Bern

BERN

Canton : Bern
Additions : 1919 Bümpliz

Official blazon

In Rot ein goldener Rechtsschrägbalken, belegt mit einem schreitenden schwarzen Bären mit roten Krallen.

Origin/meaning

The arms are canting (Bär = bear), and have been used since the 13^th century. The oldest seal of the city dates from 1224 and shows already the bear, but not in a shield and not in a bend. The bear also appears on 13^th century coins of the city (see below).

The colours are known since the 14^th century, and the arms have never changed since. The arms are also used by the district of Bern and the Canton Bern. To distinguish the arms the canton often uses a floral crown, the city uses a mural crown.

The oldest known description of the arms of Bern dates from the Guglerlied from 1375 :
Berner waffen ist so schnell
mit drin gevarwten strichen;
der ein ist rot, der mittel gel,
darin stat unverblichen
ein ber gar swarz gemalet wol,
rot sind ihn die clawen;
er ist swerzer denn ein kol,
bris er bejagen sol.
(freely translated as : the arms of Bern are so fast, with three painted stripes, the one is red, the middle yellow, in which stands a black bear, with red claws, blacker than a coal, until the hunting begins).

The oldest seal from 1224
The second seal (used until 1364)
The fourth seal used from the 14th-17th century
The fifth seal from 1364
The seventh seal from the late 14th century
The eights seal from 1467
The oldest coin of Bern.
The arms on a 1492 coin
The arms on a 1600 coin
The arms on a 1700 coin
The arms on a 1718 coin
The arms around 1500
The arms in a 16th century manuscript
The arms in the Wapen- en Vlaggenboek van Gerrit Hesman (1708)
Seal from around 1900
The arms in an album +/- 1905
The arms as used by the city during the years
The arms in the Abadie albums
The arms in a 1930s album
The arms in the Wappen-Sammlung (1900)
The arms on a collectable stamp, +/- 1920
The arms in the Kaffee Hag albums 1914-1960
The arms in the Kaffee Hag albums 1914-1960
The arms in the Kaffee Hag albums 1914-1960
The arms on a special cancellation 1951
Municipal stationery, 1960s
Cantonal tax stamps 1941

Literature : Wappenbuch des Kantons Bern, 1981. Main image by Massimo Ghirardi; Dreyer, 2001

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