Kappeln

Heraldry of the World
Civic heraldry of Germany - Deutsche Wappen (Gemeindewappen/Kreiswappen)

KAPPELN

State : Schleswig-Holstein
District (Kreis) : Schleswig-Flensburg (until 1973 Schleswig)

Official blazon

In Silber, beiderseits begleitet von je drei blauen, zueinander gekehrten Heringen, der heilige Christophorus in Vorderansicht, barhaupt, mit rotem Mantel und silbernem Bart, die nackten Beine in abwechselnd blauen und silbernen Wellen verschwindend, in der rechten Hand einen astförmigen, naturfarbenen Stab, mit der linken den Jesusknaben, der die rechte Hand segnend erhebt und mit der linken die Weltkugel in Gold auf seinem linken Knie umfaßt, auf seinen Schultern haltend.

Origin/meaning

The arms were granted on July 31, 1963.

The name of the town was derived from the local chapel of St.Nicholas, patron saint of sailors. The main occupation in the town was and is fisheries. The chapel was first mentioned in 1357. The saint in the arms, however, is not St. Nicholas, but St. Christopher, who first appeared on the seals of the town in 1870, together with the 6 herrings. The herring undoubtly symbolise fisheries. St. Christopher is the patron saint of ferrymen and travelers and in the town was an important ferry over the Schlei. The Schlei was bridged in 1927.

The symbols in the seal were in 1963 transformed to the present arms.