Kirchhain (Hessen)

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KIRCHHAIN

State : Hessen
District (Kreis) : Marburg-Biedenkopf
Additions: 1971 Anzefahr, Betziesdorf, Burgholz, Himmelsberg, Kleinseelheim, Langenstein, Niederwald, Schönbach, Sindersfeld, Stausebach; 1974 Emsdorf, Großseelheim

Wappen von Kirchhain (Hessen)/Arms (crest) of Kirchhain (Hessen)
Official blazon
German In Rot ein silberner Spangenhelm mit goldenen Helmdecken und zwei silbernen Büffelhörnern als Helmzier, die außen mit je sechs silbernen Lindenzweigen besteckt sind, zwischen den Büffelhörnern ein goldenes „K“.
English blazon wanted

Origin/meaning

The arms were officially granted on November 11, 1986.

The arms show the helmet and crest of the Counts of Hessen. Kirchhain received city rights from the Counts of Hessen between 1344 and 1352. All later seals and images have shown the same composition, sometimes with small additions, such as a letter K, a lion's head or a small cross. The latter probably indicated that the city was a loan of the Teutonic Knights from 1350-1370.

The lion's head most probably was the lion of Hessen, the letter K obviously the town's initial. In the 18th century the small lion's head was erroneoously changed in an ox head. In the early 19th century all small additions were removed and until the municipal changes in the 1970s the city used the arms without the letter K as shown below.

Wappen von Kirchhain (Hessen)/Arms (crest) of Kirchhain (Hessen)

In 1956 new arms were proposed and published in the Hessisches Wappenbuch. These arms show a silver lion in red and a small silver quarter with a black cross. These arms show the oldest form of the lion of Hessen and the cross of the Teutonic Order. This proposal was not adopted by the city and instead in the 1970s the letter K was added. This also avoided confusion with the arms ofKirtorf, which show a similar design.

Arms of Kirchhain (Hessen)

The arms in a 16th century manuscript
Wappen von Kirchhain (Hessen)/Coat of arms (crest) of Kirchhain (Hessen)

The arms in a manuscript from +/- 1730
Wappen von Kirchhain (Hessen)/Coat of arms (crest) of Kirchhain (Hessen)

The arms in an 1884 book
Wappen von Kirchhain (Hessen)/Coat of arms (crest) of Kirchhain (Hessen)

The arms by Hupp in the Kaffee Hag albums +/- 1925
Wappen von Kirchhain (Hessen)/Coat of arms (crest) of Kirchhain (Hessen)

The proposal of 1956

Literature: Stadler, 1964-1971, 8 volumes.





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