Deutsche Wappen (Gemeindewappen/Kreiswappen) German Civic Heraldry

[♘امیرحسین♞]

Origin/meaning:
Niedersachsen is a modern State, which is a combination of several older states or territories, mainly Oldenburg, Hannover, Braunschweig and Schaumburg-Lippe. Combination of the arms was rather difficult. Finally the horse of (Nieder)Sachsen was chosen as the new arms. The horse has been the symbol for many parts of Northern Germay in earlier times.

The horse first appears in the arms of Duke Albrecht II of Braunschweig-Grubenhagen in 1361. Soon afterwards the horse appears in rolls of arms as the arms of Braunschweig (see below). The horse is based on an old Saxon tradition and the horse was used as a symbol for the old Saxon Kings Hengist and Horsa.
The horse appears in many arms of families and towns since the 14th/15th century. The horse was also used as the arms of the Kings of Hannover (and through these in the arms of the United Kingdom). Later the horse was used as the arms of the Prussian province Hannover from 1926-1945. The Dukes of Braunschweig used the horse on the crest or as a quarter in their arms.​

 

[♘امیرحسین♞]

ORSOY

State : Nordrhein-Westfalen
District (Kreis) : Wesel (until 1974 Moers)
Incorporated into : 1975 Rheinberg

Origin/meaning:
It is not quite known when Orsoy received city rights, but it is mentioned as a city in 1280. The arms are based on the oldest seal of Orsoy, which also dates from the end of the 13th century. It shows three horse-heads over a city wall. The horse-heads may be canting (Ors = Pferd/Ross or horse) in old-German. Smaller seals only show a single horse-head. The arms have been used for centuries, but were officially granted in 1958.

In the early 20th century the arms below were shown in the Kaffee Hag albums. These arms show only the three horse heads.

The arms as shown in the Kaffee Hag albums.

Literature : Stadler, 1964-1971, 8 volumes; Kaffee Hag albums 1920s.​