Belgische Gemeentewapens - Armories communales de Belgique Belgian Civic Heraldry

LEUVEN

Province : Vlaams Brabant
Additions : 1977 Haasrode (partly), Heverlee, Kessel-Lo, Wilsele, Wijgmaal (part of Herent municipality)

Origin/meaning :

The arms were granted on April 2, 1979.
The above arms are a combination of the former arms of Leuven, with three castles, one for each of the former municipalities.

The oldest use of the silver bar as arms of Leuven dates from a seal from 1621. The small shield can be seen between two towers of a fortified city. The arms are identical to the historical arms of Lorraine. In the early 12^th century Count Godfried of Leuven became Duke of Lower-Lorraine and his arms were later transferred to the city.
In the middle ages the city also used a motto :"Loven boven, altijd God Loven", or something like "Leuven above all, but always praise the Lord".

In the 17^th century the city also used a crown above the shield, the size and shape of the crown have changed regularly during the centuries.
In 1810 the local council adopted the old arms again formally (Leuven was now part of the French Empire), but now with a crown This did not last long, as on February 25, 1813 the city received new arms. The old crown was not granted, but the arms were augmented with a free quarter with a crowned N. This was the symbol used by cities of the second rank within the French Empire. In addition, the city was entitled to use a helmet, with with as a crest a mural crown from which rose a staff of Mercury flanked by an olive and oak branch.

After the fall of the French Empire the city remained the use of the old shield, but never applied for the official use at the Dutch government. Similarly, after the Belgian independence of 1830 the city did not apply for new arms. Finally on April 29, 1845 the city was granted official arms again. These showed the historical arms, but now with a helmet and as a crest a lion holding the arms of the Dukes of Brabant (identical to the National arms). The Dukes of Brabant descended from the Counts of Leuven.

In 1924 the city was mentioned in the list of martyred cities of the French army, dus to the suffering in the First World War, and thus was granted to use the French War Cross. The local council thus applied for new arms, now with the French cross. These arms were granted on March 2, 1926.

As usual in Belgium, the arms were described by Royal Decree in two languages, French and Dutch. However, the small shield is described in the French text correctly as gold on black, but in the Dutch text as gold on silver... As Leuven is in the Dutch speaking part of Belgium, the Dutch text should have preference, but its description was heraldically incorrect. So the arms were drawn according to the French description...

These arms remained in use until 1979.

Literature : Servais, 1955; Het wapen van de stad Leuven, no year (1980 ?)

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