Swedish heraldry
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Swedish heraldry belongs culturally to German heraldic tradition. Finnish heraldry has common past with Swedish heraldry until 1809.
Heraldry in Sweden is used very extensively by corporations and individuals. There are 290 municipalities in Sweden. Each has its own coat of arms. The reform of municipalities was made in the 1970s, whereby all cities were made part of a municipality, and the city arms would often -- but not always -- become the coat of arms for the municipality. In Sweden, all municipalities that once had city rights can, if they choose, have a crown on top of their coat of arms.
See municipalities of Sweden for the history behind the municipal reform.
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[edit] Overview
Most cities were formally granted their current coat of arms in 1974. Some municipalities based their arms on its previous city arms, while others designed wholly new arms. As some municipalities were at that time created by merging smalled communities, it led to city arms consisting of two parts, each derived from one of the communities. Some new municipalities also lacked a historical background or lacked any proper cities within, and created wholly new coat of arms.
[edit] Private Heraldry
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[edit] Samples
- Samples can be found on Category:Coats of arms of Sweden
[edit] List of cities
- Köping http://www.koping.se/kopingtemplates/Page.aspx?id=484
- Landskrona is unique as it officially has shield holders and a crown as part of the arms itself.
- Landskrona city arms was granted the city shortly after Skåne had been conquered by Sweden, and displays some unique details. No other city arms has shield holders and the crown that is on top of the shield is nowhere else to be found, but its contents is described in the blazon. Since Landskrona was a city, the municipality has, in theory, the option to crown the shield with a wall crown, but this is never done as Landskrona has its very own crown. sv:Landskrona kommunvapen
- Växjö shows Saint Sigfrid, a national saint. According to legend, he and the early Christian church in Sweden were attacked by heathens. Sigfrid managed to get to Växjö, were he died, and was buried in the cathedral. In the arms, he wears a traditional Catholic bishop equipment, and beneath him is some water. The meaning of the water is unclear, but it may refer to the spring which according to legends always sprung forth where a saint died. [1]
- Piteå Many municipalities have a reindeer on their arms. This is derived from the coat of arms of Västerbotten. The city arms of Piteå traces its history to 1624.
- Gotland has incorporated the city arms of Visby. It shows an Agnus Dei, the symbol of Saint John. It can be attested as far back as 1340.
- Kristianstad shows the insignia of the Danish Monarch Christian IV of Denmark.
- Östra Göinge The city arms depicts two palm trees crossing each other, a traditional symbol of peace and unity. It came into use after the treaty of Roskilde.
- Sundsvall uses a symbol in all official documents and on its website. It also has a city arms, with a history back to 1624, symbolizing its military history.
- Strömsund has no historical city arms, but its symbol was registered with the municipal reform in the 1970s and is regarded as one, looking like a traditional city arms.
[edit] Resources
- International Civic Heraldry
- Sometimes info can be found on the webpage of the city, often only in Swedish though, and hidden somewhere on a remote link.
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