![[Chemnitz plain city flag]](../images/d/de-sx-ch0.gif)
Last modified: 2018-08-16 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: chemnitz | karl-marx-stadt | parted per pale | lion(black) | pale(blue) |
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3:5 image by Stefan Schwoon, 15 Feb 2001
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It is a horizontal blue over yellow bicolour. The plain bicolour is the official city flag according to source, probably to avoid confusion with the flag of Leipzig, but Gunnar Staack reported that nevertheless a flag with arms is predominantly was in use within the city.
Source: §4(3) of Hauptsatzung of Chemnitz City, version 16 July 2014, last updated on 7 March 2018
Stefan Schwoon,15 Feb 2001
![[Chemnitz city flag w/ CoA]](../images/d/de-sx-ch1.gif)
3:5 image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 14 Aug 2018
It is a horizontal blue over yellow bicolour with centred lesser arms.
Source: Gunnar Staack
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 14 Aug 2018
![[Karl-Marx-Stadt CoA]](../images/d/de-sx-chkms).jpg)
3:5 image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 14 Aug 2018
Shield parted per pale; at dexter Or two pales Azure; at sinister Or a lion rampant Sable, armed and tongued Gules.
Meaning:
The dexter half displays the arms of the Margraves of Landsberg, the sinister half those of the Margraves of Meißen, the Saxonian dukes of the Wettin kin were rulers in both territories. Since the 15th centrury the city used two complete escutcheons. The current pattern prevailed since the 18th century. In the greater arms the shield is topped by a crowned helmet, crested with two buffalo horns and 10 small banners, and flanked by plumes of Azure and Argent. The arms of Leipzig are the same but with quarters in opposite order.
Chemnitz had been named "Karl-Marx-Stadt" in 1953, in order to honour German communist philosopher Karl Marx, and renamed in 1990. The inhabitants had not been asked in 1953, but in 1990, when 70% voted for the old name. The city of Karl-Marx-Stadt basically used the lesser arms of Chemnitz as its proper arms, sometimes with a black inscription Karl-Marx-Stadt in a white rectangle fimbriated black on top of the shield (see image above). Sometimes the background of the Meißen quarter had been white instead of yellow. The Chemnitz arms, topped by a white inscription "FCK" on blue, were used by the local football club. Also there was a vertical triangular pennant with arms and colours blue and yellow, it appears that the city never had a proper flag. Photos from times of the DDR just show plain red vertical flags alternating with vertical DDR-flags in front of the city hall.
Sources: §4(2) of Hauptsatzung of Chemnitz City, version 16 July 2014, last updated on 7 March 2018, Ralf Hartemink's webpage and here
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 14 Aug 2018
back to Saxony county and municipal flags click here.
