Deutsche Wappen (Gemeindewappen/Kreiswappen) German Civic Heraldry

BAYREUTH

State : Bayern
Urban District (Kreisfreie Stadt) : Bayreuth

Origin/meaning:
Bayreuth was acquired in 1248 by the Margraves of Nürnberg and was already considered a city since 1231. The oldest seal of the city dates from 1429 and shows a shield with two sticks. The The sticks are some farmer's tool and are named Reut in German, the arms are thus canting (two Reuten). The sticks also appear on the coins of the city in the 15^th century. Already in the 15^th century the two sticks were placed on the quartered black and silver arms of the margraves form the Hohenzollern dynasty. On December 22, 1457 Margrave Albrecht Achilles officially granted the city the present arms, but with, as was usual at the time, the mantling, helmet and crest of the family (see image below). The arms thus show the arms of the dynasty (black and white quartering), the lion as the arms of the State of Nürnberg and the two sticks.

Already in the same year the arms appeared on the new seal of the city. The arms remained unchanged until 1810, when the city became part of Bayern. All references to the older states had to be removed, or changed. For Bayreuth it meant that the black and silver quarters were changed into blue and silver (the Bavarian colours) and that the black lion in the crest also changed into blue. The crest also was often replaced by a mural crown to avoid the crest of the former ruler. These colours were used until 1840. In the late 19^th century the historical colours were restored. The mantling, crest and helmet were removed in 1928, but are still sometimes used.

The meaning of the sticks had faded during the centuries and thus the sticks were shown in many different ways. In 1811 they were even shown as two bones..., or, as in the image below from Hupp at the end of the 19^th century, as a kind of fork.

Literature : Stadler, 1990; Kaffee Hag albums 1920s.

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