Mayen

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

MAYEN

State : Rheinland-Pfalz
District (Kreis) : Mayen-Koblenz (until 1970 Mayen)
Additions : 1970 Alzheim (1969 Allenz, Berresheim), Hausen bei Mayen, Kürrenberg, Nitztal (1967 Kürrenberg, Sankt Johann-Nitz)

Official blazon

In Silber ein durchgehendes, facettiertes, rotes Balkenkreuz, oben rechts und unten links begleitet mit einem linksgewendeten roten Schlüssel, oben links und unten rechts mit einem fünfblättrigen grünen Baum (Maibaum-Buche), jeweils den Querbalken teilweise belegend.

Origin/meaning

Mayen got city rights in 1291, and the oldest seal of the city dates from the same year. It shows a castle below two crossed keys. The keys symbolise the fact that the city belonged to the State of Trier. The patron saint of Trier is St. Peter, whose symbol is a key or, as it is often displayed, two crossed keys. Later seals show the same composition.

The first seal showing a different composition dates from 1429, and shows a cross, with in each corner a key. The present arms are based on this seal. The trees are so-called May-trees (or freedom-trees), which are a canting symbol (Mai-baum, or Maie).

Hupp showed the arms in the 1920s in a different composition: