Haapsalu

HAAPSALU

County: Läänemaa
Additions: 2017 Ridala

Official blazon

Kuldsega pikuti jaotatud kilbil (I) punane linnus ja (II) auraga, must tõstetud tiibadega kotkas.

Origin/meaning

The arms were officially granted on September 27, 1994.

The town developed around the castle of the Bishop of Ösel. The diocese used the eagle of St. John in its seals in the early 12th century. In 1279 the town received city rights and probably the oldest seal dates from the same time. It showed the eagle of the bishops and a city wall.

The seal from the 13th century.

The city changed hands many times and in the 18th century was part of the Russian Empire. On October 4, 1788 the city received its first official arms, based on the old seal

The arms from 1788.

In 1866 B. Kene proposed new arms for the town, based on his system of town arms with in a free quarter the arms of the province, in this case the province Estonia. These arms were not adopted.

The proposal from 1866.

The current arms were first proposed in 1908. The design was still the same, the colours were changed. The arms were supposed to be granted in June 1940, but the Soviet occupation prevented this. During Soviet times no arms were used.

Only after the second Estonian independence the arms were finally granted in 1994 based on the 1908 proposal.

Literature: image from http://valitsus.ee/et/riigikantselei/riigi-ja-omavalitsuste-symbolid/; www.heraldicum.ru