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Herbarz Miast Polskich
Polish Civic Heraldry

GRYFÓW ŚLĄSKI

Province: Dolny Slask
County : Lwówek Śląski

Coat of arms of Gryfów Śląski

Origin/meaning:
The arms show a griffin holding a harness. The oldest known seal of the city dates from 1353 and shows already a canting griffin (Greif in German), but it holds a crescent, not a harness. The second seal, which is known since 1562 shows the present image. All later seals show the same images. The newer the seal, the larger the harness. In the oldest seal the griffin was very large compared to the harness, whereas in later seals and arns the harness is of the same height as the griffin.
The origin of the griffin is not known, most likely it is just a canting symbol. There is a local legend that states that a knight went to fight off the griffin family that lived in the mountains and stole the local sheep.

The now Polish city still uses the same design, although in different colours.

Coat of arms of Gryfów Śląski
Local money from around 1920

Coat of arms of Gryfów Śląski
The arms as shown in the Kaffee Hag albums

Literature : Hupp, O : Königreich Preussen. Wappen der Städte, Flecken und Dörfer. Reprint von 1896 und 1898. Kulturstiftung der deutschen Vertriebenen, Bonn, 1993; Polskie Herby Miejskie, Warzsawa, 1963.


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