Brussel

	BRUSSEL BRUXELLES Country: Belgium Province: Stadsgewest Brussel / Région Bruxelles Additions: 1921 Haren 1921 Laken 1921 Neder-over-Heembeek Loading map... {"minzoom":false,"maxzoom":false,"mappingservice":"leaflet","width":"250px","height":"250px","centre":false,"title":"","label":"","icon":"","lines":[],"polygons":[],"circles":[],"rectangles":[],"copycoords":false,"static":false,"zoom":7,"defzoom":14,"layers":["OpenStreetMap"],"image layers":[],"overlays":[],"resizable":false,"fullscreen":false,"scrollwheelzoom":true,"cluster":false,"clustermaxzoom":20,"clusterzoomonclick":true,"clustermaxradius":80,"clusterspiderfy":true,"geojson":"","clicktarget":"","imageLayers":[],"locations":[{"text":"","title":"","link":"","lat":50.8466499999999967940311762504279613494873046875,"lon":4.35254999999999991899812812334857881069183349609375,"icon":""}],"imageoverlays":null}

Official blazon
Dutch	(1811) (no official translation) (1819) Van keel beladen met den aarts-engel Michaël van zilver de satan van sabel ter nedervellende. Het schild gedekt met eene kroon van goud. (1844) Een rood veld, met het gulden beeld van St-Michiel, den boozen geest nederwerpende, van zwarte kleur; het schildeken gedekt mer eene grafelijke kroon. Schildhouders: twee gulden leeuwen, dragende elkeen eene vaen wier stokken, ook van goud, kruiselings over malkander achter het schild staen; die ter regter zijde met het wapen van Braband, die ter linker zijde, met het wapen van de stad; alles rustende op eenen groenen heuvel.
French	(1811) De gueules au Saint Michel d'or terrassant le démon du même, armé et allumé de sable, au chef cousu des bonnes villes qui est de gueules à trois abeilles en fasce d'or. Pour livrées rouge et jaune. (1819) (no official translation) (1844) De gueules, au St-Michel d'or, terrassant le démon de sable; l'écusson timbré d'une couronne de comte. Supports: deux lions d'or, portant chacun une bannière dont les trabes, de même, sont passées en sautoir derrière l'écu; celle de dextre aux armes de Brabant, celle de senestre, aux armes de la ville, le tout reposant sur un terasse de sinople.
English	blazon wanted

Origin/meaning

During the Napoleonic time Brussels was a city of the first rank and was granted arms on June 6, 1811. The arms of Brussel were granted officially on March 30, 1819 and again on March 25, 1844.

The arms from 1811
The arms from 1819

The arms show the local patron saint, Archangel St. Michael. The archangel appeared already on the oldest known seal of the city, known from 1257, but mentioned in 1231. All later arms and seals have shown the patron saint, but the actual composition differed widely during the centuries.

The Napolenoic arms showed a chief with three bees above the old arms. These were removed when Napoleon was defeated.

In 1817 the supporters, which had been used on several seals and images, were officially granted. The banners were added in 1844 to symbolise the fact that the city had become the capital of Belgium.

It has been stated that the original colour of the arms was a red shield, with a transparent image of the saint. Later the saint was coloured according to the colours of the statue on the city hall.

Image gallery

Seal of Brussels from 09-06-1399 (an angel holding the city arms)
Seal of Brussels
The arms in the Armorial Gorrevod (1460)
The arms in the Armorial Jörg Rügen (1495)
The arms around 1500
The arms in a manuscript from 1558
local emergency money, 1579
The arms in a 16th century manuscript
The arms in the 16th century
The arms in a 16th century manuscript
The arms in 1650
The arms in a 17th century manuscript
The arms in the Wapen- en Vlaggenboek van Gerrit Hesman (1708)
The arms in the Broodhuis museum, Brussels
The arms in Traversier (1842)
The arms on a medal from 1848
The arms in the Wappen-Sammlung (1900)
City seal +/- 1900
The arms by Ströhl +/- 1900
The arms on a British tobacco card
The arms in the Koffie Hag/Café Hag albums +/- 1930
The arms on a trade stamp, 1920s
A different version on a 1952 postcard
The arms on a police badge (source)
The arms in the Abadie albums
The arms in a 1930s album
The arms on a stamp, 1940
The arms on a Dutch Willem II cigar band
The arms in the city
The arms in the city
The arms in the city

Literature: Servais, M.: Armorial des provinces et des communes de Belgique. Liege, 1955, 1041 p

Belgium heraldry portal

This page is part of the Belgium heraldry portal	Heraldry of the World
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