Schwerin

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SCHWERIN

State : Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Urban district (Kreisfreie Stadt) : Schwerin
Additions: 1917 Görries; 1928 Lankow, Ostorf; 1936 Friedrichsthal, Groß Medewege, Klein Medewege, Krebsförden, Mueß, Warnitz, Wickendorf-Seehof-Carlshöhe-Paulsdamm; 1970 Wüstmark

Official blazon

German	In Blau das goldene Reiterbildnis Herzog Heinrichs des Löwen: ein Ritter mit Topfhelm auf einem gezäumten, schreitenden Ross, in der Rechten eine dreilatzige Fahne und in der Linken einen Dreiecksschild mit einem leopardierten Löwen haltend.
English	Azure a representation of Duke Henry the Lion as a knight in great helm mounted on a horse trippant holding in his right hand a lance with three-tailed pennon and in his left a shield charged with a lion passant guardant, all Or.

Origin/meaning

The arms were granted on April 10, 1858, changed on September 30, 1939 and again on February 11, 1991.

Schwerin probably already received city rights as early as 1177 and became the most important city in the region. The arms show a medieval knight holding a shield with a lion, probably showing the founder of the city, Duke Heinchich der Löwen (Henry the lion) of Sachsen and Bayern. The leopard is the lion of the Welfen family, to which the duke belonged. The image already appeared on the historical seals of the city, as shown below from a seal of 1298.

The arms of 1858 are nearly identical to the present arms, there are some differences in the shape and armour of the knight, and the lion is shown as a normal lion, not as a leopard as in the present arms. In 1939 the small shield was changed into the original colours of the Welfen family, see below. In 1991 the historical arms (in two colours) were restored again.

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  The seal of 1298

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  The seal of 1351

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  The arms of Schwerin from the 1890s, with on the left the bull's head of Mecklenburg on the shield and banner

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  The arms of Schwerin from the 1890s, with on the left the bull's head of Mecklenburg on the shield and banner

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  Seal of the city from around 1900

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  Seal of the city from around 1900

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  The arms in an album from around 1910

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  The arms in the Wappen-Sammlung (+/- 1910)

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  The arms by Hupp in the Kaffee Hag albums +/- 1925

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  The arms in the Abdulla-Deutsche Städtewappen album 1930s

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  The arms in the Staats-Wappen und Flaggen (Unter dem Olympia-Banner) album 1930s

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  The arms in the Abadie albums

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  The arms from 1939

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  The arms in an album, 1950s

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  The arms on a manhole cover

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  Postal cancellation 1977 (with Toruń)

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  Postal cancellation 1982

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  Postal cancellation 1983 (with Tallinn)

Literature: Bensing et al., 1984; Schütt, 2002

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