| Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Württemberg | |
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Middle arms, with main Duchy's arms only
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| Details | |
| Crest | King's helm and Crown |
| Escutcheon | Per pale: on the dexter, the shield of Württemberg, on the sinister, the shield of Swabia |
| Supporters | On the dexter, a black lion crowned; on the sinister, a gold deer |
| Motto | Furchtlos und trew (Fearless and loyal) |
| Other elements | Surrounded by laurel and palm branches |
The coat of arms of the Kingdom of Württemberg shows an impalement of the three black antlers that represent Württemberg on the dexter (viewer's left) side; and the three black lions passant of medieval Swabia on the sinister (viewer's right) side, both on a gold field.[1]
It was formally adopted on 30 December 1817,[2] lasting between 1817 and 1922, occasionally seen on state flags of this period.[2]
This version derived from the escutcheon found in the centre of the much larger and more elaborate coat of arms that was used when Württemberg was elevated to the status of a kingdom in 1806. Württemberg had recently acquired several territories under the mediatisation system, and incorporated their heraldry into its arms, resulting in an overcomplicated design. This caused the need to choose something much simpler, and the 1817 arms had the two essential elements – lions for the whole region of Swabia, and antlers for its ruling dynasty.
By 26 December 1816, the Kingdom had also settled on the colours red and black for its flag; gold and black being too similar to the ruling Hapsburg dynasty of Austria, and red and gold being the colours of Würzburg, their allies in the Napoleonic Wars.
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The ducal arms 1495-1806
The deer design had been around for at least five centuries previously. The larger royal coat of arms included the 4 quarters of the former Duchy of Württemberg's arms (1495-1806), shown below. Their symbolism is:
- Three antlers - the original Württemberg castle on a hilltop near Stuttgart
- Gold flag with eagle on blue field – membership of the Holy Roman Empire
- Black and gold lozenges – the Duchy of Teck, acquired in 1381
- Two fishes – Montbéliard (in German: Mompelgard), an exclave property that passed by marriage to the Württemberg royal family in 1397; now in France.
The hunting horn with three feathers atop the ducal arms is the symbol of Bad Urach, acquired in 1260.
Used after 1918
After the abdication of the last king in 1918, the Free People's State of Württemberg continued to use the three antlers motif and the former kingdom's flag on its coat of arms. Today the larger version of the Coat of arms of Baden-Württemberg includes the three Swabian lions and a small shield on top with the three antlers of Württemberg. An echo of the arms can even be seen today in the trade mark of Porsche, a local car firm .
Gallery
 Seal of Ulrich I with three antlers, 1259 |
 Württemberg ducal coat of arms, dated 1495 |
 The same arms in 1703 |
.svg) Weimar-era coat of arms |
See also
References
- ^ Klaus Brecht's "Wappenkunde Württembergs" (2007); accessed 2007-10-11
- ^ a b Flags of the World, Kingdom of Württemberg. Accessed 2009-04-12.
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