Ludza (town)
LUDZA (TOWN)
Region : Latgale
Municipality : Ludza
Official blazon
Sudraba laukā sarkans robots ķieģeļu mūris, virs tā labās spāres virzienā liktu melnu atslēgu krusto zobens ar zelta rokturi.
Origin/meaning
The arms were granted in 1925.
Ludza is first time mentioned in Russian chronicles of 1117 as a town with a church. In 1399 Germans took this land and built a fortress Ludsen (later called Lutzen in German) to defend the border of the Livonia state.
In 1777 the Russian Empress Catherine II granted city rights to Ludza, called then Lucyn in Russian. In 1781 the arms were granted: the upper half of Russian eagle in the upper half of the arms, and the riding knight in the lower half. It comes from the arms of Polotsk and further into the history - from the arms of Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which ruled the Polotsk duchy since 13th century. Only the background of the knight was different: black for Ludza (silver for Polotsk).
 The arms of 1781 |
After the independence of Latvia the new arms were granted in 1925: a mural wall and crossed key and sword. The wall symbolizes the former strong fortress, the key shows that it is the city at the state border, and the sword mentions ancient battles
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© since 1995, Heraldry of the World, Ralf Hartemink 
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Literature : Latvias ģerboņi, 2008