiscent of Duke Widukind , the tribal duchy of Saxony and the Association of Nations of Saxony , who had lived in Westphalia since the 4th century. In the middle of the 15th century it appeared at about the same time on late medieval Kurkölner coins as a symbol of the Duchy of Westphalia and as a helmet ornament in the coat of arms of the Guelph Dukes of Braunschweig-Lüneburg , who at the beginning of modern times were regarded as the descendants of Duke Widukind and through the use of this symbol emphasized their claim to rule over Old Saxon territory ( coat of arms ). In the first half of the 19th century it appeared in the national coats of arms of the Kingdom of Westphalia and the Kingdom of Hanover . In 1881 it was awarded as the coat of arms of the province of Westphalia . In the coat of arms tradition of the Kingdom of Hanover, the Province of Hanover , the Free State of Braunschweig and the State of Lower Saxony also adopted this symbol.

The lower silver field with the curved tip represents the Lippe rose , the dynastic symbol of the House of Lippe , which appears in a bishop's seal of Bernhard IV of Paderborn from 1236. In the state coat of arms, the rose stands for the state of Lippe , which had to give up its independence as a free state after the Second World War and was incorporated into the state of North Rhine-Westphalia on January 21, 1947. In the state coat of arms of Lippe, as well as in most of the municipal coats of arms of Lippe , one of the five golden sepals points straight down. Compared to these depictions, the Lippe rose in the North Rhine-Westphalian coat of arms was rotated by 36 degrees so that one of the golden sepals is pointing straight up.

The state coat of arms was designed in 1947 by the Düsseldorf painter and heraldist Wolfgang Pagenstecher . On February 5, 1948, it was introduced in a revised form by government decree and enshrined in law on March 10, 1953 by § 2 of the law on the state colors, the state coat of arms and the state flag .

Before the state government under Rudolf Amelunxen and Karl Arnold took steps to introduce a state coat of arms, the Bonn flag factory Ferdinand Ditzen had been active on January 3, 1947 and had urged the state to introduce a state coat of arms and a state flag. Even then, the Ditzen company suggested green for the Rhineland, white for Lippe and red for Westphalia. In addition, she suggested a cross as a symbol, as "common in Germanic countries". But the flag factory was unsuccessful. However, the state government then announced a competition to design the state coat of arms, in which 1075 proposals were received, including many bizarre things. One of the proposals was to omit Lippe in the state coat of arms, "not because of the small size of the country, but because of the fact that Nazism first came to power in Lippe ". Since the state government was not satisfied with the proposed drafts, they quickly commissioned the heraldist Wolfgang Pagenstecher, whose draft ultimately met with general approval, but was to be examined further. Pagenstecher's design originally provided for two shield holders in the sense of a full coat of arms ("large national coat of arms") , a miner as a symbol of mining and a farmer as a symbol of agriculture.

On November 17, 1947, the Arnold I cabinet, on the basis of the present draft by Pagenstecher , spoke out in favor of the meeting of a "coat of arms commission", which soon met on December 4. The following experts belonged to it:

Large state seal of North Rhine-Westphalia (pattern for stamps or embossing stamps of the state government)

The state government concerned the commission in particular with the question “whether the previous connection between the three parts of the state could be carried out more happily”. Thereupon the commission voted unanimously in favor of some changes to Pagenstecher's draft: The Rhenish wave bar was placed diagonally to the left in the green field. The Westphalia horse was raised more steeply. The curved tip was made smaller so that the Lippe Rose just fit into it. The top line of the shield was curved so that the Westphalian steed had more space and effect in his field. The commission did not consider it necessary to present the sign holders designed by Pagenstecher. On December 23, 1947, the Arnold I cabinet decided to adopt the revised draft as a state coat of arms and as a symbol for the state seal .

Since at the end of the 1950s Prime Minister Franz Meyers saw the small, three-part coat of arms as a symbol of a division in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, he initiated the design of a large state coat of arms, which is composed of a larger selection of former territories and thus refers to the diversity and history of the state should. A “sign of historical symbolic content” was intended to “contribute to deepening awareness of the country ”. Three drafts emerged, of which the state government favored the first. This design, in which the coat of arms was held by two lions, represented Kurköln , the principalities of Münster , Paderborn and Minden , the duchies of Berg , Jülich , Kleve and Geldern and the counties of Mark and Ravensberg . The center of the coat of arms presented a heart shield made of three Coat of arms, those of the Rhine Province ( North Rhine Province ), the Westphalia Province and the State of Lippe. The design showed the coats of arms of the former imperial cities of Aachen , Cologne and Dortmund in a tire crown above the coat of arms . The attempt to legally introduce the Great State Coat of Arms failed in the parliamentary procedure in 1960 and was not taken up again. North Rhine-Westphalia did not accept a large national coat of arms. Thus the North Rhine-Westphalian state heraldry remained comparatively simple.

Coat of arms: "NRW coat of arms" (1984) and "North Rhine-Westphalia sign" (2009)

"NRW coat of arms" (1984) "North Rhine-Westphalia symbol" (2009)
"NRW coat of arms" (1984)
"North Rhine-Westphalia symbol" (2009)

Due to frequent requests, the country had a coat of arms designed in the 1980s that can be used freely by everyone. It contradicts heraldic rules and in particular does not correspond to the legally prescribed national emblem, the use of which is subject to approval and is generally only permitted to the authorities of the country. Interior Minister Herbert Schnoor introduced the coat of arms by a circular of February 17, 1984.

On October 1, 2009, Interior Minister Ingo Wolf introduced a new logo under the title "North Rhine-Westphalia Sign" , which is typologically designed like a graphic advertising logo and differs even more clearly than the previous coat of arms from the official national emblem, especially in its square shape . By circular he issued general approval for everyone to use the new symbol, but at the same time restricted it. The symbol must not be misused, for example in connection with content that is directed against the free and democratic basic order or the idea of ​​international understanding, which could damage the reputation or interests of the country or endanger public safety and order. In addition, it may not be used if in the respective context it can appear that it is being used in an official capacity.

Simplified coat of arms: "NRW Design" (1991) and "North Rhine-Westphalia Design" (2007)

On February 17, 1984, Minister of the Interior Herbert Schnoor had the ordinance on the use of the state coat of arms changed parallel to the introduction of the coat of arms , by allowing “public relations agencies in particular” to use the state coat of arms in a modified form. On September 10, 1991, the Rau IV cabinet approved the "NRW design" with a "modernized" coat of arms. The previously curved contours of the shield have been simplified and the representation of the wavy bar, the Westphalia horse and the Lippe rose have been changed.

Border shield with simplified state coat of arms in the "NRW design" (1991) Simplified coat of arms in the "North Rhine-Westphalia design" (2007)
Border shield with simplified state coat of arms in the "NRW design" (1991)
Simplified coat of arms in the "North Rhine-Westphalia design" (2007)

Since mid-June 2007, the state has used a new coat of arms in public relations (brochures, websites, etc.). Its presentation also differs greatly from the conventional official form due to its graphic design. The main features of this simplified coat of arms are the complete abandonment of the inner black contours and - by renouncing the curly shape again - a simplification of the coat of arms on a black and white framed semicircular shield. The shape and posture of the Westphalian horse in particular have been greatly modified so that it resembles the horse on the Ferrari trademark. The Lippe rose was rotated by 36 degrees so that its orientation deviates from the official form of the North Rhine-Westphalian state coat of arms, but is similar to the historical model in the coat of arms of the state of Lippe. At the same time, it was further simplified graphically and thus approximated the shape of a pril flower . It differs from the conventional official form in that the sepals and lugs prescribed in the blazon of the official coat of arms are abstract and shown in green instead of gold. The straightening, which the Rhine had last undergone by reducing the river bends in the "NRW Design" from 1991, was continued by dispensing with another river bend.

Since the official blazon of the state coat of arms, which has been legally established since 1953 , has not been changed accordingly, this simplified form of representation does not replace the state coat of arms. The well-known coat of arms remains the state coat of arms of North Rhine-Westphalia.

According to the state government, the total cost of introducing a “simplified” coat of arms for public relations was almost € 110,000 (€ 53,000 plus sample designs and conversion costs).

The modified form of the state coat of arms, which is officially called "North Rhine-Westphalia Design", was decided by the Rüttgers cabinet on March 27, 2007. In this decision, the state government wrote the new state coat of arms to the subordinate state authorities, state companies and the state's initiatives and societies for "public relations" as corporate design . The design went into effect on May 1, 2007. On the basis of the cabinet decision, “guidelines for the application of the North Rhine-Westphalia design” were issued which, in addition to the new coat of arms, also contain specifications for the use of a white background and the Benton Sans font . The entire correspondence, including inter-agency correspondence, is considered to be “ public relations ”, so that all letterheads from the state authorities bear the North Rhine-Westphalia design. As a result, the state authorities rarely use the official state coat of arms as a national emblem in their correspondence, even in acts of sovereignty .

See also

State coat of arms of North Rhine-Westphalia (1988), sculpture by Ferdinand Kriwet in the plenary hall of the state parliament building in North Rhine-Westphalia

literature

  • Rolf Nagel: The coat of arms of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia: Rhine, Roß and Rose . In: Düsseldorfer Jahrbuch . No. 57/58 (1980), pp. 498-510.
  • Rolf Nagel: A large state coat of arms for North Rhine-Westphalia? In: Swiss Heraldic Society (ed.): Archivium Heraldicum . Born in 1987, p. 50 f.
  • Rolf Nagel: Origin, shape and use of the coat of arms of North Rhine-Westphalia . In: History in the West . Year 1996, issue 1, pp. 35–47 ( PDF ).

Web links

Commons : Coats of arms of North Rhine-Westphalia  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Rudolf Breuer: North Rhine-Westphalia. Handbook on state-political cultural studies of the present . Gunter Olzog Verlag, Munich 1967, p. 30
  2. ↑ Rheinische Heimatblätter, 1926, No. 8, p. 339 ( digitized version )
  3. ^ The coat of arms of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia . In: North Rhine-Westphalia Yearbook 2010 . 11th year (2010), Walter de Gruyter, Munich 2009 ( Google Books )
  4. ↑ Max Bär : The administrative constitution of the Rhine Province since 1815 . (= Publications of the Society for Rhenish History, Volume 35), Hanstein, Bonn 1919, p. 610
  5. ^ Albert Krantz : Saxonia . Book 9, Chapter 19, Cologne 1520
  6. ^ Christian Weyers: Das Sachsenroß. Biography of a national emblem . In: Walter Koch , Theo Kölzer (Hrsg.): Archives for Diplomatics . Script history, seal and heraldry . 54 volume, Böhlau Verlag, Cologne 2008, p. 99 ff.
  7. ^ Leopold von Ledebur (ed.): Archive for German aristocratic history, genealogy, heraldry and shragistics. Quarterly publication, published by L. von Warnsdorff, Berlin 1863, 1st part, p. 164 ( Google Books )
  8. ^ Law on the state colors, the state coat of arms and the state flag of March 10, 1953
  9. ↑ Main State Archives Düsseldorf, NW 329/387: Ferdinand Ditzen flag factory to the North Rhine-Westphalian Ministry of the Interior of January 3, 1947 (correspondence including drawing)
  10. ^ Thomas Mergel: Statehood and national consciousness. Political symbols and state representation in Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia 1945 to 1975 . In: Thomas Schlemmer , Hans Woller (Ed.): Bavaria in the Bund . Volume 3: Politics and Culture in the Federal State: 1945 to 1973 . R. Oldenbourg Verlag, Munich 2004, ISBN 3-486-56596-6 , p. 304
  11. ^ Rolf Nagel: Origin, shape and use of the coat of arms of North Rhine-Westphalia . In: History in the West . Year 1996, issue 1, p. 37 f. ( PDF )
  12. ^ Ulrich von Alemann : North Rhine-Westphalia. A country looks ahead . Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 2016 ( Google Books )
  13. ↑ Rolf Nagel (1996), p. 42
  14. ↑ Rolf Nagel (1996), p. 43
  15. ↑ Circular decree of the Minister of the Interior of February 17, 1984, Ministerialblatt NW. 1984, p. 196
  16. ^ North Rhine-Westphalia symbol - circular of the Ministry of the Interior (12 - 34.02.02) of October 1, 2009 , PDF
  17. ^ Ordinance amending the ordinance on the use of the state coat of arms of February 17, 1984 , GV NW. 1984, p. 197
  18. ↑ State Press and Information Office North Rhine-Westphalia (ed.): Das NRW-Design , Düsseldorf o. D., No. I
  19. ↑ Rolf Nagel (1996), p. 46
  20. ^ State government of North Rhine-Westphalia / State Chancellery North Rhine-Westphalia: Guidelines on North Rhine-Westphalia design . Issue 08/2012, Düsseldorf 2012 ( PDF )