Bad Reichenhall: Difference between revisions

Reichenhall received city rights in the middle of the 13^th century. The oldest seal dates from 1279 and shows a Agnus Dei, the symbol of Saint John Baptist, the local patron saint. In 1301 a new seal appeared, showing the strong ties to Bayern. At the time the whole area, which was rich in salt, was disputed between the Dukes of Niederbayern and the Archsbishops of Salzburg. To add the panther and diamonds of the arms of Niederbayern in the city seal, was thus a clear pollitical symbol at the time.  

The composition of the seal changed again in 1323 as the new seal showed the panther and diamonds now placed differently. Compare also [[Eggenfelden]], [[Pfarrkirchen]], [[Vilsbiburg]] and [[Vilshofen]].  

The oldest coloured images of the arms date from the middle of the 16th century. At the time the panther had moved to the other half of the shield and the colour of the panther was black. The original colours of Niederbayern were a red panther in silver. It is not known whether the city ever used these colours, or that the colours were already black on gold prior to the 16th century.  

From the 17th-19th century the arms have also shown a lion or a griffin as misinterpretations of the panther. Similarly, a mural crown was added regularly in the 19th century. Only in 1875 the State Archives concluded that the panther was the true historical symbol of the city. Ever since the arms have not changed. However, as can be seen in the images below, the city kept using the griffin until 1929

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[[Category:German Municipalities B]]

[[Category:Bayern]]

[[Category:Berchtesgadener Land]]