Coat of arms of Bavaria

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Coat of arms of Bavaria
Versions

Lesser coat of arms of Bavaria
Details
Armiger Free State of Bavaria
Adopted 5 June 1950
Escutcheon Quarterly: lion rampant Or, armed and langued gules; per fess dancetty, gules and argent; argent, a panther rampant azure, armed Or and langued gules; Or, three lions passant guardant sable, armed and langued gules
Supporters Two rampant lions Or
Bavarian herald Joerg Rugenn wearing a tabard of the arms around 1510
Bavarian herald Joerg Rugenn wearing a tabard of the arms around 1510

The coat of arms of the German state of Bavaria was introduced by law on 5 June 1950.

[edit] The meaning of the coat of arms

Modern coat of arms was designed by Eduard Ege, following heraldic traditions in 1946.

  • The Golden Lion: At the dexter chief, sable, a lion rampant Or, armed and langued gules. This represents the administrative region of Upper Palatinate.
  • The "Franconian Rake": At the sinister chief, per fess dancetty, gules and argent. This represents the administrative regions of Upper, Middle and Lower Franconia.
  • The Blue Panther: At the dexter base, argent, a panther rampant azure, armed Or and langued gules. This represents the regions of Lower and Upper Bavaria.
  • The Three Lions: At the sinister base, Or, three lions passant guardant sable, armed and langued gules. This represents Swabia.
  • The White-And-Blue Heart-Shaped Shield: The heart-shaped shield of white and blue fusils askance was originally the coat of arms of the Counts of Bogen, adopted in 1247 by the Wittelsbachs House. The white-and-blue fusils are indisputably the emblem of Bavaria and the heart-shaped shield today symbolizes Bavaria as a whole. Along with the People's Crown, it is officially used as the Minor Coat of Arms.
  • The People's Crown: The four coat fields with the heart-shaped shield in the centre are crowned with a golden band with precious stones decorated with five ornamental leaves. This crown appeared for the first time in the coat of arms in 1923 to symbolize sovereignty of the people after the dropping out of the royal crown.
Arms of the Bavarian electorate 1753:
Arms of the Kingdom of Bavaria 1807:
Arms of the Kingdom of Bavaria 1835:


[edit] See also