Last modified: 2022-11-19 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: meiszen | lion(black) | tower |
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It is a black-yellow-red vertical tricolour. The coat of arms is shifted towards the top.
Source: this online catalogue
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 13 Nov 2022
It was a black yellow vertical bicolour. The coat of arms was shifted towards the top.
Source: this online catalogue
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 14 Nov 2022
Shield Or a lion rampant Sable armed and tongued Gules supporting an embattled tower Gules with pyramidal broach roof at dexter by his forepaws.
Meaning:
In 929 the German King Heinrich I built a fortress called Misni on top of a local mount, shortly after he had conquered the Daleminze Shire, inhabited by Slavic tribes. In 968 the Bishopric of Meißen was established, which expended between the rivers Mulde and Oder. Its seat was located in the neighborhood of the fortress. The existence of a margrave as royal commissionaire is proven since 965. In 1068 also a burgrave of the fortress was introduced, which earlier had suffered from Bohemian and Polish assaults between 984 and 1041. Meißen was mentioned as a city in 1150, but it is not known, whether that had been an aggregation of settlements or the just one settlement, founded by the Staufen kin around the church dedicated to St. Mary. Shortly after 1205 it was ruled by the Margraves of Meißen, was called a town in 1320 and a city in 1332. A bit later a bridge crossing the Elbe River was built, which was made of stone. Due to the decline of the authorities in the Holy Roman Empire the margraves ascended to sovereigns and gained the title of electors together with the Duchy of Sachsen-Wittenberg. The margraves disempowered the bishops since 1400 and gained all rights of the burgraves in 1426, and had thus gained complete control. Due to the rise of Dresden the city lost its importance since 1485. The arms are based on local seals. The current pattern was first used on a city seal from 1518. Before the crest of the arms of the margraves had been used as seal, displaying the so called "Jew´s torso". The lion is that one of the margraves. The tower is a representation of one tower of the castle, used as court yard by the margraves.
Source: Bensing et alii 1984, pp.291-294
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 13 Nov 2022
The tricolour was adopted in 1989.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 13 Nov 2022
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