German states: coats of arms

Baden-Württemberg

The arms show three black lions on gold: the lions of the Hohenstaufen. In the greater version a stag (for Württemberg) and a griffin (for Baden) support the shield.

💡 Did you know? Six crowns above the shield stand for the historic territories that merged in 1952 into the only German state ever created by referendum.

Bavaria

The greater state arms combine five fields: the Palatine lion, the Franconian rake, the lion of the Palatine counts of Bavaria, Swabia's three black lions, and the white-and-blue lozenges at the centre.

💡 Did you know? The lozenges have been a Bavarian emblem since the 13th century; their number is not fixed, only the order of the colours.

Berlin

The arms show the Berlin bear in black on white, topped by a golden mural crown with five leaves marking the city.

💡 Did you know? The bear is probably a pun on the city's name: though linguistically »Berlin« likely derives from a Slavic word for swamp, not from the animal.

Brandenburg

The arms show the Red Eagle on white, with golden claws and beak and clover-stalk ornaments on its wings.

💡 Did you know? The red eagle is an old emblem of the March of Brandenburg and still appears in the arms of several neighbouring regions.

Bremen

Bremen's arms show a silver key on red: the key of Saint Peter, to whom Bremen Cathedral is dedicated.

💡 Did you know? The key appears all over the city: on manhole covers, flags, and even on local coffee and beer labels.

Hamburg

The arms show a white castle on red: three towers, the middle one crowned by a cross for the cathedral, the outer two each topped by a six-pointed star.

💡 Did you know? The castle recalls the Hammaburg, the settlement Hamburg grew from; the gate is deliberately shown without a portcullis: an open gate, ready for trade.

Hesse

The arms show the »coloured lion«: a lion striped red and white (silver) on blue, crowned and armed in blue.

💡 Did you know? The lion's stripes gave the state flag its colours: red and white, in the same order as in the heraldic beast's coat.

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

The arms combine four fields: the bull's head twice for Mecklenburg, the griffin for Pomerania and the Brandenburg eagle for formerly Brandenburg territory.

💡 Did you know? The black bull's head with nose ring and crown has been a Mecklenburg emblem since the 13th century: locally it is simply called the »ox head«.

Lower Saxony

The arms show the white Saxon Steed on red: the same leaping horse found as a weathervane on many northern German houses.

💡 Did you know? Legend traces the steed to Duke Widukind; historians see it rather as a late-medieval emblem of the House of Welf.

North Rhine-Westphalia

The arms tell how the state came about: the Rhine as a silver wavy band, the Westphalian steed, and the red rose of Lippe.

💡 Did you know? Almost the same animal in two states: both horses face left, but the Westphalian one rears upright while Lower Saxony's steed is leaping.

Rhineland-Palatinate

The arms unite the state's three historic parts: the wheel of Mainz, the cross of Trier and the Palatine lion.

💡 Did you know? Above the shield sits a golden crown of vine leaves: an emblem no other German state carries, recalling the region's wine country.

Saarland

The arms are quartered and show the emblems of the historic territories: the Nassau lion, the cross of Trier, the Lorraine eagle and the Palatine lion.

💡 Did you know? The four fields recall that Saarland only came into being in 1920: assembled from parts of quite different historic domains.

Saxony

The arms show nine bars of black and gold, crossed diagonally by the green crancelin, a wreath of rue.

💡 Did you know? The crancelin was added in the 13th century: legend says it marked that the House of Wettin gained the land by inheritance rather than war.

Saxony-Anhalt

The shield is divided: the black-and-gold bars with the crancelin for Saxony on one side, the Ascanian bear on a wall for Anhalt on the other.

💡 Did you know? The walking bear with its collar stands for the House of Ascania, which also produced the first margraves of Brandenburg.

Schleswig-Holstein

The shield is divided: Schleswig's two blue lions on gold on one side, Holstein's silver nettle leaf on red on the other.

💡 Did you know? The Schleswig lions face each other: unlike in the Danish arms, where the same lions walk one behind the other.

Thuringia

The arms show a lion striped red and silver on blue, surrounded by eight silver stars.

💡 Did you know? The eight stars stand for the territories merged into the state of Thuringia in 1920: before that the region was split into numerous tiny states.