Korbach

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KORBACH

State : Hessen
District (Kreis) : Waldeck-Frankenberg (until 1972 Waldeck)
Additions : 1972 Alleringhausen, Eppe, Goldhausen, Helscheid, Hillershausen, Lelbach, Lengefeld, Meineringhausen, Nieder-Ense, Nieder-Schleidern, Nordenbeck, Ober-Ense, Rhena, Strothe

Official blazon

Origin/meaning

The arms are derived from the oldest seal of the city, which is known since 1236 (see below). The town was granted city rights in 1188 by the Bishops of Paderborn, who owned the territory. The upper part of the arms shows thus a Bishop of Paderborn. It is often thought that the figure was the patron saint of the city, St. Kilian, but the figure most likely shows Bishop Wilbrand of Paderborn, who had the citizens of Korbach swear him in as overlord in 1227, about the time the seal was made. The figure does look like a bishop, not as a saint.

The seal of Korbach from 1236.

The lower part of the arms shows the star of the Waldeck dynasty. The Counts of Schwalenberg-Waldeck ruled the city as vassels for the bishops since 1227.
In later seals the image was placed on a shield and the star was made an eight-pointed star, such as in the arms of the Counts. The second seal, known since 1265, showed the bishop without the book and holding the stick in his left hand. In the third seal, known since 1377, the bishop again holds a book. The arms have basically not changed since and the colours were finally determined in 1947.

The seals of Korbach from 1265 and 1377

Seal from around 1900

The arms in the Abadie albums +/- 1930

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

The arms seen in the town (images by Klaas Padberg Evenboer‎):

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Literature : Stadler, K. : Deutsche Wappen - Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Angelsachsen Verlag, 1964-1971, 8 volumes; Nicolai, H. : Waldeckische Wappen, Arolsen, 1991.