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Luckenwalde City (Germany)

Stadt Luckenwalde, Landkreis Teltow-Fläming, Brandenburg

3:5 image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 14 Apr 2019
3:5 image by Falko Schmidt, 14 Apr 2019
3:5 image reported by Falko Schmidt, 14 Apr 2019

Luckenwalde City

Luckenwalde Flags and Banners
Luckenwalde Coat of Arms

See also:

Luckenwalde City

Luckenwalde Flags and Banners

All flags and banners since 1994 have in common that they had been yellow blue bicolours with the then coat of arms in the cantion, i.e. on top of the yellow stripe. The images above display the flags as follows: current (left), 1994 flag (middle) and 1995 provisional flag (right). The images below display the corresponding banners in same order.
Sources:
[1] Stefan Schwoon's database
[2] this online catalogue
[3] §1(3) of Hauptsatzung of Luckenwalde City, version 15 February 1994
[4] §3(3) of Hauptsatzung of Luckenwalde City, version 13 October 2004
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 14 Apr 2019

3:5 image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 14 Apr 2019
3:5 image by Falko Schmidt, 14 Apr 2019
3:5 image reported by Falko Schmidt, 14 Apr 2019

Luckenwalde Coat of Arms

The 1994 version displayed in a usual Iberian shield two croziers Or in saltire, surronded by two facetted 6-point stars Or in flanches and a fir Vert in base. The probably unofficial 1995 displayed a renaissance shield topped by a pelican. The 2004 version displayed in the Iberian shield was a smaller renaissance shield fimbriated Or with the charges of the 1994 arms but the fir was Or, the renaissance shield is crested by a stylised pelican couchant Argent feeding four nestlings.
Meaning:
Luckenwalde was first mentioned in 1216 as castellany ( a fortified settlement of the Bishopric of Brandenburg). It was acquired by Zinna Abbey in 1285. Luckenwalde gained city rights in the 15th century, but proper arms were granted nearly 100 years later in 1540. Together with Zinna it remained under the rule of the Archbishopric of Magdeburg and its successor, the (Prussian) Duchy of Magdeburg until it was attached to the Margraviate of Brandenburg in 1773. The croziers are symbolising the former rulers, the Abbots of Zinn and the Archbishops of Magdeburg. The charge in base frequently changed. It had been originally a deciduous tree, symbolising the rights of brewery, which belonged exclusively to the sovereigns of Luckenwalde, displayed on the oldest known city seal from 1637. It can be found nowadays on the brewery arms of a privileged innkeeper. It had been replaced by an elector's coronet under the rule of Brandenburg, e.g. on a seal from the 19th century and since around 1900 by a green fir tree. Otto Hupp (1925) replaced erroneously the fir by a golden mitre. But the fir had been restored in the middle of the 20th century. The stars are symbolising the double cognisance of both rulers, the abbots and the archbishops. Until 1994 a simple Iberian shield was in use, which was restored by the current arms in 2004.
According to Ralf Hartemink city seals from the 15th century displayed the croziers together with the eagle of Brandenburg. A bird on top of the inescutcheon already appeared on the oldest city seal, which might have been a swan. The eagle was replaced on seals by a pelican in the 17th century. A seal from 1807 exclusively displayed the pelican feeding her nestlings.
The pelican is symbolising the good care of the city council for its inhabitants. The symbol is referring to Psalm 102,6: "I am like a pelican of the wilderness." German church reformer Martin Luther explains as follows: "The pelican builds a nest on height, surrounded like a fence, in order to protect his nestlings from snakes. But the snakes poisonous breath alone kills the nestlings. Then the pelican hurts her breast and by her blood drops the nestlings come back to life. The pelican is symbolising Our Saviour and the snake the devil, the nest is paradise, the nestlings mankind and the blood is resurrection." The stylised pelican was officially added in 2004 on demand of the inhabitants of Luckenwalde since 1995.
Sources:
[1] German WIKIPEDIA
[2] English WIKIPEDIA
[3] city history page
[4] Ralf Hartemink's webpage
[5] §1(2) of Hauptsatzung of Luckenwalde City, version 15 February 1994 (Iberian shield)
[6] §3(2) of Hauptsatzung of Luckenwalde City, version 13 October 2004
Klaus-Michael Schneider,

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