Bielefeld

	BIELEFELD Country : Germany State : Nordrhein-Westfalen District (Kreis) : Urban District (Stadtkreis) Additions: (to see click on expand) 1930 Schildesche Dorf 1930 Sieker 1930 Stieghorst 1973 Amt Brackwede 1973 Amt Dornberg 1973 Amt Gadderbaum 1973 Amt Heepen 1973 Amt Jöllenbeck 1930 Amt Schildesche 1973 Altenhagen 1973 Babenhausen 1973 Brackwede 1970 Quelle 1973 Brake 1973 Brönninghausen 1973 Gadderbaum 1973 Großdornberg 1973 Heepen 1973 Hillegossen 1973 Hoberge-Uerentrup 1973 Jöllenbeck 1952 Niederjöllenbeck 1952 Oberjöllenbeck 1973 Kirchdornberg 1973 Lämershagen-Gräfinghagen 1973 Milse 1973 Niederdornberg-Deppendorf 1973 Oldentrup 1973 chröttinghausen 1973 Senne I 1973 Sennestadt 1965 Senne II 1973 Theesen 1973 Ubbedissen 1973 Vilsendorf 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":52.02040000000000219415596802718937397003173828125,"lon":8.5296000000000002927436071331612765789031982421875,"icon":""}],"imageoverlays":null}

Official blazon
German	Im goldenen Feld unter einem roten zinnenbewehrten und mit zwei Mauertürmchen bestandenen offenen Mauerbogen einen silbernen Schild mit drei roten Sparren
English	blazon wanted

Origin/meaning

Bielefeld probably got city rights in the early 13^th century.

The oldest seals of the city date from 1231 and 1263. These already showed a gate, which has been also used as the arms ever since. The actual picture of the gate has changed often during the centuries. Sometimes the patron saint St. George is shown above the gate, sometimes the small shield is shown, sometimes not.

The small shield is derived from the arms of the Counts of Ravensberg, who owned the town until 1346.

St. George was the patron saint of Bielefeld-Neustadt, which was joined with Bielefeld in 1520.

Image gallery

Seal of Bielefeld
Seal of Neustadt with St. George
Seal of Bielefeld from around 1900
The arms in an album from around 1910
The arms in the Wappen-Sammlung (+/- 1910)
The arms by Hupp in the Kaffee Hag albums +/- 1925
The arms in the Abdulla albums, 1920s
The arms on a matchbox label
The arms in the Abadie albums
The arms as shown on the city hall (image by Klaus-Micahel Schneider, Hamburg)l
The arms in an album, 1950s
The arms in an album from 1968

Literature: Stadler, 1964-1971, 8 volumes. Images of old seals from 750 Jahre Bielefeld, unsere Stadt im Wandel der Zeit, 1964.

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