Rheydt

Heraldry of the World Civic heraldry of Germany - Deutsche Wappen (Gemeindewappen/Kreiswappen)

RHEYDT

State : Nordrhein-Westfalen
District (Kreis) : Mönchengladbach (1933-1974 free urban district (Kreisfreie Stadt))
Additions : 1933 Giesenkirchen, Odenkirchen, Schelsen
Incorporated into : 1929-1933 and again from 1974 Mönchengladbach

Origin/meaning

The arms were granted in 1896.

Rheydt became a city in 1856. The arms show in the first and fourth quarter the arms of the first Lords of Rheydt, before 1500. The cross in the second and third quarter show the arms of the Lords of Bylandt-Rheydt, who owned the village since 1500. The cross was also used as the sole symbol on the old seals of the city, dating from the 16^th century.

From 1856 until 1896 the city only used a variation of the arms of Bylandt-Rheydt as shown below.

The arms from 1856-1896

Seal from around 1900

Literature : Stadler, K. : Deutsche Wappen - Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Angelsachsen Verlag, 1964-1971, 8 volumes.