Herbarz Miast Polskich Polish Civic Heraldry

OLSZTYN

Province: Warmia i Mazury

Origin/meaning:
The arms were officially granted on ??

The arms show St. James the patron Saint of the city. During the years the arms have varied widely, as can be seen from the images below.

The oldest seals of the city, known since the 14th century, all show the patron saint. From the 18th century onwards, the saint is seen between a cross, the symbol of the Teutonic Order, which for a long period of time ruled the area and the city, and a tower.

Seal form Olsztyn from around 1900	The arms as shown in a book from 1896
The arms as shown around 1900	The arms as shown in the Kaffee Hag albums (1920s)
The arms from a book from 1963	The arms as shown in a book from the 1950s

Literature : Plenako and Wanag, 1994; Szczechura, 1963

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