Kempten
KEMPTEN
State : Bayern
Urban district (Stadtkreis) : Kempten
Additions : 1972 Sankt Lorenz, Sankt Mang
| German | Gespalten; von Schwarz und Silber; vorne am Spalt ein halber goldener Adler, hinten auf grünem Dreiberg ein roter Zinnenturm mit offenem Tor. |
| English | blazon wanted |
Origin/meaning
The arms were officially granted on December 12, 1488 and confirmed on January 5, 1819.
Kempten was an Imperial city in medieval times and thus entitled to use the imperial eagle in its arms and seals. The oldest seals, however do not show the eagle. The oldest seal dates from the early 14th century and shows the patron saint of the city at the time, St. Gordianus. Later sources indicate that the shield was horizontally divided from silver and blue. The second seal dates from 1403 and shows St. Hildegard, who was combined with the arms in a later 15th century seal.
In 1488 Emperor Friedrich III granted the city new arms, a vertically divided shield gold and black, with the imperial eagle in the opposite colours.
In the late 16th century the city started to use the symbols used on the local coins, an eagle with the letter K on its breast. These arms were used until 1819.
In 1818 the city was combined with the Imperial Abbey Kempten and the new arms showed the imperial eagle from the city arms, and a tower taken from the arms of the Abbey.
The arms around 1500
Siegel von Kempten]]
The seal from 1343
Wappen von Kempten/Coat of arms (crest) of Kempten]]
The arms in a manuscript +/- 1530
Arms of Kempten]]
The arms in a 16th century manuscript
Arms of Kempten]]
The arms in a 17th century manuscript
Wappen von Kempten/Coat of arms (crest) of Kempten]]
The arms by Tyroff (1835)
Wappen von Kempten/Coat of arms (crest) of Kempten]]
The arms in Kramer (1841)
Wappen von Kempten/Coat of arms (crest) of Kempten]]
The arms of Kempten as shown on a postcard from 1905
Seal of Kempten]]
Seal from around 1900
The arms in an album from around 1910
Arms (crest) of Kempten]]
The arms in the Abadie albums
Wappen von Kempten/Coat of arms (crest) of Kempten]]
The arms by Hupp in the Kaffee Hag albums +/- 1925
The arms in an album from 1968
Literature: Stadler, 1964-1971, 8 volumes.
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