Last modified: 2020-05-23 by 
klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: siegen-wittgenstein(county) | siegen(county) | wittgenstein(county) | pales(2) | lion(golden) | billets | knife | lamp |
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![[Siegen-Wittgenstein county banner]](../images/d/de-si_.gif)
image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 16 Nov 2007
![[Siegen-Wittgenstein county flag]](../images/d/de-si.gif)
3:5 image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 18 May 2020
It is a blue-yellow horizontal bicolour with centred arms and a pallet at hoist, divided once per pale and five times per fess, consisting of small alternating black and white rectangles.
Source: letter from the county administration to Falko Schmidt on 20 January 2000
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 18 May 2020
It is a blue-orange vertical bicolour with arms within a white bannerhead separated by a barrulet, divided once per fess and five times per pale, consisting of small alternating black and white rectangles.
Source: Veddeler 2003, p.317
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 16 Nov 2007
![[Siegen-Wittgenstein county flag flag 1999]](../images/d/de-si999.gif)
3:5 
image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 18 May 2020
It was a blue-yellow horizontal bicolour with centred arms and a pallet at hoist, divided once per pale and five times per fess, consisting of small alternating black and white rectangles.
Source: phone call to Falko Schmidt from county administration and State Archive Münster
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 18 May 2020
Shield parted per fess; above parted per pale, at dexter Argent pales Sable, at sinister Azure semy of billets Or a lion rampant Or armed and tongued Gules, beneath a gardener's knife Azure and a pit lamp Azure flamed Gules.
Meaning:
The tools are referring to mining. The knife is a special tool used for cutting branches, and in the area used in forestry in order to prepare the production of charcoal. The pit lamp is representing mining. The county is the oldest German region of the depletion of iron ore. Since the Medieval crude steel was produced directly in the woods, where the charcoal was produced. The lions displays the arms of the Counts of Nassau, who were upgraded to princes later on. The counts ruled the area since the 12th century. In 1224 Count Heinrich of Nassau founded the new town of Siegen, which became the residence of the counts until 1520. The area officially had been a condominion of the counts and the Archbishops of Köln, but the influence of the latter never had been of any importance. The pales are taken from family arms of the Counts of Wittgenstein, the former rulers of the region around the city of Siegen.
Source: Veddeler 2003, p.317
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 16 Nov 2007
Shield parted per fess; at dexter Azure semy of billets Or, a lion rampant Or, armed and tongued Gules, at sinister Argent a gardener's knife Sable in pale and a pit lamp Sable flamed Gules.
Meaning:
The tinctures of the sinister half had been chosen in order to represent the former Wittgenstein County. See current arms above for meaning of the other charges!
Source: Veddeler 2003, pp.77-78
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 16 Nov 2007
Banner and arms were approved on 16 July 1999 by district governor (Regierungspräsident) of Arnsberg. The flag was approved on 1 October 1999. Please note that according to Peter Veddeler there only had been a banner with white bannerhead and the actually uncorrect orange instead of yellow. But orange and blue are considered to be the "traditional" colours of the Siegerland people. The arms on the first county flag were approved on 26 October 1987 by district governor (Regierungspräsident) of Arnsberg for Siegen County. The flag itself had afterwards been the ephemeral flag of Siegen-Wittgenstein County from 16 July to the 30 September 1999.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 16 Nov 2007
![[Siegen county flag]](../images/d/de-si-c1.gif)
2:3 image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 18 May 2020
It was a blue-yellow horizontal bicolour with centred arms and a pallet at hoist, divided once per pale and five times per fess, consisting of small alternating black and white rectangles.
Source: phone call of State Archive Münster to Falko Schmidt on 26 September
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 18 May 2020
Shield parted per fess; at dexter Azure semy of billets Or, a lion rampant Or, armed and tongued Gules, at sinister Or a gardener's knife Azure in pale and a pit lamp Azure flamed Gules.
Meaning:
see current coat of arms above
Source: Stadler 1964, p.83
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 18 May 2020
The arms were approved on 31 August 1937 by Prussian Minister of State for the former Siegen County. The flag was approved on 10 September 1954. The symbols were abolished on 31 December 1974, but probably in use until 26 October 1987.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 18 May 2020
![[Wittgenstein county flag]](../images/d/de-si-c2.gif)
2:3 image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 18 May 2020
It was an armourial flag (banner of arms).
Source: phone call of State Archive Münster to Falko Schmidt on 26 September
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 18 May 2020
Shield Argent two pales Sable.
Meaning:
The arms display the family arms of the Counts of Wittgenstein. The kin owned a series of castles in Erndtebrück, Berleburg, Wittgenstein and Richstein, and its members named themselves after the castle in Wittgenstein. The family became extinct in 1360, but the arms were continued by their successors, the Counts of Sayn(-Wittgenstein). In the 16th century the county was divided in a northern part with Berleburg as capital and a Southern part around Laasphe. As the county Wittgenstein forms the core area of the historical county, the family arms had been chosen without any changes.
Source: Stadler 1966, p.103
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 18 May 2020
The flag was approved on 14 July 1966 and the arms on 6 April 1966 by Minister of Interior of Nordrhein-Westfalen. The symbols were abolished on 31 December 1974.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 18 May 2020
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