Marijampolė
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Heraldry of the World Civic heraldry of Lithuania - Lietuvas Heraldika |
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MARIJAMPOLĖ
County : Marijampolė
Origin/meaning
The first arms for Marijampolė were granted on February 23, 1792 at the same time as the city rights, by Stanislaus Augustus, ruler of Lithuania and Poland. The arms show St. George, killing the dragon. St. George was one of the patron saints of Lithuania and thus chosen as a symbol for the new city.
City autonomy lasted only one year, and the arms were thus abolished as well. During the first independence of Lithuania in the 20th century the symbol re-appeared, but had no official status.
During Soviet rule the city was renamed Kapsukas and in the 1960s new arms were devised. These showed nine fields, the first red for the revolution, the others silver and black. On the black fields were three yellow flames each, on the silver ones a green leaf. The flames symbolised education, the leaves agriculture.
The arms were abolished in 1970.
 The arms of Kapsukas |
The present arms were based on the historical arms and officially granted on December 18, 1997.
Literature : Rimsa, 1998