Last modified: 2023-06-03 by 
zachary harden
Keywords: szekszard | tolna | tower | bell |
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image by Zoltan Horvath, 4 March 2010
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Based on the Resolution No.12/1991.(VII.11) of the Community
of Szekszárd City about the symbols of the town at <www.szekszard.hu>.
Information about the name, history and the symbols of the city:
"Lots of people show great concern about the desiration of
the word Szekszárd, the dispute about it has not ended yet.
The citation to Turoczy Cronicles lasted for a long time saying
the name refers to King Béla I. [1060-1063], who was brown
(szög) and bald (szár). It's gentle explanation: the name
refers to the fact that the town lies at the meeting point of
hills and rivers. The name Szekszárd appeared in 1015 (in old
style) in the deed of foundation of Pécsvárad, which was sent
to Szent István [King Saint Stephen 1000-1038] . But we know
just a little about that time. The history is much more related
to the Benedictine monastery founded in 1061 by King Béla I.
Szekszárd is the burial place of him. The monastery was
ecclesiastical body entrusted with notarial functions. During the
centuries several rulers came here including Szent László [King
Saint Ladislaus 1077-1095] who is the son of founder of the
monastery and he is the patron saint of the town. After the huge
destruction of Tatar invasion [in 1241-42] the flourishing
monastery raised Szekszárd from the surrounding settlements. The
fortified castle of János Vitéz [1408-1472] (abbot of
Szekszárd) was destroyed because of the conspiracy against King
Mátyás [King Mathias Corvinus 1458-1490]. Szekszárd was given
the rank of market town around 1485, so it could held 5 famous
markets each year, where several cattle merchants arrived from
Bratislava- Subotica [Pozsony/Preßburg - Szabadka].
Szekszárd had been recorded as market town for 200 years when a
seal with different motifs was made. It was necessary for the
documents of the local authority. The drawings of the first one
was without full value from heraldic point of view as the seal
had not got scutcheon shape and legend. The central motif refers
to architectural relics. After forcing out the Turks, Mihály
Mérey (abbot 1693-1719) started to rebuilt the Benedictine
monastery after its stormy past. The tower was built at that time
and it later appeared on the seal. The church burnt down in 1794,
its memory still lives on the seal and it became the symbol of
the town. After some smaller modification (for instance
originally there were not ornaments next to the tower and there
was etching about viticulture but later it was left etc) its
well-known form was made. It needed no columns as it was used as
seal. The legend is: SIGULLUM OPPIDI SZEXARDIENSIS - the seal of
market town of Szekszárd.
This decorated seal was valid 100 years later when it got its
Hungarian legend. This version was made in 1846 when Mary was
represented with the Little. The new motif is a part of a
painting from the Downtown Roman-Catholic church. On the painting
Szent László, who is the son of King Béla I. as the patron
saint of the town, offers the town under Mary's patronage. This
seal was used as colourful coat of arms in other places for
instance in the emblem of Szekszárd Savings-bank. It appeared on
the frontage of "Szegzárd Szálló" in Garay square in
1893 and it can be seen again. The relief was made by György
Fusz- artisan.
Meanwhile Szekszárd became a large town and later corporate
town. 1 year later the board of representatives was permitted to
use the former version leaving the heraldically not proper
motifs. Description was given to the coat of arms and the 500
year old colours were intensified. The prime colour is blue on
the field of coat of arms there is an open bell-tower on the red
castle wall made of 4 lines of ragged-stones. On the divided
parts of the bell-tower on the top there is a bunch of grapes and
a bell hang at the bottom. From heraldic point of view on the
right (which is in reverse bacause you always have to compart to
the coat of arms on the hand) vine-stocks with 2 bunches of
grapes and on the left 3 ears of wheat can be found. The new
decorative motif was a golden crown on the scutcheon.
This coat of arms was valid until 1949, a decree banned the use
of arms and flags for the counties and settlements. The tradition
started to reborn in the 1970s. The local council went back to
the oldest seal by a municipal law in 1974. They had left the
crown from the sutcheon and accepted a less archaic, stylized
option by the plans of Mátyás Sinka. On 11 July 1991 the board
of representatives chose the version used from 1906-1949. The
description of our 3 hundred-year-old arms confirmed the form and
ornaments of 1906 and the scutcheon was also decorated with a
crown. It is the work of Péter Schubert- graphic artist, this
will decorate the flag of the town as well."
Source: <www.szekszard.hu>.
István Molnár, 12 January 2006
Szekszárd is county seat of Tolna county. Homepage at <www.szekszard.hu>.
Regulations of Coat of Arms and flag (in Hungarian) are here.
Description of Coat of Arms and historical background (in
English) at <www.nemzetijelkepek.hu>.
Zoltan Horvath, 4 March 2010
image by Zoltan Horvath, 4 March 2010
image by António Martins, 28 Febuary 2001
This flag appears at Dr. Széll Sándor: Városaink neve,
címere és lobogója (1941) as "Szekszárd, Tolna
Co.".
István Molnár, 20 October 2000
Blue with yellow border (1/4th wide border).
António Martins, 28 Febuary 2001
image by István Molnár
Source: A magyar városok címerei (Coat of Arms of
the Hungarian cities and towns); 1975.
István Molnár
szeks.gif)
image from <www.szekszard.hu>